It is difficult to lose a child, John Mahama
Death spoils everything, Bishop Dag
Former President John Dramani Mahama has paid a visit to the family home of the Founder and General Overseer of the United Denomination Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC) to mourn with them over the passing of his first son.
A week ago today, news broke on how the first child of the evangelist, Dr. David Heward-Mills, had died.
He was a psychiatrist living and working in the United States. He is reported to have died after a short illness.
Leading a delegation of the top party executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other members of the party, John Mahama met with the family in their home to express his condolences and his sympathies to them during the difficult times.
In a Facebook post that announced his Thursday, April 21, 2022, visit, the former president said it is a difficult thing to lose a child.
“I visited the Heward-Mills family on Thursday evening to express my condolences to Bishop Dag and the family on the loss of their son, Dr. David Heward-Mills.
“Losing your child is a painful experience. Bishop Dag, his family and the church's loss is our loss. We all feel the deep pain.
“I also expressed the condolences of my wife, Lordina, and the National Democratic Congress to the family and the Lighthouse Group of Churches,” he wrote.
John Dramani Mahama also signed a book of condolence opened in the memory of the late David Heward-Mills.
The news, which broke on Good Friday, April 15, 2022, got many wondering how the family would sail through such a tragic loss, but it did not take long for the evangelist to comment on it.
During his Easter Sunday Service sermon on the title, The Grave is Not the End, Bishop Dag spoke for the first time about death, stressing that it makes nonsense of everything.
“Death has been destroying our lives for years, amen. Death spoils everything. Death spoils everything. My son David just passed away. It spoils everything.
“You ask me am I sad? If you had a son who died, will you be sad? You should ask yourself that question. It [spoils everything. It brings a funny environment and it makes nonsense of everything. We always try to wish it further and further away but that is how it is,” he told his congregants at the First Love Church in Accra.
Days after, the first lady of the church, Lady Rev. Adelaide Heward-Mills, also shared a portion of scripture along with a photo she took with her son in what was her first comment after the news broke.
“2 Cor 1:8-11 NLT “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.
“9. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.
“10. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.
“11. And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety,” she wrote.
Here are some photos:
View his Timepath below;
John Mahama visited Bishop Dag Heward-Mills on Thursday to mourn with him