A Turn To Frivolity and Greed Among Charismatic Leaders

What is it with Ghanaians and titles? Ghanaians, particularly those of the male variety, are so obsessed with titles. Be it academic, sporting, social, religious, whatever, Ghanaian men would crave and wear them with pride. We would even argue about why we ‘deserve’ the titles and suggest we have worked hard for them. Woe betides the person who, unwittingly, fails to ‘properly’ address a man of title. In short, a Ghanaian man will insist on being addressed appropriately (titles and all). It is not uncommon to hear people addressed as Nana, Doctor, Professor, and Lawyer even when there is no legal or academic basis for doing so. In some cases wives are also referred to by the titles of their husbands (Mrs Professor, Mrs Doctor etc).

I have nothing against titles; in fact, I think they serve useful purposes in every society and titles have been used in the Ghanaian culture for a long time. In recent times, however, the sheer number and variety of titles has surged into prominence and probably beyond what anyone could have imagined. Some people go to ridiculous lengths to have certain titles conferred on them.

Where the titles are legitimate, as in academic degrees, some people ensure they are known and acknowledged by all and sundry. When a Ghanaian gives you his business card, the first thing you’re likely to notice is the long list of alphabets after his name. It doesn’t matter that those alphabets mean very little to the audience. The attitude seems to be “I’ve struggled for these degrees, so I might as well tell everyone about them.” Who hasn’t heard of or seen any of the Professor Doctors, Emeritus Professors, Doctor Doctors, etc? If you haven’t seen or heard of these titles all you need to do is go to any of our ‘older’ university campuses and go near the rarefied airs around the bungalows of lecturers to see the signs announcing these high-sounding titles. This ‘public’ display of seemingly private triumphs is also prevalent among Ghanaians living overseas. It is a common occurrence for private e-mails from friends to have job titles and academic achievements listed diligently at the bottom of supposedly informal correspondence. Well, you better not forget who it is you are dealing with!

Things are very different in most Western societies where names, rather than titles, are preferred. My Ghanaian upbringing in this title-loving culture gave me some awkward moments during my time in a Canadian University in the early 1990s. While most students called their professors by their first names (Peter or John) I found myself at my bumbling best anytime I had to refer to my lecturers by name (even in their absence). I just could not bring myself to say “John wants to see you” instead of the more formal way I was used to: “Professor (John) Johnson wants to see you”. It was even worse when I had to address a lecturer in person. It took me no less than a year to stop myself from prefacing sentences with people’s titles in conversations. It was simply difficult to be on first names basis with lecturers. Why? Because I had grown up in a culture where academic titles are at a premium and connote awe and respect.

There is a suggestion that calling people by their titles shows respect and our culture demands respect for the elderly. Fine. But in Western societies, referring to someone as ‘elderly’ could be misconstrued as an insult. By themselves, titles alone cannot earn you respect because they cannot camouflage ignorance and plain stupidity. As I do not want to personalise the issue I will use a non-Ghanaian example as a case in point. Remember the former leader of Uganda, the late Field Marshall, Alhaji, Idi Amin Dada, President for Life and Conqueror of the British Empire? A greater idiot of a leader I cannot recall and yet his titles would suggest otherwise. I wonder how many used those titles with tongues firmly planted in their cheeks!

This issue reminds me of a story that was doing the rounds during my days at Prempeh College. One of the students had a lawyer for a father and this guy was supposed to have had 11 (yes, eleven) degrees. Do not ask me how that is possible because I simply do not know. Anyway, as the story went, his children were in the habit of causing trouble in the Kumasi neighbourhood where they lived. However, each time someone dared confront his children this ‘well-degreed’ lawyer would intervene by telling the antagonist how many degrees he had. The punchline of the story went like this: the lawyer would ask one of his kids to go and bring one of his degrees (probably documentary evidence hanging on a wall) to show the poor guy his ‘dibiality’ (social status) and who it is that the poor bugger had chosen to confront. While I cannot confirm the details (besides personally hearing this student being teased incessantly), this story accurately depicts the extent to which some people would go to ensure everyone knows about their ‘titles.

Lately, the Ghanaian’s fascination with titles has unfortunately taken on a spiritual dimension and like a summer bushfire in the savannah plains of Northern Ghana, this practice has caught on with our “men and women of God”. These days, leaders of Pentecostal/Charismatic churches of some note are rarely introduced as Pastor K or Pastor M. There has been a progression of pastoral titles from the commonly known ‘Pastor’ and ‘Reverend’ to the more pontifical and high sounding ones. And so to the burgeoning list of titles in Ghanaian circles, you can now include Prophet, Apostle, Bishop and Archbishop! Some Pentecostal/Charismatic leaders have conferred on themselves self-promoting titles such as Apostle X, Prophet Y, Bishop K, and Archbishop Z. And by Bishop and Archbishop, I am not referring to the Catholic varieties. I’m talking about Pentecostal and Charismatic church leaders craving and acquiring titles which were previously the preserve of their Catholic and Anglican counterparts. Unlike the Catholics and Anglicans, however, titles used by Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders do not indicate the particular roles performed in the church or within the wider Church community.

