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10.04.2014 Diaspora News

Worrying Trend In Abroad Over Ghana Missionary Churches

Is Priesthood A Call, A Vocation, A Profession Or A Business? Part 1
By Obrempong Nana Yaw Baafi
Worrying Trend In Abroad Over Ghana Missionary Churches
10.04.2014 LISTEN

Some Ghanaian Christians living in abroad are calling on heads of Ghanaian churches with their missions abroad to consider in the nearest future sending practical leaders to head their societies and not mere theorists since the Church is being run as goldmines by majority of these pastors.

They observed that, most of the pastors, reverend ministers and evangelists appointed to head their various societies in foreign destinations talk more than taking practical initiatives to seek the spiritual well-being of members and the spiritual growth of the entire church.

This call was made after it came to light that most of these men of God instead of leading their flock to seek salvation, rather seek to satisfy their selfish interests and acquiring material things making their followers to wonder whether priesthood is a call, vocation, a profession or a business.

Accordingly, many Ghanaian Christians living in America and Canada wonder how most of these men of God, are milking the poor dry through collection of huge tithes and offertories only for them to ride in latest cars, live in heavy mansions and wear expensive clothes.

It will surprise you to note that whiles these men of God rides in latest cars, live in heavy church manses, wear expensive clothes, uses the church credit card to pay for family trips and receives fat envelopes as their monthly salaries, majority of the members have to struggle before able to pay their bills.

So when the over all head of the World Catholic Church, Pope Francis in a couple of weeks ago removed the bishop of the church in Limberg, Germany for a situation that prevented a faithful exercise of the ministry of the bishop there, Some Ghanaian Christians expressed concern about the same situations in their churches and a call for action from their spiritual heads.

On March 26, 2014, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church announced the sacking of Bishop Franz Peter Terbartz-van Elst of Limberg, Germany.

Pope Francis sacked the bishop after it came to light the bishop was building for himself a residential complex that cost 43million dollars including a 20,000 dollars bathtub cheaper than the 27,000 dollars fine he had to pay for lying under oath, a 35,000 dollars table and 5,000 dollars wardrobes.

To be sure 43million dollars is a lot more than the 5,000 dollars outgoing Archbishop of Newark is spending to renovate his retirement home.

Newark and Atlanta Catholics may not be quite as offended by their archbishops renovation bills as are their co-religionists in Limberg but it looks like the Pope is really not joking about wanting a church that is poor for the poor.

According to a Vatican statement, the pope removed the bishop because of a “situation that prevents a fruitful exercise of the ministry of bishop Frantz Peter Terbatz-van Elst.

To say the other way, he abused his own authority by scandalizing the faithful through his misuse of funds.

The spiritual head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis has really set a typical example of being a practical leader and not a theorist by punishing a bishop of the church who ended up abusing his own authority by scandalizing the faithful through his misuse of funds.

What about heads of Ghanaian churches whose pastors, reverend ministers and evangelists in foreign missions are abusing their authority by scandalizing the faithful through their misuse of tithes, offertories and other church funds?

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