ARCHBISHOP Dr. Slezer Ofori-Atta, the President of International Council of Clergy, has denounced the commercialization of the gospel by a section of the pastors.
According to Bishop Ofori-Atta it was very pathetic that a section of the priests have decided to turn the propagation of the gospel into business ventures and personal gains at the expense of the perishing souls. ?It is unfortunate that some pastors have turned the work of God into business ventures with the sole aim of amassing wealth for themselves to the detriment of the perishing souls,? he said.
Archbishop Ofori-Atta, the first Pentecostal Archbishop of Ghana said this when preaching at the Eight Year Celebration of Bishop Elect Elisha Osei Kofi, Founder and Lead of Winning Soul Chapel International (WSCI) in Accra, last Sunday.
The occasion was also used to ordain three of the church workers as priests and the election of Rev. Elisha Osei Kofi into office of as a Bishop. Archbishop Ofori-Atta again warned and denounced self-glorification by a section of pastors. He noted that pastors must use their lifestyle to change society and desist from selfishness. According to Bishop Ofori-Atta, pastors must consider themselves as sheep who had been sent among the wolf to effect changes in the world. He charged the ordained pastors to hold unto the gospel truth. He charged the ordained pastors to live a life void of sin and questionable that has the tendency to bring the name of the Lord into disrepute. He cautioned that fornication, sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, fraction, jealousy, drunkenness and envy should not be named among them. He told the Pastors to seek the welfare of their members and desist from selfish and materialistic living. ?Once you have been elevated into this respectable offices you must imitate Christ in your lifestyle for the world to see the light,? he said.
Archbishop urged the Bishop Elect and the leadership of the church to contribute towards the development of the nation as part of the church?s social responsibility.
He appealed to Christians to intensify their intercessory for the nation to obtain the favour of God.
On his part Bishop Elect Elisha Osei-Kofi, assured that they would hold unto the gospel truth and live a life worthy of emulation to attract people into the Christendom.
Present at the event were Bishop Dr. Grant Maxwell, from Nigeria, Bishop Ben Ako Harrison, Bishop Mary Provencal, Canada and Bishops Melcom Wilson, UK. Those who were ordained were, Rev. Ebenezer Adu, Rev. Bismark Annan, Rev. Alfred Bremfo.