Details are emerging as to how the six former pastors of Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI) allegedly demanded a whopping $12 Million as settlement from the church.
The Ex-Pastors are Bishop Larry Odonkor, Bishop Oko Mensah, Rev. Edward Laryea, Pastor Seth Duncan, Pastor Edem Amankwah and Pastor Faith Makafui Fiakojo.
$12 Million Bombshell
On 3rd August 2021 which was the last adjourned date of the trial, the presiding Judge Justice Frank Aboagye Rockson repeated an earlier suggestion he had made to the parties to settle the matter amicably.
Counsel for LCI, Rodney Heward-Mills dropped the bombshell which left the court in shock. He revealed that some Eminent Clergymen had earlier approached both parties to settle the matter out of court and that during the settlement talks the ex-pastors demanded a whopping sum of US$ 12 Million as settlement from the church and took an entrenched position on their demand. He continued that the Senior Clergymen found the demand so outrageous that they abandoned any hope of settling the matter.
Counsel for the Ex-Pastors, Kofi Bentil initially stood up to deny that his clients made such a demand but later added that even if they did demand the US$ 12 Million it did not matter.
Reliefs Sought By the plaintiffs
The palintiffs are seeking the following reliefs against the church:
a. An order compelling LCI to pay their unpaid SSNIT contributions.
b. An order to compute and pay balance of salary due them.
c.Compensation to cover some investments plaintiffs made in schools and churches of the LCI and for rental of cars while in the service of LCI and for monies they spent on accommodation while in the employment of LCI.
d.General damages for breach of contract and the pain, unfair termination of contract and suffering caused as a result of bad treatment of Plaintiffs during the period of their employment and loss of income by their spouses during transfers.
LCI has vehemently denied all the allegations and mounted their defence to the suit.
Lay System Operated by LCI
According to the LCI, it operates a very extensive lay system. By this system, the church has thousands of volunteers who help the church work while they maintain their secular engagements either as workers or students. The lay system has been in operation since the church was founded in 1988 and has continued till date. Over 86% of LCI pastors are volunteer pastors.
The church’s policy and practice which are well known to the volunteers is that the church owes no financial obligation to volunteers by way of payment of salaries or social security contributions or taxes or any form of emolument.
Missionary Acceptance Form
Volunteer pastors who are going on missions willingly sign a Missionary Consent form with their parent/Guardian who also consent in writing to the decision by the volunteer to do missionary work. A portion of the form reads, “ l,……….(NAME)… freely and willingly volunteer for Missionary work with the Lighthouse Missionary Society . I fully understand that based on my acceptance I am ready and willing to migrate and settle in a different country with or without my family as my choice may be. I also fully comprehend that I must find a job and become financially self sustaining.”
LCI-Ghana is Separate and Independent
LCI-Ghana is a legally, financially, administratively and governmentally independent organization from other LCI churches outside the borders of Ghana and only shares a spiritual relationship with the others. LCI churches worldwide share a common vision of propagating the gospel worldwide and training leaders and pastors to take the gospel to the four corners of the world.
This further means that a pastor who leaves the country to a different country is considered not to be in employment of LCI Ghana. By this, that pastor if employed by the church is paid by the LCI of the country he moves to and not LCI Ghana.
Bishop Larry Odonkor
Bishop Larry claims he was employed by LCI-Ghana from 2001 to 2020. LCI-Ghana denies this and says the church employed him from July 2005 to June 2010 and then employed him again from January till April 2020 when he resigned without due notice to the church.
According to LCI-Ghana the church paid his SSNIT contributions in full during this period.
LCI says that Bishop Larry Odonkor was a volunteer pastor from 2001 to 2005 and he signed the missionary acceptance form with the written consent of his mother on 21st August 2001.
From September 2010 to May 2018, Bishop Odonkor was employed by LCI South Africa. Again from June 2018 to December 2019 he was employed by LCI Madagascar. All his salaries and allowances were paid by LCI-South Africa and LCI-Madagascar during this period.
Bishop Emmanuel Oko Mensah
The Church in its defence argued that that it had paid in full, all SSNIT contributions owed Bishop Oko Mensah 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 argued that it provided free accommodation for the Bishop Mensah throughout the 16 years of employment contrary to his claim that he was most often deprived of the basic logistics, required for their work, such as a car and accommodation to facilitate his work.
LCI further indicated that for most part his employment period LCI without obligation gave Bishop Oko Mensah official cars to use and this includes a Hyundai Elantra with registration number GN8591-12 and that Bishop Oko Mensah refused to return the Hyundai Elantra when he resigned and that this vehicle is the subject matter of a counter claim and criminal action by LCI.
One of the most mind-boggling averments in Bishop Oko’s statement of claim is in paragraph 21 in which he avers that, “his frequent and abrupt transfers led to the loss of employment by his spouse because of the policy of the Defendant church that he was to relocate to his new places of transfer with his spouse, and this was the case because Plaintiff’s spouse could not speak the French Language”.
LCI responded that the only wife of plaintiff known to LCI is Emmanuella Mensah and she refused to move to either Benin or Burkina Faso with him or join him there. She remained in Ghana and continued in her employment with SSNIT throughout the time the Plaintiff was in Benin and Burkina Faso.
It is therefore a palpable lie for Oko Mensah to say his wife followed him to Burkina Faso and Benin and therefore lost her job; unless Oko Mensah is talking about another wife he had that went with him on the mission.
In that case LCI says it owes him no liability in respect of her since he did not disclose that woman to LCI.
Rev. Edward Laryea
The LCI said contrary to the claim that the Plaintiff worked for the Church and the church failed to pay his SSNIT contributions from 2005 to July 2008, it paid SSNIT contributions from August 2008 when he was employed to March 2017 since between the periods of 2005 to July 2008, he(Mr Laryea) was a volunteer pastor and he signed the missionary acceptance form in July 2005 with the consent of his guardian.
