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In the name of Jesus
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PREACHING the gospel in Sikaman can take various forms. When it is not being done in the chapel where common witches can also attend and listen to the good news, then the message can be heard wayside.
Pay a visit to parts of Accra, especially Circle, and you are sure to meet a large crowd of unemployed persons, lotto magicians, and political analysts gathered round a spirit-charged, self-ordained pastor who behaves like a rattlesnake — it is not too clear what kind of spirit he has.
His message is also sometimes not clear. Apart from the fact that it is long and winding, it is seasoned with comedy and tragedy, salted with rhetoric, radicalism, and bombast. The end message is a promise of hell-fire if you do not serve God.
To those who listen, it is often an inspiring message, especially if they have not been winning lotto of late. In fact, some of these wayside pastors actually declare “three sure” every week. So far none has ever dropped, but hope is not lost. Probably Mr James Lucifer alias Jimmy Satan has been changing the numbers, and sooner or later he would be pinned down and given a spiritual injection.
To the poor who do not have cash to stake lotto, the message is even more refreshing. At least when they die, there is every assurance that they would reside permanently in the land of milk and honey where there is no accommodation problem and landlord palaver.
There is sure to be brown bread around to go with the milk and honey. No more mashed kenkey for supper and the legendary life-saver Face-The-Wall against groundnut soup.
Preaching the gospel is best done by Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are not concerned about matters of the state. They don’t salute the flag, don’t participate in sports, don’t bother whether it is President Rawlings or Adu Boahen who is at the Castle. All they want is to teach the WORD.
A typical Jehovah Witness evangelist is a well-dressed person, most probably in a bow-tie. He carries a spiritual weapon, the Bible, in a leather bag.
If he carries a small briefcase instead of a leather bag, it means he is also a transport owner. Most importantly, he is imbued with one quality many people do not have — PATIENCE. He is as patient as a Sikaman vulture!
His mission is to go from one house to the next to catch those who never go to church on Sundays so that they could be converted to become “witnesses of God.” I like them also for one thing: Persistence. Even if you get angry and sack them from your home, they would surely come back tomorrow, rain or shine. Before you realise, you are also carrying a leather bag with all your might, following them and preaching the word.
Such house-to-house strategic evangelism is very effective until a preacher man or a group of witnesses enter a home that has a dog. So that breakfast could be delivered on time. No messing up.
New wave
Of late, there has come a new wave of evangelisation, quite akin to Jehovah witnessing but a bit different in content. The evangelist invariably is a tall fellow in robe wearing a wild goatee, holding staff and then a Bible. He looks like Moses but quite unkempt. He goes from house to house and his mission is simple and straight to the point.
“I pray for people who have problems that cannot be solved physically and immediately. Thousands have benefited from my prayers. If you are jobless, don’t cry. Kneel down and let me pray for you. Marriage problems, childlessness, money palaver, impotence — all will go away when I lay my hands on you. Just have faith and leave the rest to me.”
They can really convince you and if you are desperate and a bit gullible, you’ll surely kneel down and be prayed for. Whether such prayers work or not is another matter. But mind you, the service is not for free.
How much you’ll pay will depend on the enormity of your problem and the length of the prayer delivered. Impotence, for instance, will naturally attract a higher fee than financial wahalla, because “matters of the waist are of high premium considering their reproductive implications.”
And when the man is praying for over 20 minutes and you realise the bill for the spiritual exercise will be too high, you only have to step hard on his last toe to warn him that enough is enough. If he continues, he does so at his own risk. Man no craze!
The problem with the Christian religion is that we no longer have professional evangelists, a term I would apply to those who have been called by God to do His work. Everybody can become a pastor if he wants to because there is no law against it anyway. He doesn’t need to train in a seminary and doesn’t need a calling either.
That is why we have freelance pastors, non-commissioned catechists, churches with evil-inspired organisers. Married women are told they need to be exorcised of imaginary evil spirits to make them prosper. Exorcism takes very intimate forms bordering on subtle forms of seduction and perversion.
How many times haven’t we heard or read about pastors impregnating women and sponsoring the abortion to get rid of the innocent child? How many times haven’t marriages broken due to the wicked and immoral involvement of so-called pastors?
Some women have left their husbands’ homes to cohabit permanently with church leaders because they claim the Holy Spirit has instructed them to do so. Apparently, people cannot discern between the spirits. They mistake a smart demon for the Holy Ghost and act upon its instructions. So-called men of God are corrupting society in the Holy name of Jesus, and we just stand and stare.
I am saddened by the fact that Jesus’ and God’s name have been exploited for selfish, avaricious, covetous, and evil-inspired ends of some people. If society cannot do anything about it, then we can only leave it to God. He is the final arbiter. And vengeance is His, according to the Holy Bible!
This article was first published on Saturday, March 23, 1996
Your Weekend Companion — Merari Alomele
On Sunday, August 13, 2026, the Church of Pentecost (COP) International, Finland, held an impressive church service in Helsinki in honour of and to welcome Prophet Benjamin Arthur as the new National Head.
