Accra, May 31, GNA - Church service at Ashongman Global Evangelical Church in Accra came to a temporary halt on Sunday when three macho men intruded the hall to enforce the traditional ban on drumming and noise-making.

They crept into the congregation during praises and worship and seized some of the musical instruments from the band, accusing the church of breaching the ban on drumming which was due to end on June 4, 2009.

The situation resulted in a scuffle between the church members and the macho men whose action was reportedly ordered by the Ga Traditional Council.

Calm was restored later after elders of the church promised the macho men that they would stop using the drums until the ban was over. The disrupted service was specially organised to commemorate the induction of Reverend Prof. Frank Kumaga, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ghana, as a resident pastor of the Church. Until his transfer to the Ashongman branch of the Church, Rev Prof. Kumaga was the parish pastor at the Mamprobi branch. In a sermon, Rev Michael Akiti, Deputy Accra Presbytery Chairman of the Church, said religious leaders must allow democratic principles to prevail in the selection of their successors, especially in charismatic churches most of which did not have established rules of succession. He told the congregation to have confidence in their leaders in order to prevent conflicts.

"The churches you see as big are those that are sponsored through advertisements and expensive radio and TV programmes. Pray for your pastors and stop chasing miracles," he said.

In his remarks, Rev. Prof. Kumaga reaffirmed his commitment to lead the Church to higher heights in the realization of the congregation's spiritual and physical needs.