Ps Edem Kofi Amankwah
Pastor Edem Kofi Amankwah was a Volunteer Pastor from October 2007 to 2018 when he resigned. He never became an employee of LCI-Ghana. He also with the written consent of his biological father, Mr Christopher Yaw Amankwah signed the Missionary Consent form on 13th October 2007.
Ps. Seth Duncan
He was a volunteer pastor from 2008 to 2018 till he resigned without due notice in 2018. He was never an employee of LCI. He also with the written consent of his biological father called Joseph Anti Duncan signed the Missionary Consent form on 21st November 2008. While pastoring in Paga and Tamale he was running a school in Paga to earn a living.
Ps Faith Makafui Fiakojo
Pastor Faith Fiakojo, was a Lay (Volunteer) Pastor in Fumbisi in the Upper East Region under LCI Ghana from November 2013 to December 2019 when he resigned without notice. He was not an employee according to the Church’s records.
He also with the written consent of his biological father, Mr Prosper Fiakojo signed the Missionary Consent form on 11th November 2013.
Allegations by Pastors Fiakojo, 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.
Counterclaims by LCI Against the Plaintiffs
LCI has counterclaimed against the former pastors as follows:
1. Against all 6 Plaintiffs for damages for defamation for publishing 3 Articles against the LCI each titled “Darkness In A Lighthouse”
Against Bishop Larry Odonkor:
- That he stole monies he should have used to pay his own SSNIT contributions and taxes. That LCI upon discovering this after he resigned paid the SSNIT contribution and taxes with penalties thereon. LCI is counterclaiming for the stolen monies and has also reported the matter to the police for investigations. Bishop Larry is to report to the CID headquarters for interrogations on Friday 20th August 2021
- LCI further claims that while Bishop Larry was in Madagascar he illegally sold a Toyota Land Cruiser which was an official vehicle belonging to LCI-Madagascar. And that LCI Madagascar has given LCI-Ghana a power of attorney to recover the proceeds of the sale from him.
- LCI Madagascar has also reported him to the police in Madagascar and we are reliably informed that Madagacar police is advanced in it’s investiagtions.
3. Against Bishop Oko Mensah.
For recovery of possession of the official vehicle ie Hyundai Elantra he refused to return to LCI-Ghana upon his resignation. LCI says it has reported the matter to the CID for investigations and he was compelled to return the car to the CID headquarters. Bishop Oko was on Monday 16th August 2021 charged with stealing the car and will soon be arraigned before court to be prosecuted.
LCI-Burkina Faso claims while he was heading the LCI-Burkina Faso between 2018 and 2019 he misappropriated to himself the sum of $57,403.21. And that LCI – Burkina has given LCI-Ghana a power of attorney to recover sum from him.
4. Against Faith Makafui Fiakojo. LCI claims he illegally took over the LCI church building in Fumbisi after he resigned and the church has sued for recovery of possession.
5. Against Edem Amankwah. LCI Claims he resigned without making full account of books he took from the church to sell for a commission. He has refused to return either the books or the money. LCI is claiming a sum of GHC 36,820.00 from him.
Source: The Ghanaian Publisher
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It's obvious what their motives were from Day1...it's sad this is actually what they wanted all along. Cos when they started with the SSNIT accusations, I knew there was more to it. May God help us.
Why does this not come as a surprise. “for a root of all the evils is the love of money, which certain longing for did go astray from the faith, and themselves did pierce through with many sorrows” - 1 Timothy 6:10 There is always a motive for anyone’s actions! For their legal Counsel to deny this and then to say “even if they did demand the US$ 12 Million it did not matter” is the most retarded statement/response to give. Psalm 94:23 ………
Asking for $12m? Absolutely outrageous! Now we know because it is abundantly clear these 6 guys are out for money. The church's strong administrative procedures didn't allow them room enough to carryout their evil intentions. So they have resorted to lies, stealing, slandering, and every evil they can imagine. You take on a distinguished servant of God who has proven track record to ridicule him? Proverbs 30:17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. You die that!
God is righteous!! I guess the SSNIT and the social media brouhaha were just to win public sympathy so they could made this claims.
It's a shame. The love of money is the root of all evil. They loved money and have erred from the faith, now they are piercing themselves with many sorrows. Stealing church cars and money and they had the audacity to go to court. God help us
Ex-gratia.....mercy!!! As the revered Archbishop said, vindication is in the womb of time....
$12m? It's a big shame. Their motives are clear now. They are a big Shame to the body of Christ. Why are they still using their titles and fighting the same office that gave it to them? They have really allowed satan to use them against their own church that brought them from the darkness into the light. They are back to the darkness. So sad for them. The battle is still the Lord’s. This tells you how desperate they are to be rich. Am sure very soon their lawyers will be chasing them for non payment of legal fees. They will soon abandon the case and run begging for forgiveness. Disloyalty at the highest level. Somebody tell these 6 former Pastors that they are not getting a peswa from us. We have more churches to build for the souls won. I can see their miserable end coming soon. We will fight them to the end. The scripture is always true! Prov.13.11 - Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. May God have mercy on their souls. #bishopdagismyhero #wearegettingstrongereveryday
Unfortunate !!! greed !!! sons cannot rise up to negate the love of a Father .
What a shock. $12m demand from a church and a father who has being good to you. No money will be paid to you. You that you must be gratful to the father who gave you opportunity to travel, to serve God well, to pastor one of the greatess cathedrals in ghana. Bishop dag is what you say he is. Bishop day show all of you the greatess love and care a father can give to his children. The secret behind the formation of the forth estate is $12m. The truth can not be hiden. Onaaaaaaaa po. Sorry we have more churches to build.