LifeStyle of 2026-10-29

Dear GhanaWeb: My pastor husband uses church money to bet

Dear GhanaWeb, I am married to a pastor, a respected man of God whom many people admire and look up to. People see him as a responsible spiritual leader, but behind closed doors, my husband is a completely different person, and it is making my life miserable. My husband is addicted to gambling, especially sports betting, and I am beginning to fear what will happen when everything finally comes to light. Just last Saturday, he lost over GH¢20,000 on bets, and sadly, that is not even the worst of his losses. I can confidently say that he lost more than GH¢100,000 during the last two World Cup matches alone. I don't know much about football, but I have become familiar with the emotional torture that comes with his betting habit. Whenever he loses, he comes to me crying and complaining about the money he has lost. The most painful part is that I suspect he does not take these losses seriously because much of the money he gambles with belongs to the church. Sometimes, I feel he would never dare stake such huge amounts if the money were coming directly from his own pocket. What makes the situation even more confusing is that my husband sometimes wins large sums of money. However, instead of keeping the winnings or using them to settle his debts, he puts everything back into betting. Before long, he loses it all and returns to square one. It is as though no amount of money is ever enough for him. Because of his lifestyle, our home has not been spared either. There have been several times when we went without food because there was no money to buy anything to eat. Meanwhile, people outside believe we are financially comfortable because my husband is a pastor. They see the position he occupies and assume that we have everything we need, but they have no idea what happens in our home. I have had to pretend that everything is fine even when I am struggling emotionally. I cannot comfortably tell people what I am going through because of the position my husband occupies in society. I feel trapped in a life where I must protect his reputation while watching him destroy everything he has worked to build. My greatest fear is the day the truth comes out. People are being arrested over financial matters every day, and I am afraid my husband could eventually find himself in serious trouble because of the money he has taken and the debts he has accumulated. I also fear that I will be dragged into the disgrace simply because I am his wife. I keep asking myself what will happen to me when the church members discover what has been going on. Will they believe that I knew nothing about it? Will they blame me for standing by him? I feel ashamed even thinking about the situation because I know how much trust people place in him. I want him to change, but I do not know how to help someone who does not seem willing to stop. I love him as my husband, but I cannot keep pretending that everything is fine when I know the damage his actions are causing. At this point, I feel helpless and confused. Should I confront him and insist that he stop handling church money, or should I report what is happening to the church authorities before things get worse? I need your help! FG/EB “We Can’t Adapt to This New Road Technology” | Ghanaians React to TRAFFITECH-GH