Church blamed for failing its followers

Accra, May 10 GNA - Mr James Owusu Bonsu, President of Awesome Grace Network (AGN), a nongovernmental organisation (NGO), on Tuesday blamed the Church for failing to bring hope, life and direction to its followers to understand they were the "salt" and "light" of the earth. He condemned some church leaders for making wealth accumulation their priority rather than the salvation of souls.

Mr Owusu-Bonsu was speaking at the first Business Seminar for Christian Executive Leaders organised by the Awesome Grace Network (AGN) in Accra.

The three-day seminar, which attracted Pastors, Church Leaders and Business Executives, was on the theme: "Anointed for Business". The AGN, a Christian NGO aims at bringing Christians together to evangelise the gospel among their various communities.

Mr Owusu-Bonsu deplored the phenomenon where too many people were parading as Pastors and who have become "wolves" in sheepskin and ended up scattering the very sheep they were to take care of.

He also called on churches to spend more on outreach programmes and taking care of the needy in deprived areas of the society rather than competing among themselves about the beauty and sizes of church edifices as well as the number of services held on Sundays.

The Reverend Jim Poitras, a Minister of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), urged Pastors not to use the Gospel to amass wealth but to serve God's purpose in the world.

He called on Christians to show love and care to their neighbours by feeding the hungry in the society and providing them with support. He also urged Christians to conduct themselves well at their workplaces by having good work ethics as well as using decent language to address fellow employees.