Cape Coast, Aug 22, GNA - Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, on Sunday charged the clergy to avoid deceit and hypocrisy and uphold morality.

He said what the clergy professes must be in harmony with his conduct and they should practice what they preach and render their services to the glory of God and not to do things that would bring pleasure to Satan.

Most Rev. Asante was delivering the sermon on the theme: "the minister's integrity and ministry" when he ordained 42 reverend ministers including five women, at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Cape Coast.

The event climaxed activities for the week-long 44th and the Sixth Biennial Conference, which attracted a large crowd including the families of the ordained ministers, the clergy and the laity.

Most Rev. Asante criticized reverend ministers who give excuses that they are human and engage in unworthy lifestyles.

He called on the clergy to live above reproach and be wary of negative actions that they could encounter because it could bring shame to their families and tarnish the image of the church.

Most Rev. Asante asked them not allow "external authority", which according to him "depends solely on status privileges and is not permanent to override their actions because it could be taken away if they live recklessly".

He warned the new reverend ministers that the church could withdraw the legitimization of their authority if they fail to live upright lifestyles.

Most Rev. Asante asked them to be guided against pride, arrogance and immorality and protect their integrity.

He said "do not fool around and put on your cassocks, do not lower your guards but think about your actions".

Most Rev. Asante said that he had a fair share of temptations and that he had received insulting phone calls and sometimes people who do not know him personally insults him during phone in programmes on radio, but he had lived through them all.

He reminded the new clergy that they were obliged to evangelize and "proclaim Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him and help deepen the faith of those who already know Him."

Most Rev. Asante asked the church to conform to the word of God and support the ministers to enable them to effectively carry out their assignment and the church should consider the clergy and laity a unit since they all have a stake in the ministry of Christ.

He advised women to stop tempting ministers of God and appealed to the church to pray for the clergy so that they would not go astray but work hard to the glory of God.