The Church of Pentecost has in a statement said it does not support the call for young people who are unable to abstain from sex to use condom.

According to the Church, the option is not biblical and also they do not accept or support sex before marriage.

The statement comes after an elder of the Church and a counselor was reported to have said that young people who cannot control their sexual desires be allowed to have sex using condoms.

The counsellor, who is also an elder of the church of Pentecost, New Achimota District, Mr Nii Armah Hammond said in a media interview that safe sex is the best means of preventing teenage pregnancy and its associated complications but the Church in a statement on the subject said, “using condoms for sex outside marriage to prevent pregnancy or diseases is not a biblical option.”

But a statement signed by the General Secretary of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi said: “In the light of discussions involving an Elder of The Church of Pentecost (COP) on sex and condom usage among teenagers and the youth, we wish to offer the following comments: Sexuality has been abused over the years by man due to the fall.

God in His own wisdom has restricted sex to married couples. Sex outside marriage is regarded as sin in the sight of God (1 Corinthians 6:13-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:2-8), whether it is engaged in with condoms on or not.”

“For Christians therefore, using condoms for sex outside marriage to prevent pregnancy or diseases is not a biblical option. The church will always encourage and advocate bringing up our children and youth to live according to biblical principles of abstinence and fidelity, and would not teach on what ways could be found to avoid the harmful consequences of engaging in things that God forbids us to do in His word.”