…as “evil” NDC members set to leave Holy Otabil Church

By the Crystal Clear Lens Desk Report

Members of the National Democratic Congress who fellowship at the International Central Gospel Church founded and led by Rev. Dr. Mensah Otabil have expressed their outmost shock over the recent comments by their leader describing them as ‘evil’.

Some of the members who spoke to the Crystal Clear Lens yesterday said they were still to recover from the shock, disappointment and embarrassment inflicted on them by their supposed Man of God and are therefore taking decision to resign from the church anytime soon since they now see them as evil in the Church.

“I still can't believe this, a pastor referring to people as evil. No, somebody wrote the press release for Otabil and he got manipulated or else he is what he sees in others...evil and we cannot continue to be in this church with such humiliation”, one of them told the paper at Tema. “When Pastor Mensa Otabil, head of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) who is viewed as an honourable man of God descends into such a state and refers to some people who are created in the same image of God that he serves as evil, then something seriously has gone amiss and we indeed have a big problem on hand especially in the church he preach to us. Pastor Mensa Otabil has used his pulpit to comment on so many social issues that touches the very hearts of Ghanaians but this reaction will forever hurt his image”, another church member lamented.

The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church, on Monday took President John Dramani Mahama to task over what he calls the evil and criminal attempts by members of his National Democratic Congress to tarnish his reputation by piecing together comments he had made in the past to create the false impression that he is against the proposed free senior high school policy being espoused by Akufo-Addo, Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party.

He described as defamatory, unethical, criminal, malicious and evil the doctoring and manipulation of his sermons by members of the NDC to give them political twists.

“This is defamatory. This is unethical.

This is criminal. This is malicious. This is Machiavellian. This is evil. It is a violation of my person and my integrity. It is a sign of grave impunity for any individual to seize a person’s thoughts without their consent and use it in a way that seeks to expose them to public hostility and disrespect,” Pastor Otabil stated at the press conference.

“I kindly call upon the President of the Republic to rise up and speak on this issue. With all due respect, Sir, although you may not be aware of these developments, the perpetrators of these blatant acts of impunity are largely affiliates and surrogates of your party,” Pastor Otabil stressed. This has gotten members of the NDC party who are also members of the Church boiling and threatening to resign from the Church since their pastor’s actions have gone against the Word of God and the Holy Bible which he uses to give sermons to his congregation.

“Rev. Mensah Otabil, you have been our mentor for the past years but you have called for it and you will get it raw, because you have drawn the battle line. You call the NDC schizophrenic and have used other invectives on President's outfit. Pastor, you are a testament of the end times. We have long known you to be an NPP surrogates, but your recent hypocrisy and double standard is what turns out to be so amazing. Otabil, I put it to you; your conduct is 'evil', 'schizophrenic', 'criminal', 'treacherous', 'machiavellian', 'marauding and bullying”, another disgusted member said.

Pastor Otabil claims he is protecting his image and credibility hence the way he forcefully and angrily persecuted his so-called enemies. What did Jesus Christ who was spat at, beaten, hounded and insulted do? He turned the other cheek, something that Pastor Otabil woefully failed to do but rather became a cry baby trying to protect his words that he has spoken in the past. Matthew 5:39 says it all, "But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Perhaps Pastor Otabil may have forgotten that following Christ is not that comfortable because he lives in a comfortable 1 million dollar house at Trasacco Valley. When Pastor Otabil realized that some people have become a thorn in his flesh by playing back his sound bites to him, he should have known that God’s grace is all that he needed. He did not need to have used uncouth words to fight back. Pastor Otabil seems to be watching his credibility and measuring it down the lane.

People who have served God faithfully have never had it easy. Their faith have been tested and some have passed the test or stood the test of time. They did not falter nor fainted. They did not denounce people because that was not the way Christ went. Let’s read what happened to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.