Takoradi, July 20, GNA-The Reverend Ekow B. Wood, General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council on Saturday said it was shameful and a ridicule to Christianity, when men of God engage in stealing, falsehood and deception. He said many have turned themselves into visa contractors, "professional" prophets and sold Lime, Porridge, handkerchiefs, anointing oil and water in their churches.

Rev. Wood said these at the ninth graduation ceremony of the Faith and Fire Bible School (FFBS) at Takoradi under the theme, "Fervent in Spirit Serving the Lord". "Many have turned themselves into commercial preachers and are exploiting the ignorance in the church to their advantage," he stressed. Rev. Wood said such acts could only be resisted by the truth, and urged the graduates, to resist falsehood, wherever it is found.

Rev Wood said, while some men of God were working seriously for the expansion of the Kingdom of God, others were using resources donated by friends and missionaries overseas for their personal comfort. He therefore, advised the management of the various Bible schools to step up their efforts to reverse the current trend of deception.

Rev. Joshua H. Holder, National Co-ordinator of FFBS said the school has so far trained over 500 preachers, who are presently serving in their churches. He urged the graduates to ensure that their messages were based on the Bible and not their own ideas. Rev. Yaw Appiah-Dwaah, Director of the Takoradi branch said the pastors were trained to assist their mother churches and not to form their own churches. He said most of those who form their own churches, usually do not succeed due to the demanding nature of the ministry. One hundred and twenty-eight graduates, including 49 women were presented with certificates.