Bishop Adu and wife Prophetess Christiana Adu top and below section of congregation
The New Jerusalem Chapel in Sokoban Ampayoo-Kumasi, Ashanti region, celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12, 2024, with a call for women, especially wives, to remain humble and respectful towards their husbands to sustain their marriages.
Addressing the congregation, Prophetess Christiana Adu Amponsah, the wife of the chapel’s founder and leader, Bishop Dr. John Yaw Adu, expressed gratitude to God for the occasion. She emphasized that women are precious, valuable, and specially created by God to support men as wives.
Prophetess Amponsah outlined the core responsibilities of women, including showing respect, being submissive, serving their families, taking good care of their children and homes, and maintaining humility towards their husbands. She asserted that exhibiting these virtues would deepen husbands’ love for their wives, fostering unity and peaceful coexistence within families.
Furthermore, she criticized certain negative behaviors in some women that contribute to marital breakdowns. These behaviors include laziness, unnecessary friendships, gossiping, neglecting children’s welfare, harsh words towards husbands, withholding sex, and complaining about family matters to parents.
Drawing from her 41 years of marital experience, Prophetess Amponsah shared that her peaceful relationship with her husband, Bishop Dr. J.Y. Adu, and their children is rooted in her consistent respect, humility, submissiveness, and good manners, which have allowed Bishop Adu to focus on his ministry.
Quoting Proverbs 31:10, she emphasized that every man needs a good, peaceful, and virtuous wife. A wife whose attitudes do not align with these biblical principles cannot be considered an ideal woman in society.
Prophetess Amponsah expressed disappointment over the rising number of broken marriages due to women’s bad conduct, such as relying solely on their beauty, imposing themselves on their husbands, refusing to follow simple instructions, and not apologizing when wrong.
Taking advantage of the Mother’s Day celebration, she urged women to reform their behavior and understand that marriage is a sacred institution ordained by God, not a temporary fashion or social event.
In his brief address, Bishop Dr. J.Y. Adu attributed marital separations to bad habits among some women, including boastfulness, lack of humility, patience, and respect. He expressed concern that many marriages fail shortly after weddings due to these negative behaviors, highlighting that the secret to a successful marriage lies in humility, respect, and a willingness to serve.
Bishop Adu cited statistics indicating that divorce cases at the Marriage Registry surpass sustainable marriages in the country. He advised women to be mindful of their attitudes to help maintain their marriages and glorify God. For difficult marital issues, he recommended that wives seek guidance from pastors rather than parents, as some parental interventions can exacerbate marital problems.