Clergy asked to distance themselves from evil

Accra, Dec. 26, GNA - Apostle Dr George Ofori-Atta, a Theologian, has blamed leaders of the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches for breeding most of the social vices such as personal aggrandisement, which are used to malign Christianity.

Apostle Ofori-Atta, Presiding Bishop of Peculiar Peoples Chapel and member of the International Council for the Clergy, alleged that missionary heads of the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches were those, who often found themselves in jail for criminal activities than those belonging to the orthodox churches.

He was preaching during the ordination of nine pastors at the Christian Redemption Centre in Accra, during the yuletide. Apostle Ofori-Atta said Christians should not condone the wrongdoings of the Clergy but should rather strive to remain committed to the teachings of Christ.

He said God always raised minor and major prophets to voice out his disdain about the ills of society and not motivational speakers and charlatans, who exploited their congregation with their gift of revelation, healing and other divine gifts. The newly ordained pastors took the Vow of Office, Covenant Declaration and the Holy Orders after completing their courses at the Shamback School of Ordination, founded by Apostle Shamback Amaniampong, the Head of Christian Redemption Church. They were anointed, blessed and presented with certificates amidst cheers from friends, dear ones and members of the congregation. Apostle Ofori-Atta said Christians were the hope of a world threatened by the rule of the devil, and questioned the relevance of those who divided God's kingdom on earth by indulging in the very vices the devil was using as a weapon.

"Every Christian is an enemy to the devil," he said, adding that unfortunately some anointed men of God deceived, misled and fornicated. "It beats my imagination why some pastors engage in passport and visa deals," he said.

He asked Christians to demand accountability to elicit responsible behaviour from their spiritual leaders.

Apostle Ofori-Atta said Christianity should be the hope for the hopeless and tasked those who were aloof from the sufferings and deprivations around them to re-evaluate their actions. He questioned Africans, who use the lifestyle of whites as standards for Africa, saying: "The scientific development of Europe is not ethical development. The standard of Blacks should be the Bible."