Of course, the Bible does refer to Apostles and Prophets but that is within the context of differentiating roles and responsibilities within the Church. In the Catholic/Anglican Church, ‘Bishops’ and “Archbishops’ are used to denote positions in the church hierarchy. In fact, there are laid down procedures for attaining these roles; priests don't become Bishops overnight and at the whim of a select few!! The criteria for eligibility is linked to some sort of performance and officers are answerable to higher human authorities. In contrast, some of the so-called Bishops in the Charismatic churches do not exercise defined responsibilities for church affiliates and do not in any way, shape or form answer to other human authorities. In fact, they are the ‘capo de tutti capi’ (boss of the bosses) and the monarchs of all they survey. I’m sure many will argue that pastors should only answer to the Lord Almighty and they would have a good point. But surely, they should not be allowed to run churches like their own little fiefdoms. They ought to be accountable!

In fact, the increasing use of such titles appears to represent a growing phenomenon of one-upmanship in the Ghanaian Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. It seems in effect, that these pompous titles are a way of saying “my Church is bigger and/or richer than yours” or “I collect more tithes and offerings than you can dream of”. I know that is a bit dramatic but to date no one has been able to provide any rationale it. And given the evolution from pastors to Bishops and now Archbishops, it seems only a matter of time before someone gets to the more ‘exalted’ position of ‘Cardinal’ or ‘Pope’!

Christianity is based on humility and Christians are supposed to demonstrate this quality in the way we live our lives. From the goings-on in Ghanaian Christian circles, you wouldn’t know that serving our fellow man is the core responsibility of Christian leadership. Obviously, this objective is very much at odds with the increasing propensity emphasise our importance. The sort of leadership in these churches does not provide evidence of godly living. To my way of thinking, therefore, the adoption of such titles represents a symptom of the rottenness in these churches. It is not too far-fetched to suggest that the title-chasing attitude may be symbolic of a spiritually debilitating disease that has set in within the Charismatic leadership in Ghana. In fact, many Charismatic leaders are now well known not by their work with the poor in the community or the power of the message from their pulpits but, ironically, by the ostentatious displays of worldly cravings and acquisitions.

My question is this: what is the basis of these titles? What do Charismatic pastors have to do to ‘earn’ their ‘promotion’? Do they have to heal the sick, raise the dead, build huge churches, lead thousands of souls to Christ, what? Surprisingly, not even members of their own congregations are aware of the criteria or justifications for these pompous titles. It is funny that members of such churches are hardly able to justify what is going on. Yet, typical of the Ghanaian attitude, most people do not dare question the goings-on in their own churches.

Again, the contrast between the Ghanaian and Western Christian culture is stark. Think of the many great men and women of God working daily to bring souls to Christ all around the world. These well-known pastors, evangelists, prophets and healers are known by their real names, not by their or titles. Think of people like Billy Graham, Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo, Reinhardt Bonnke, Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland, Greg Laurie, etc. These are people who have some of the biggest Christian Ministries of the Pentecostal/Charismatic persuasions in the world. They have inspired the planting of hundreds of churches and led hundreds of thousands to the saving knowledge of Christ. Through them, many souls have been saved, diseases healed and the dead raised across the globe. They could very easily exalt themselves with titles but they have not chosen to do so. Billy Graham has often been referred to as the Pentecostal Pope but he has never personally sought to encourage that. So what is different in Ghana?

People complain about the get-rich-quick attitudes of so-called Christian leaders. Shameless opportunists who claim to have been called by God into ministry are specialising on getting visas and praying for prosperity (for a fee, of course). It is not uncommon to read or hear about the immoral and unconscionable activities of some of these pastors. Who in their right minds could have predicted that so-called ‘men of God’ would be caught sleeping with other women (single and married) in their churches and dealing in contraband goods (drugs, etc)? Unfortunately, most people are not surprised by such stories these days. Why? Well, it’s just because it is an all too common occurrence in the Ghanaian society with daily servings of gossips and rumours about the sordid lives of people who ought to know better. While such stories may have lost their shock value, I’ve been surprised at the ‘deadly silence’ maintained by Christian leaders until recently. Some of those expected to lead the moral crusade against sin and moral decadence in society are silent about the goings-on within the Christian communities. Why is that? Is it merely about not criticising fellow believers or is it an issue of planks in our own eyes?

