Accra, Aug. 14, GNA – The Church of Christ, Ghana (CCG) has deplored the spread of “one-man churches,” saying that had changed the central message of Christendom from salvation for the soul to the well-being of the flesh.

The prosperity of the flesh message is commonly referred to as “the Prosperity Gospel”.

The CCG said the spread of these churches “resulting in the teaching of diverse doctrines, beliefs and practices had not helped the cause of Christ but created competition instead of cooperation among the followers of Christ.

It said: “The continuous preaching on material wealth and the extravagant lifestyle of some religious leaders are part of the reasons most youth of today are indulging in dubious means to be rich overnight.

“Here in Ghana, it has been a bane and a worry to society at large. “The abuse and misuse of the Bible is leading many astray today.”

The CCG said this in a press statement delivered at the Nsawam Road Branch of the Church in Accra on Saturday to launch its 50th Anniversary Celebration. It is under the theme: “Celebrating Five Decades of Restoring the New Testament Church.”

The CCG pleaded with all denominations and groups who were aligned to the Christian Movement to return to the Bible, saying “For there is One Lord, One Faith, One Hope, One Father, One Baptism, One Body, which is the Church as contained in Ephesians 4:4, 1:22,23.”

The statement said they should adopt the principles of the CCG to only “speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent, do things the Bible way and call Biblical things by Biblical names.”

It said CCG followed the tenets of the New Testament scriptures and called on denominations that had modified these teachings in the name of modernity to discard the practice.

It noted the fallen standard of morality had resulted in a high rate of drug abuse, same sex practices, pre-marital sex, child abuse or defilement, and corruption.

The CCG, consequently, encouraged “The true men of God to use the pulpit to preach upright moral values and righteousness.”

The CCG noted: “In recent times, the nation is experiencing an upsurge in religious organisations and the media are filled with adverts of one faith or the other.

“The religious landscape today, is, indeed, muddy and confusing. The average Ghanaian appears to be under siege and completely confused as they find it difficult to discern the truth from falsehood.

“Of great worry to the nation and, indeed, many discerning citizens are the religious charlatans that appear to have taken the nation hostage.

“Again, of great concern to many are the deceptive secular strategies that have been adopted to market what is entirely a spiritual institution, that is, the Church.”

It called on Christians to intensify public education and evangelism to tackle the growing menace of immorality as well as to expose the fake from the genuine.

CCG also pledged its commitment to continue to provide social services to support the ongoing efforts by government and other civil society groups to bring relief to especially the poor.

It also called on members to continue to be law abiding citizens and honour their obligations to the State.

Dr Andrew Dadson, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Physics of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Elder at the Bomso Branch of the Church, delivered the statement at a ceremony attended by members across the country.

The year-long celebrations will involve regional lectures, clean-up exercises, blood donation and regional joint evangelism towards establishing a jubilee church in each of the 10 regions.

At the national level, there will be joint worship services, joint awards and recognition ceremonies, lectures and other activities.

CCG began in Ghana in 1961 and has over 4000 branches across the country.