No need for law to regulate pastors, apply existing laws on them — Presby Moderator

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Rt Reverend Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, has described calls for a legislation to regulate the work of pastors as unnecessary.

Rather, he said, pastors who flouted the law should be treated as criminals and punished according to the existing laws of the land.

“There is no need for any legislation. Pastors who behave as if they are above the law and break the law should face the law.

If they have to be jailed, they should be jailed. If some of these pastors are jailed, others will sit up,” he said.

Rt Rev. Prof. Mante was delivering a sermon last Sunday to officially commission 26 new pastors of the PCG at the Victory Congregation of the PCG at Fafraha in the Adentan municipality, Accra.

The new pastors pursued Bachelor and Master’s degree programmes in Theology and Divinity at the Trinity Theological Seminary.

No preferential treatment

Last week, some Members of Parliament (MPs) made a strong case for a law to stop “abuse of congregants” by some so-called men of God and to sanitise the work of God.

The MP for Mfantseman, Mr Ekow Hayford, was of the view that an independent body backed by law and devoid of politics should be set up to check the activities of churches in the country.

He also called on the media to be mindful of the kind of pastors they allowed on their platforms to preach.

But Rt Rev. Prof. Mante said the focus should be on the enforcement of existing laws in the country and not the promulgation of new ones.

He said pastors had been given too much leverage in the country and that had made some to become lawless.

“There should be no preferential treatment for pastors, if they break the law, they should be dealt with.

I as the Moderator of the PCG should be dealt with if I do anything against the law,” he emphasised.

Don’t be fake pastors

Rt Rev. Prof. Mante advised the newly commissioned pastors not to join the flock of fake pastors who had forsaken the moral tenets of Christianity and had rather capitalised on people's weaknesses and vulnerability to enrich themselves.

“An important fruit of the spirit is character.

A pastor who misses this has missed the whole Christian faith.

“There are too many fake pastors around, do not go and add to that list.

The PCG will not tolerate any pastor who decides to use dubious means.

If you want to become a fake pastor, go and establish your own church but not in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana,” he warned.

Appreciation

A representative of the commissioned pastors, Rev. Daniel Kwesi Opoku, lauded the General Assembly, the various congregations of the PCG and the family members of the pastors for supporting their studies.

“We thank you all for the immense support we received throughout our three-year stay on campus.

You have been with us from day one and you continue to support us,” he said.