Many people (Christians included) would admit that, unfortunately, the general perception about churches in the community is a sad and troubling one. Afterall, the most common compliant against Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in Ghana today is that they have a money-grabbing and self-serving purpose. Even if that were not the case in reality, there is a strong perception that it is so. The mere perception that the church is dabbling in things it should be preaching against is a sad indictment of those professing to be Christians and leaders propagating the faith, in particular. No wonder many crooks are targeting the church as a staging point for nefarious activities. They see the church as an ‘industry’ to be exploited. The fact that the church could be seen as an industry is a sad indictment of the current events within the Christian community. However, it is a fact that today, church building is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. I read a report filed on Ghanaweb last year which suggested that hundreds of churches were springing up like mushrooms each month in Ghana! If half as many factories were opening each year (not each month), the employment situation in Ghana would be much better than it is today.

It is no secret that many snake-oil salesmen have transferred their iniquitous activities from the streets of Accra into churches, usually housed in government school buildings. If these were the only people engaging in such dubious activities, I probably would not waste my pen and paper. The reality is some of these activities are happening right across the country in well established churches in the name of God. Unfortunately, desperate people are being duped because they probably can’t tell the difference between a genuine man of God and your run of the mill charlatan or shyster out to milk na?ve women looking for husbands and/or children and take advantage of desperados seeking visas to go anywhere but remain in Ogyakrom. Some of these ‘pretend men of God’ tend to twist, reshape and remodel scripture to their own ends. They give the best seats in church to those who give the larger offerings and receive expensive gifts from people whose business dealings are questionable at best. Some of these pastors openly preach about their new houses, new suits and new cars and tend to equate worldly prosperity with God's blessings. They preach a new brand of prosperity theology which suggests that the brand of your car, the size of your home or the significance of your title is an indication of how well you are doing in Christ. Yeah right!

During my short stay in Ghana last year, many people were talking about the amount of monies being collected in some churches, for which no accountability is rendered. The critical question is not about the level of tithes and offerings for, afterall, most people are only doing their Christian duty. For me, the issue is about how such monies are utilised. Are orphans getting help, are the old and the sick being assisted, are those within the church who are unemployed being given the necessary assistance to do something valuable with their lives? Where are the orphanages to take care of the less fortunate? Where are the ‘soup kitchens’ to feed the homeless and the poor? These are some of the things the Bible entreats Christians to do and I would have thought that churches would put more of their resources into doing such things. Are these being done? We seem to find more value in the size, polish and shine of our church buildings than in the smiles of satisfaction and hope from the less fortunate who can finally see a rainbow at the end of a long dark cloud because someone cared enough to ensure they got a decent meal or shelter.

Today in Ghana, Christian leaders are part of the elite in society with sprawling mansions and hot-off-the-assembly-line petrol guzzling cars. Of course, this is not to say that Christian leaders ought to be poor or riding tro-tros. There is however, something to be said for blessing the less fortunate with our largesse instead of living ostentatious lifestyles. And especially since many true believers in their congregations who contribute to maintain such lifestyles are those who are often stranded in hospitals because they don’t have enough to pay their medical bills, have their kids sent home from school because fees are unpaid, and they cannot afford regular and decent meals. And yet they toil to be faithful by paying their tithes and giving offerings for which some pastors do not provide adequate account of stewardship to their congregations.

The Bible says when we see someone in need we should not just say “go and I’ll pray for you” but we must back it up with practical demonstrations of our care and concern. My local church in Australia is deeply involved in the community and attending to the physical and material needs of even non-believers through a shop that provides free food and household essentials to the needy. No preaching is done there, just helping people in need with free food, clothes and household goods. Most churches in this part of the world do just that. The President of the All African Conference of Churches (AACC) recently called on churches to stop directing all their financial resources towards projects that only improve themselves and to give priority to the well being of the vulnerable in society. What a timely reminder that, other than bringing souls to Christ, our churches have a special purpose of attending to the everyday needs of the less fortunate in society. To date, our churches have failed miserably on that front.

I know about every dime my local pastor earns, not because I seek or want to know but because it is part of church policy. Every year the church’s accounts are made public and leaders and lay members of the congregation can see how much money has come in and how much has been disbursed and for what purposes. This is done not just because the church is part of a broader organisation across the nation that demands it but also because it is simply best practise. A few weeks ago my wife and I were simply amazed and pleasantly surprised when we received in the mail a budget statement from a Christian radio station we help sponsor. All we do is give a donation once a year and yet they find it prudent to let us know what they are doing with the money received! Not that it matters to us because we support their mission to bring the gospel to non-believers as well as provide spiritual resource to believers in the city. It is useful however to be made aware of the uses to which our ‘widow’s mite’ is put in the service of God.

