The founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Pastor Mensa Otabil, has cautioned that if the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement continues its current practices of misusing sacred titles and appointing unqualified ministers, it risks undermining Christianity across Africa within the next 20 years.

In a video shared by X Ghana via X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, December 29, 2024, Pastor Otabil called for urgent reforms to restore credibility and realign the church with biblical principles.

“My warning to the current Pentecostal Charismatic movement is that if we continue as we have done, within 20 years, we will collapse Christianity all over Africa. Now we are booming, but I see an imminent collapse because there is a huge confidence gap between what we promise and what we deliver,” he stated.

He continued, “We are promising to be what we are not, and we are teaching things that do not align with biblical theological reasoning and logic. Pretty soon, it will catch up with us.”

Pastor Otabil also criticised pastors for mishandling sensitive issues without discretion.

“The days of ‘God called you from the street, and you are in the pulpit the next morning’ are over,” he said firmly. “We don’t go about breaking people’s marriages because ‘the Lord told us.’ Even if you have a revelation, such as someone’s impending death, of what use is that information if it causes unnecessary panic and harm? Ministers must understand the weight of confidentiality and the professional handling of sensitive issues,” he stressed.

Drawing an analogy to the medical profession, he remarked, “When you visit a doctor, do you think everything he knows is what he tells you? No. Some information is too technical to process, so he only shares what you need to know.”

Pastor Otabil expressed dismay at the trivialisation of sacred religious titles.

“How can we take such sacred titles that Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel bore and commoditize them to the point where being called a prophet is almost synonymous with being a con man? We have made apostleship and the bishopric cheap, desecrating these once-noble offices,” he lamented.

He pointed out that in earlier times, bishops were revered for their leadership in established denominations such as the Catholic and Anglican churches.

“Now, any person with three lizards is a bishop,” he bemoaned.

Additionally, the growing mistrust among congregants and the public towards the clergy was another concern he raised.

“More and more, the congregation and the public are losing confidence in us. The charismatic church shows so much power, and maybe that is all people see. But I see so much danger, self-destruction, and a dissipation of confidence,” he noted.

Pastor Otabil called on the next generation of pastors to embrace rigorous training and discipline to safeguard the future of Christianity in Africa.

“Although God used your fathers in spite of their limitations, you must be trained differently. The future of Christianity in Africa depends on it,” he concluded.

Watch the video below:

Pastor Mensa Otabil issues a warning to the current Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches. pic.twitter.com/ufbOthb6ih

— 𝕏 Ghana 🇬🇭 (@xghana_) December 29, 2024