The Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI) Ghana has mounted a defence against six former pastors who have, among other things, sued the church over Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions.
LCI contends that it operates an extensive lay system, a system that allows individuals to serve as volunteers while maintaining their secular engagements as workers or students.
It said there were thousands of LCI pastors who had been volunteers for many years.
Again, the church argued that LCI-Ghana was a legally, financially, administratively and governmentally independent organisation from other LCI churches outside the country’s jurisdiction, adding that the Church in Ghana only shared a spiritual relationship with the others worldwide.
The church added that pastors who left LCI Ghana to serve in other jurisdictions were not in the employment of LCI-Ghana.
Suits
The six pastors, Bishop Larry Odonkor, Bishop Oko Mensah, Rev. Edward Laryea, Pastor Seth Duncan, Pastor Edem Amankwah and Pastor Faith Makafui Fiakojo, filed their suits at the Labour Division of the Accra High Court on April 19, this year, seeking an order to compel the church to pay their “unpaid SSNIT contributions”.
They are also seeking an order to compute and pay balance of salary due them.
Also, a compensation to cover some investments they made in schools, churches of the LCI and for rental of cars while in the service of LCI as well as monies they spent on accommodation.
They are seeking damages for breach of contract and the pain, unfair termination of contract and suffering caused as a result of what they described as bad treatment from the church during the period of their employment and loss of income by their spouses during transfers.
Bishop Larry Odonkor
Bishop Larry Odonkor claimed that he had been employed by the church from 2001 to 2020. However, the church in its defence said between 2001 and June 2005 he was a volunteer pastor.
The church said Bishop Odonkor worked for LCI-Ghana for five years (July 2005 to June 2010) and January to April 2020 (four months ), adding that SSNIT contributions for this period had been duly paid.
LCI said he was employed by LCI South Africa from September 2010 to 2018 and again employed by LCI Madagascar from 2018 to December 2019, and earned all his salaries and allowances directly from South Africa and Madagascar and not from Ghana .
The church further said he was not in the employment of LCI-Ghana during this period and hence, LCI -Ghana owed him no SSNIT contributions.
Bishop Emmanuel Oko Mensah
Responding to Bishop Oko Mensah’s suit, the church said it had paid all SSNIT contributions owed him for his 16 years as an employee of the church contrary to his claim that the church owed him over 14 years of unpaid SSNIT contributions.
Again, the church further said it provided free accommodation for Bishop Oko Mensah throughout the 16 years of employment contrary to his claim that he was deprived of accommodation and a car.
LCI further indicated that it assigned a Hyundai Elantra to Bishop Oko Mensah to be used in his official duties but he refused to return the vehicle when he resigned, and that the vehicle was the subject matter of a counter claim and criminal action being pursued by LCI.
Rev. Edward Laryea
The LCI said, Rev. Laryea was a volunteer from 2005 to 2008 and became an employee from August, 2008 to March, 2017 during which period LCI paid all his SSNIT contributions without any default.
Volunteer Pastors
For Pastors Faith Makafui Fiakojo, Seth Duncan and Edem Amankwah, the LCI noted that the plaintiffs were volunteer pastors and hence it owed them no salaries and SSNIT contributions.
Allegations by Pastor Fiakojo, Ps Duncan and Rev Edward that they used their own monies to build LCI churches was vehemently denied by the LCI which contended that it built those churches without their direct or indirect financial involvement.
Source: graphiconline.com
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Its being a joy serving as a volunteer all these years (over 18 years) in LCI. Bishop Dag has always been and is still a blessing to me. Bishop Dag is my hero
I am a proud Lay Pastor of LCI, I have gladly served as a Volunteer for more than 15years. With Joy and Excitement, by the grace of God and to God be the glory, I am enjoying a faithful service and stewardship. 1 Timothy 3:8-9 KJV [8] Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; [9] Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. These Pastors must review their motives for Ministry
"Scriptures reveal that two acts occur continually before the throne of God—intercession and accusation. The conflict between these two is a focal point of the battle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness." Rick Joyner, Overcoming Evil
If LCI has evidence to back this defence then these 6 guys are the most wicked people in modern Ghana church history. LCI is very empathetic about the payments they made without default so they must be standing on something....... May God keep Bishop Dag
So this is the case these 6 guys are looking for $ 2.1 million to settle??? I think their lawyer stole his law certificate
Seth Duncan your testicles like basket balls 🏀🏀... you should have finished removing them !! Sssssiiiiiiaaaaa !!!
I am a proud volunteer in the UD. Its surprising how 'pastors' can tell liars of this nature. These things are easily verifiable; no volunteer in the Lighthouse Church builds any church building with his or her own money. They should come again.
Attention Edem Amankwah, Seth Duncan and Edward Laryea These 3 malefactors claim they were being underpaid throughout their many years of service in LCI . Yet they were motivated and had enough money on them to build LCI churches .... how does that sound in the ear ??? Do you know the kind of money that’ is used to build ? Even fat salaried. bankers struggle to build but you who are being cheated by LCI found monies to build church buildings for LCI . MO Y3 NKWA-SIA FUO PAAA !!
Seth Duncan, fiakojo, edem amankwa and eddie laryea - the 4 of you are 4 buff-ons being used by larry and oko mensah . You are following oko mensah whose SSNIT has been paid for 16 years non-stop . You are following Larry who has blown time under Bishop DAG big time traveling all over the world and chopping Rands for 10 years . Larry satan is using you like an Uber . Larry you are chopping rands and you expect SSNIT to be paid for you in Ghana in GHC .so yare paaaa ! Eddie laryea you resigned 4 years ago according to the article and you now realize that in 2005 ie 16 years ago yr SSNIT wasn’t paid . Laryea the church has paid yr SSNIT for like 10 years . You were a lay pastor for in Yr first 3 years ...... then after you were employed 10 years of SSNIT payment was done till you resigned.So Eddie Laryea what paaaaaa is yr beef ????? 4 years have passed. and you now know that 16 years ago you were cheated ! You people are despica-ble ! As for those 3 volunteers I’m not surprised daily graphic didn’t even publish their pictures ...... 3 none-entities ! they just summarized their matter in 6 lines !! This is a story of 4 monkeys following 2 snakes !