There is never a hesitation to let the congregation know the church needs extra resources; yet they would not be caught dead giving an account of how such funds are used. Sure, they may have a so-called board of elders but whether that is enough to ensure that real accountability is provided to the congregation is anyone’s guess.

This attitude is not isolated and is, by and large, becoming the norm in many places. In fact, the Chairman of the National Association of Charismatic Christian Churches (NACCC) has recently admitted that a number of churches are acting contrary to Christian principles. This, he said, should raise a lot of eyebrows in Ghana, particularly among those who “see no wrong, hear no wrong and speak no wrong” within the Charismatic movement. This is perhaps because of the attitude within Ghanaian Christian communities that considers criticism of fellow Christians to be ungodly. In fact, some people even suggest that such criticism ‘quenches the Holy Spirit’. As such, too many people are afraid to express a contrary view in church because of the fear of being labelled anti-Christ.

So while many Christians complain and criticise in the privacy of their homes and within their own social circles, they are reluctant to voice concerns over immoral and unethical practices publicly. Even when they are uncomfortable with the spiritual direction of the church people do not dare dissent from the edicts of their ‘Bishops’. This has allowed many churches to have and follow one person’s view, the ‘vision’ of the pastor. Many good Christians may not agree with this view but they have very little choice: stay and become part of the rot or leave for another church where such issues may also exist.

As a Christian I continue to pray for the Church and Christian leaders in Ghana. However, I also see the need to constructively criticise the goings-on, which are making Christians the laughing stock of society. I believe that constructive criticism will enable us take out the planks in our own eyes, before we can truthfully point to the beams in the eyes of the world. Then we can show people how to have them removed through the love and grace of Christ. It enables us to plug the leaks in our ‘boat’ and remain strong, vigilant and united in our purpose. Otherwise we leave gaping holes in our credibility in the eyes of the people we are seeking to draw to the saving knowledge of our Lord. We will all sink to the same worldly levels and lose the prime reason for our being as followers of Christ! If we fail to right the wrongs in our own house we give the rest of the world, unbelievers in particular, every opportunity to criticise, castigate and ridicule our faith. Anything that undermines the Christian objective, our purpose of being is simply anathema and should be condemned and uprooted as fast as we possibly can.

Let me stress that there are churches and pastors within the Ghanaian Christian community who have not bought into this ‘my title is bigger than yours’ syndrome. Those churches and pastors are to be commended for resisting the urge to embrace this title-seeking phenomenon. I also need to point out that there are many good and hardworking men and women of God in Ghana whose sole purpose is to accomplish their goal of enlarging and enriching the kingdom of God through the salvation and restoration of souls. Unfortunately, however, the actions of a few but visible minority may be undermining all that work and bringing pastoral ministry in general into disrepute.

Unless Charismatic churches and their leaders heed the call by the Chairman of the NACCC for order in the church and come under a supervisory organisation, the bad seeds would continue to dilute the efforts of the good seeds. An umbrella group such as the NACCC would ensure that the activities of the many and varied churches springing up like inedible mushrooms around the various neighbourhoods of Ghana, and their pastors, are properly monitored and scrutinised. Hopefully, that would mean the days when the Osofo Mokos (false prophets) could take unholy advantage of congregations would be a thing of the past. Well, I can dream, can’t I?

Christian leaders have a special calling to help liberate the world from sin and one of the best weapons, other than the spiritual ones we all know about, is to lead Christ-like lives. That means, in general terms, to shun worldly standards of behaviour and living. In fact, ours should be a lifestyle of sacrifice and humility in saving souls, serving God’s children and attending to the needs of those less fortunate than us. Yet, we are shamelessly adopting worldly standards in our spiritual work. Frivolous pomposity and utter greed have replaced humility and sacrifice. So, inch by inch and soul by soul, we are losing the moral authority to declare God’s truth and reach out to those in need of spiritual redemption.

The Bible makes it clear that in the last day, the trumpet of God will sound and those who are his own will be caught up in the heavens with him. Those who think they can go on deceiving the populace and the children of God better watch out because the day of reckoning is fast drawing nigh! I am reminded of an episode of the popular Osofo Dadzie show when Super OD delivered one of the most memorable punchlines on the show to wit “it’s only when the bus blows its horns (indicating readiness to leave the station) that we know exactly who the passengers would be”. It would be a shame if these Prophets, Apostles, Bishops and Archbishops are left stranded at the ‘lorry park’ all dressed up but with nowhere to go!