Evangelist expresses concern over prosperity preaching

An Evangelist, James K. Agbedor, has expressed concern over the increasing emphasis on prosperity preaching by some pastors in place of the message of salvation.

Even though the Bible enjoins Christians to embark on what is termed the Great Commission, as stated in Mark 16:15, he said pastors had neglected that sacred assignment and had replaced it with the preaching of prosperity and carnality.

Mr Agbedor, the Founder of Mount Carmel Ministries disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times after a five-day healing and deliverance crusade held at the church’s headquarters at Agbakope in the Volta Region.

He said apart from the preaching of prosperity and carnality, it had also become fashionable among these pastors to court public attention to themselves instead of preaching about salvation to the flock.

According to him, it had become common practice to see some principal streets of Accra and other regional capitals often awash with billboards showcasing pictures of most of these pastors and their wives in place of Christ.

“When I was growing up, the only symbol I could see signifying the presence of a Christian Church was the cross. Today it is no longer the cross that is advertised but the pastor and the wife and in certain cases the entire family. The attention should be on the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and not pastors,” he emphasised.

Evangelist Agbedor, who is also a lawyer by profession, said he had no issues with pastors acquiring wealth; but there was everything wrong with them flaunting their wealth in such opulent manner.

“The display of wealth by some men of God to the extent that they invite the press to their homes just to show their wealth is wrong and against the tenets of the Great Commission,” he said

Evangelist Agbedor also lamented about the growing practice in which some pastors were converting their offices into consulting rooms and charging even members of their own congregation who came to them for spiritual advice.

He said pastors had the responsibility to teach the congregation about the benefits of giving based on the Bible.