"Some clergymen exude flamboyance and ostentation"

Ho, Jan. 25, GNA - Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister on Sunday observed that some clergymen exude so much flamboyance and ostentation in their lifestyles to suggest that their calling could not be to the service of God.

The Minister said, he thought priesthood was a calling to deny oneself and live in dedication to the work of God, but expressed regret that today, there were "a lot of self professed Ministers of Religion whose attitude was to the contrary."

Mr Owusu-Yeboa was speaking at the Volta Regional Launch and celebration of the name of the Global Evangelical Church (GEC) at the Ho Sports Stadium.

The GEC was until lately called the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana, a similar name as the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, Ghana, the mother Church from which it broke away The Minister expressed fears that the level of confidence reposed in the churches as sources of salvation, which was shown in the spiralling membership could be exploited.

He called on the leadership of the GEC to order its mode of worship in such a manner that it was not a "distraction from the core believers of Christianity."

Mr Owusu-Yeboa also asked the leadership to lead the Church onto the paths of cooperation with other churches on the basis of mutual love and forgiveness.

He observed that "the most authoritative power is spiritual influence", which rested with church leaders, thereby giving them "more control over the people than political functionaries."

The Minister urged the GEC, to "influence its members in such a way that each would feel as responsible members the of society and nation." Right-Reverend Emmanuel Gbodzoe, Moderator of the Church in a sermon urged Christians to persevere in their fellowship with God to enable him to use them to make a difference in re-ordering "today's situation of corruption and moral decay in the world".

"God is looking for a determined individual and groups of people to use to bring down a spiritual revival to affect every fabric of life," he stated.

Very Reverend Commander Ferdinand Gbewornyo, the immediate past Moderator of the Church unveiled a cloth to mark the symbolic launch of the name to climax seven days of GEC crusade in Ho.

Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli, in a fraternal message delivered on his behalf said the Church was reconciled with the traditional authorities and promised to work in partnership with it for the progress of the region.

Reverend Father Anthony Konu, who represented Right Reverend Francis Lodonu Bishop of the Ho Diocese of the Catholic Church called on the GEC to work in unity with other churches.