The well-attended service formally ushered in Prophet Arthur who takes over from Apostle Francis Owusu Kwaah, who has been the National Head since November 2020 and whose tenure as the National Head ended last month.
Prophet Arthur arrived in Finland from the UK where he has held many positions in the church to replace Apostle Owusu Kwaah who moves back to the UK.
A touching welcome and powerful ministration
The church service was officiated by Apostle Seth Samuel Asante, the National Head of the Church of Pentecost, USA.
It was a touching welcome church service and ministration at a well-attended event. In attendance were many religious leaders from other churches or missions, as well as dignitaries.
Apostle Asante had the honour to introduce Prophet Arthur to the whole congregation as the new National Head in Finland. He was joined by other church leaders and officers from UK, USA, and Finland to pray for Prophet Arthur and handed him over to COP Finland as their new National Head to a huge applause.
Earlier, Apostle Asante delivered a powerful and touching sermon that highlighted a message of salvation and the importance of knowing, loving and serving God with one’s whole heart. He entreated the audience to love God and do His work to glorify his name.
Stirring up understandings from the hymns: “My faith has found a resting place…” and “Guide me O Thou great Jehovah…,” as well as a number of quotations from the Bible, the Apostle gave a powerful preaching on the need to build one’s faith in God.
Response from the new National Head
In response, Prophet Benjamin Arthur preached the power of prophecies and God’s plan for redemption. He entreated all to believe in God’s power especially through prophecies to save mankind. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, he noted and add: “The blood of Jesus is not shed in vain”.
Surrounded by his beloved wife, Mrs Eugenia Arthur, and their three children, Prophet Arthur expressed gratitude to the members of the church for the resounding welcome they have accorded him as he starts to embark on his role and duty as the National Head.
He recognised the exploits and excellent leadership roles of his predecessors, Apostle Edmund Appiah (who was the first National Head) and Apostle Francis Owusu Kwaah.
COP’s future and growth in Finland
The Church of Pentecost in Finland was established over 25 years ago. It started in September 2000 as a prayer group with a small number of devoted persons in Helsinki (see www.copfinland.fi).
The group grew fast and there was the need to secure a new place of worship in the Helsinki area. The Church has grown and spread to other towns and cities in Finland.
Today, in Helsinki alone there are two branches of the Church. There is the Akan Assembly where worship is done mostly in the Twi language. The other branch is the English Assembly (or the PIWC) which is attended by other nationalities and African immigrants aside Ghanaian immigrants.
The COP Finland has become very formidable in the religious space in the Ghanaian community in Finland.
It has thus played a prominent role in the religious or spiritual existence of its members, as well as in people’s social lives as a key aspect of integration into the Finnish society.
The church continues to grow and, for example, it has been one of the major channels through which the Ghana Union Finland (GUF), an association for Ghanaian immigrants in Finland, has made more contacts with members of the Ghanaian immigrant community.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
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Features
Responding to religious insults with faith, wisdom and restraint …The Prophetic Model for Muslim–Christian Peace and Coexistence(Part 1)
All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. We praise Him, seek His help and forgiveness, and seek refuge in Him from the evil within ourselves and from our evil deeds.
May His Peace and Blessings be Upon the Noble Prophet Mohammed, his household, companions and all righteous people till the Last Day. Ameen
GHANA, WE MUST NOT ALLOW A MOMENT OF ANGER TO DESTROY DECADES OF PEACE
My dear brothers and sisters in Ghana.
Today I speak about something that should concern every Muslim, every Christian and every responsible Ghanaian.
Recent events involving controversial statements about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the arrest of an Islamic cleric accused of making statements advocating violence, and the arrest of a Christian preacher over alleged derogatory comments concerning the Prophet (pbuh) have generated considerable national concern. The Ghana Police Service has said the matters are under investigation and that due process will apply.
And now, reports of an alleged assault on a detained pastor have added another troubling dimension to the matter.
Let us be very clear:
Ghana is not at war.
Muslims are not at war with Christians.
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Christians are not at war with Muslims.
For generations, we have lived together, traded together, worked together, attended the same schools, built communities together and, in many Ghanaian families, even married across religious lines.
Therefore, we must not allow the reckless words or actions of a few individuals to destroy the peace built by generations.
WHEN SOMEONE INSULTS THE PROPHET (PBUH), WHAT DOES ISLAM EXPECT
FROM ME?
This is the question we must answer.
Not: “How angry am I?”
But: “What does Allah require from me?”
Not: “What can I do to my enemy?”
But: “What did Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) do when his enemies hurt him?”
This distinction is crucial.
Islam does not teach us to abandon our faith when we are provoked.
Islam teaches us how to behave because we have faith.
Allah says:
“Do not let the hatred of a people cause you to depart from justice. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.” (Qur’an 5:8).
Notice the greatness of Islam.
Allah does not say, “Be just when people respect you.”
He says, be just even when you hate what they have done.
Therefore: An insult does not give me permission to become unjust.
The author is the Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
