Parliament is planning to investigate, and prescribe regulations on church activities in Ghana.
This follows a directive from the Speaker, Rev Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye, to the joint committees of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, after the House on Wednesday discussed the proliferation of churches at the expense of human rights and the use of working hours for church activities.
However, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), the Rt. Rev Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has kicked against any move by the nation to prescribe regulations on activities of Churches.
Preaching the sermon at the commissioning service of 26 Ministerial Candidates on Sunday 2nd June 2019 at the Victory Congregation of the PCG at Fafraha in Accra, the Moderator said there are already laws to deal with pastors who are misbehaving.
He said, when pastors or a church leaders misbehave or go against the laws of the state, they should be dealt with according to the law and be treated as offenders of the law and not cloud their offenses with their calling as Ministers of the gospel.
The Rt. Rev. Prof. J. O. Y. Mante, said there are laws against human right abuse and so if a minister of the Gospel abuses the right of someone the laws should work.
The Moderator called on the State to take drastic actions against charlatan pastors, who abuse people’s rights. He said any attempt by the state to regulate church activities in Ghana will not be accepted.
He cautioned Ministers of the Gospel to live lives worthy of their calling and admonished the newly commissioned ministers to exhibit a character and demeanor that reflect Christ, pursue godly and goodly prosperity as well as disciple others.
The Moderator admonished Christians to eschew the deceitful of riches, following after ungodly counsel and making the cares of this world make them lose their focus; rather, they should focus on being delighted in the Lord, trusting Him and intentional seeking to follow the Lord faithfully.
He urged them to learn to identify themselves with the practice of the Church as enshrined in the Constitution.
He told the new ministers that true Christians must show their status by portraying the character of Christ who was sinless on earth.
The Moderator cautioned the newly commissioned ministers to be mindful of their attitudes towards the community they find themselves, their neighbours and colleagues since it could either discredit or encourage others to come to know Christ.
He urged them to rely fully on the powers of the Holy Spirit and pray to God always for His direction.
Source: George Larbi, PRO Presby Church
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It's either you are not a Christian or you are ***barred word*** of this agenda. Whatever be the case, a no ***barred word*** and lier and murderer (politician) has or will ever have the moral authority to judge the church.
Every true christain will believe we indeed need legislation to keep we and our so called men of God in checks.Give humanbeing one inch and he or she will move one million inch. I therefore wants church activities to legislated.
Every true christain will believe we indeed need legislation to keep we and our so called men of Dod in checks.Give humanbeing one inch and he or she will move one million inch. I therefore wants church activities to legislated.
Every true believer aware of the times the world is in would quickly agree that this regulation is nothing but a ploy to destroy the christian faith. Trust me, in the end, the fake pastors(who are friends with these same politician) will never be affected. It is the true men of God who will suffer for this. At first, they started with taxing churches, then this but both will not work. Tax the blood sucking cults and fetish priests who protect armed robbers and evil political parties first, then moslems, before the church
Have these corrupt politicians finished regulating their freemason and other occult groups to now start regulating the church? The fake pastors learnt from the shrines but no one is speaking of regulating the fetish priests. Name one single thing the people have entrusted the politicians with that has succeeded. How on earth can an evil, wicked and greedy politician tell me how to serve God. This ***barred word*** must stop asap
What is actually wrong with Prof. Josef Mante. He has to be realistic with the Situation in Ghana. Proliferation of many churches in Ghana is bussines and Money oriented. Street pastors are exploiting the poor in our Society for their own selfish gains. Many through fake church activities are becoming rich in a day time. This is pure Exploitation. The Government is in the positive direction of Regulation the activites of many grown Money and bussines oriented church activities.Its not the issue of human Rights. Simply About the regulations of the so many bussines minded churches. One of the Regulation is that churches must pay tax to the Government. Pastors in Ghana have much income from Sunday worships. So they must pay tax to the Government.
Many Presbyterians disagree with the Moderator. In fact the MP who spoke so forcefully on the mater at Parliament is a Presbyterian. He spoke very well and his ideas were very enlightening. it is shameful that the Moderator and many Christian Church leaders are silent on abuses of religion in Ghana. It is disingenuous to oppose the call for regulation to bring order in religion. God is not happy with people who cause dishonor to his name. The second of the Ten Commandment states "Thou shall not mention the Lord's name in vain". Since the Religious bodies have failed to set in place mechanism to bring sanity in religious practices, it is appropriate for the Parliament, the law makers to to make laws to eliminate the abuses. Civilization of any society is measured by the quality of life practiced in that society. The attitude and behavior of many religious practices are nothing to write home about. it is demeaning, uncharitable, unjust, deception and fraudulent. Ghana cannot sit down for such behavior to continue. The religious leaders have failed to protect the dignity of religion and so God is taking it away from them to give it to the Parliament. It is like God taking the kingdom from Soul who dishonored him to give it to David who devotedly serve him.