Christians urged to lead spiritual lives

Bishop Emmanuel Botchwey, the General Overseer of the Christian Faith Church International, has bemoaned the "idolatrous" nature of the church today, calling for the need to revert to the olden days of Godly spiritualism.

"The church of today has become so idolatrous. We worship many gods; the god of materialism, wealth and prestige and egocentrism...We live in times when Christian values have been strangled and standards watered down in the name of modernism."

The Bishop said "these days emphasis have shifted and standards were compromised, even within the church and the old-time religion, which was heavenly focused and boarded on spirituality have given way to a religion of convenience, conformity, compromise and competition".

"Pastors are tempted to deal with members at the socio-material satisfaction only, at the expense of their spiritual maturity…Church of Christ which was supposed to be driven by the Spirit of Christ has now become wants-driven and controlled by the carnal desires and persuasions of its members."

Bishop Botchwey was speaking at the opening of the annual Ministerial Council Conference of the Church to take stock of the church’s performance across the globe and what was in stock for the future.

The annual Council of Minister’s Conference is a gathering designed to assess the performance of the Church in the year under review, evaluate resolutions, orient themselves towards the vision for the ensuing year, effect some constitutional amendments and policy reviews or ratify new policies, where necessary.

Unfortunately, the year 2020, which is under review has been a very difficult one with its attendant challenges.

Bishop Botchway said the COVID 19 pandemic which has ravaged the whole world, took a toll on the Church's activities and stifled the vision for the year… “barely two weeks after our Council of Ministers Conference, all churches across the length and breadth of the country were put under restrictions for about six months by a Presidential decree.

"However, the Lord showed us more grace and we were able to put measures that kept the ministries of the church alive and stayed focused in spite of the setback".

"This year is a very crucial year in the history of the Church as we begin to outline and effect a process of transition of the Church to pave way for the handing over of the leadership baton to a new generation of leaders who will eventually take over from my thirty-seven plus years of leadership of the Church.

"It is my prayer that our ministers will have the understanding that it is necessary and inevitable for us to go through this transition, embrace it with good conscience and focus on work and responsibility to Christendom rather than titles and positions".

According to him, the proposals for the transitional provisions would be the subject of discussion for approval by the Council of Ministers and ratification by the General Council.

The Bishop stressed the need to revisit some basic foundational truths of the Bible, which was fast becoming a lost asset in the Christian culture.

He said, "some of the abominable acts purported to have been orchestrated by some so called MEN OF GOD simply transcends the bounds of comprehension, a serious indictment on the image and integrity of the church".

The General Officer mentioned the blatant abuse of the leadership office, overt and extravagant display of wealth and affluence, manipulating and cheating of unsuspecting and vulnerable followers, fleecing them mercilessly for selfish dishonest gains, extortions, scandals, immorality, competitions, infightings, ministerial envy and jealousy, and inordinate desire to amass material wealth at all cost as some evil practices the Church must guard against.

"Pastors these days find it difficult to talk about sin simply because it makes people uncomfortable...we are afraid members will scream and retreat if we tell them the truth," Bishop Botchway said.

He added that "God formed us, schools informs us, sin deforms us, but only Christ transforms us and that there was the need to go back to the era of holiness, purity, righteousness and true worship, for without holiness no one sees God”.

He urged the pastors to go back and build according to God's pattern and not the civilization of the world, the desire of the people or the wisdom of men.

"Let us courageously fight against corruption in the Church and in the pulpits, let us fight against moral decadence in society, let us boldly fight against LGBTQIA+ activities without massaging it with so-called human rights which are actually human wrongs.”

Bishop Botchwey charged the Ministers to dispense knowledge and ideas freely to enrich their deliberations and ensure the success of the conference.