Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, Founder and General Overseer of Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM), has explained why he married another woman after divorcing Mama Francisca, his wife of 26 years.

Duncan-Williams yesterday officially introduced his new catch, Rosa Whitaker, an African American, to the Action congregation at Prayer Cathedral- the Spintex Road headquarters of the church, and said he decided to marry after divorce because he was inundated with advances from many ladies including church members, and also because he wanted to end the suspicion, speculation and controversy that had arisen as a result of his divorce with the mother of his four children.

According to him, his new wife, whom he asked his followers to call Lady Rosa, had been his long-time friend, even before Mama Francisca was dumped.

The Archbishop, who was unusually sober and strikingly emotional, told his congregation that at times, some of the womenfolk in the church on their own volition, cooked for him and took the food to his house after which they would call to ask if he had eaten the food; if it was okay; and what he thought about them.

He said last year alone, he received over 1,500 e-mails from various people urging him to marry again; and moreover he did not want people to become suspicious when they see women around him.

Duncan-Williams said after a critical consideration of the turn of events and a meticulous study on the topic of marriage and divorce, he arrived at the resolution that it would be in his interest to re-marry if he wants to fulfill his calling and destiny as a Man of God.

Explaining whether or not his decision to marry another woman after divorce was scriptural, the Archbishop said there were two schools of thoughts on the topic and he decided to take the one that allows him to re-marry.

“There are two schools of thoughts on it so at the end of the day, I had to do a lot of studies as a leader, to come to the conclusion and the conviction that I was going to go the Grace way rather than going the legalistic way.

“For example, there is a school of thought that there would be no rapture and there is another school of thought that there would be rapture; so there are different schools of thoughts on various issues and they are subject to interpretation, so I came to a school of thought that said I should re-marry.

“I want to say this very clear and categorically clear that I am a believer of marriage and I believe in the sanctity of marriage and that is one of the reasons why I have remarried.

I am committed to marriage and would continue to fight for marriage and continue to counsel people on marriage.

“But I want you to also understand that you do not compare me to your husbands or my situation to your situation; it is a different situation altogether.

I do not believe in divorce and so do I not believe in sickness but people get sick. I do not believe in people dying prematurely but it happens,” Duncan-Williams stated.

The Christian leader who is known as father of charismatic church in Ghana, said in his decision to remarry, he was not only looking for a wife but a friend as well, so he decided to marry someone who had been a long-standing friend.

He disclosed that his new bride, Rosa Whitaker, had been a close friend for a long time even before his divorce and that they had come a long way and discussed wide-ranging of issues.

Duncan-Williams expressed disappointment that though he had originally planned a very private wedding at his Maryland home in the United States of America and invited only a few loyal friends and told them to keep it to themselves, one of them gave the Ghanaian media a hint about the ceremony.

He added that he however had to take a tough decision to go ahead with the wedding.

When he called his new wife to stand by his side on the Alter of the Prayer Cathedral so he could formally introduce her to the church yesterday, there were mixed reactions from the congregation.

Some clapped while others watched in astonishment as they took in the heavy message.

The liveliness and ecstasy of the charismatic congregation was missing and Duncan-Williams at a point had to ask the church members why they were looking at him in a certain way.

The Archbishop asked for the church’s prayers and support and said he would remain married to Rosa Whitaker till death.

He pointed out that his new wife was not a pastor but a business woman and that at a latter date, she would talk to the congregation and let them know her better, but as at now they should refer to her as “Lady Rosa”.

Also present at yesterday’s service was Bishop Bart Pierce, the presiding Bishop who officiated and blessed the holy matrimony between Duncan-Williams and Lady Rosa.

When news broke in Accra last week that the Archbishop of the large Christian church had married a US-based international business tycoon at a time the ripples of his controversial divorce with former wife, Mama Francisca, was still sizzling in court, a lot of feathers were ruffled in religious circles.

Bible scholars have remained divided on whether or not the Archbishop’s decision was not tantamount to adultery as observers have sought for an interpretation on what Jesus Christ said on divorce and re-marriage as written in

MATTHEW 19.9: “AND I SAY TO YOU THAT ANYONE WHO DIVORCES HIS WIFE, EXCEPT FOR SEXUAL IMMORALITY, AND REMARRIES COMMITS ADULTERY, AND WHOEVER MARRIES HER WHO IS DIVORCED COMMITS ADULTERY”.