GHC100k preaching fee: Agyinasare defends 'Papa', Otabil

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams and Pastor Mensa Otabil neither charge GHS100,000 nor any amount of money as preaching fee from other churches, Bishop Charles Agyinasare has said.

While parrying similar allegations against himself, the founder of Perez Chapel International (PCI) told his congregation on Sunday, 19 November at the Perez Dome that of all the times he has hosted the founders of Action Chapel International (ACI) and the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), respectively, none of them demanded he be paid.

Recently, private legal practitioner Maurice Ampaw launched an attack on Archbishop Duncan-Williams saying: “Somebody like Duncan-Williams charges GHS100,000 before preaching when invited to share the word of God at a different church.

“Let him come out and challenge me and I will expose him big time,” Mr Ampaw dared the ACI founder when he spoke on Abusua FM’s Drive Time hosted by Ike De Unpredictable.

According to Mr Ampaw, pastors have turned the word of God into a money-making venture.

“Now most of the pastors in the country charge huge sums of amount before they preach when given an invite to preach in a different church. … Now our pastors are more than performers or musicians. They charge a lot and some even take half of the money charged before honouring invitations and that is how come musicians charge money before performing at various events because if you ask them, they will tell you pastors do same”.

He continued: “Now pastors are taking monies from people because the moment you visit them to narrate your story, they will immediately ask you to sow a seed and all these are corrupt practices exhibited by most of our pastors.”

Adducing further anecdotal evidence to back his assertion that pastors are among the most corrupt people in Ghana, Mr Ampaw narrated: “I remember a case I handled some time ago where a pastor was invited by his colleague to hold a rally in Sunyani, and he boldly stated he was going to share any money they get … by 60 – 40, which became a serious issue after the rally”.

Defending his contemporaries and himself, Bishop Agyinasare said: “I remember on Wednesday, my dear friend Bishop Yaw Adu called me from Koforidua, he said there was this radio station in Koforidua that reported the night before that I’m amongst some three senior pastors, namely: Archbishop Duncan-Williams, Dr Otabil and Bishop Agyinasare in Ghana that before you get them to preach they charge you GHS100,000.”

“Well when I was in Tamale, I’m glad to say I hosted Archbishop Duncan-Williams and I hosted Dr Otabil, even in the 80s and they did not charge me. Instead, they paid their own plane fare and they paid their hotel bill – even when the church was small.

“Now when we celebrated our 30th anniversary in March, I’m glad to say that we invited some of these eminent men of God and amongst them we had Archbishop Duncan-Williams and Dr Otabil; surprisingly, they did not charge us and we did not give them GHS100,000.

“I’m glad to announce to you that in my 35 years in Ministry, in January I’ll be 35 years in ministry, I’ve not charged anyone to preach for them nor have I hosted any man or woman of God who has charged me before. I don’t accept people who charge to preach. But you can tell that somebody wanted our head for breakfast, but whoever is looking for your head for breakfast, they will not get it, God will deliver you…” Bishop Agyinasare said.