Crime & Punishment of Friday, 29 April 2005

Source: GNA

Rev. Obeng urged to surrender his credentials to AG

Kumasi, April 29, GNA - An Appeals Court in Accra has ordered Reverend Ransford Obeng, head pastor of the Calvary Charismatic Church (CCC), to hand over ''all his credentials'' to the Assemblies of God Church (AG).

The court also ruled that all properties of CCC, including the old chapel building and the new auditorium as well as pews, vehicles, musical instruments, electrical appliances and others, belong to the AG. It further ordered Rev. Obeng to render accounts to the AG and vacate all properties within three months from the date of judgement. This was an outcome of an appeal filed by Rev Obeng against a high court ruling in Kumasi that declared the AG the owner of the CCC, situated near the Airport roundabout in Kumasi.

Announcing this at a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday, Rev. Charles Appiah Boachie, General Secretary of the AG, Ghana, said the ruling puts to rest the 13-year-old saga between the church and Rev Obeng and four others who were all members of the church board of CCC but decided to secede from the AG in 1992.

He made it clear that the court action was not between the AG and CCC that is part and parcel of the church, but between Rev. Obeng and the four others who wanted to loot the properties of the AG. Rev Boachie thanked all members of CCC and the entire congregation of AG for their support and prayers during the long legal battle and advised them to be wary of church leaders who thrived on falsehood.