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Beware of charlatans in clerical outfits

Many churches have sprung up in various communities under the guise of offering solutions to challenges confronting the public.

Yet the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian seem to be worsening by the day as these churches have rather become centers of extortion rather than solutions.

From sodomy, lies, to sexual exploitations, these and many more have become the doings of some self-styled pastors.

SEX SCANDALS

The media often carry stories to expose some of these false prophets, yet many of the members of these exposed self-acclaimed pastors have been brainwashed to the extent that they believe the arrests and incarcerations of their pastors are all part of Satan’s attack on their supposed ministry.

Some examples include the sentencing of one self-acclaimed pastor, Ebenezer Kumaof the Christian Faith Ministries, Ofaakor, near Kasoa in the Central region of the country, who raped and defiled four teenagers aged, 13, two 14 years olds and a 16 year old to 10 years imprisonment by the Ofaakor Circuit Court.

In April 2021, another self-acclaimed prophet was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Koforidua in the Eastern Region of Ghana, for allegedly having anal sex with a church member.

The accused, ProphetAddo Gyimah, 43, was charged with indecent assault and having unnatural carnal knowledge.

The facts of the case revealed that in August 2020, the 20-year-old complainant (name withheld) started attending the prophet Gyimah’s ‘Nyame Ne Hene’ Prayer centre at Akyem Banso, Eastern region for healing.

According to the Prosecutor, on October 13, 2020, at about 4:30 am, after an All-Night service, the accused person told the complainant that her chronic illness was caused by demons and required divine intervention through special ritualcleansing.

Subsequently, he asked her to come for some concoction in his house to cleanse herself and ended up forcefully having anal sex with her.

The man, during hearing denied some of the charges but admitted massaging the victim.

The question is, which real man of God invites a member of his church for a massage in his chambers?

Another one is the Founder ofWise Chapel International at Asebu in the Abura Asebu Kwamakese District of the Central Region, prophet Richard Ato Davidson was also arrested for sodomising some teenagers in his church last year.

He was arrested, charged with indecent assault and put before the CapeCoast Magistrate Court 2, presided over by Bernice Mensimah Ackon.

Apart from the sex scandals, there are also many cases of fraud against some supposed men of God, pending in various courts.

MONEY FOR HEALTH AND LIBERATION

It is very disheartening to realize that these obviously fake pastors extort money from sick people who sometimes could barely afford treatment for the ailments they are battling.

Despite the fact that some individuals have taken it upon themselves to expose some of these self-acclaimed prophets and pastors, several others still believe that the solution to their problems with these dishonest pastors.

Such persons have been brainwashed to the extent that people who try to alert them on the need to be extra careful end up being tagged agents of darkness.

In fact, that is what these so called men of God usually tell their victims. They make them believe that sharing what transpires between them with others, will reduce the efficacy of whatever directions they would be given.

These directions, of course come at costs, depending on how rich the fellow seeking help from them is.

Other pastors also show no mercy at all, when they realize they have succeeded in brainwashing an individual, they fill the fellow with fear and force them to pay huge sums of monies for liberation from whatever is troubling them.

LUXURY ATTAINED FROM THE SUFFERINGS OF OTHERS

Many self-acclaimed pastors drive expensive vehicles, live in luxurious homes with their children attending the best schools, while many of their members continue to wallow in poverty. They are not here to joke, they mean business!

Problems of all forms including incurable diseases, the zeal for travelling opportunities to seek greener pastures, marital issues and hopelessness are what they wish on the populace so that those who are not strong enough to endure while waiting on God, will go to them, for the milking to begin.

These self-acclaimed men of God sell all manner of items, ranging from bottles of oil with inscriptions such as “back to sender”, “leave my husband alone”, “I must marry”, and “Permanent curse breaker” among other unspeakable names.

This is not to say all pastors are fake. There are many renowned prophets, evangelists and preachers in this country who are doing their very best and are worthy of emulation. Their mannerism shows they are not dubious but rather seeking the salvation of people.

The Bible warns Christians to watch and pray because in the end time, many false prophets will rise, some will even perform miracles in the name of God almighty but are not from God.

The Bible further exposes these false preachers by cautioning children of God in the book of Matthew 7:15-16 which says “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

The fruits the Bible is talking about here means the way they speak, what is said about them in the news and how they carry themselves among others.

No true man of God will ask you to pay an amount of money as consultation fee before you can see him, no man or woman, called by the heavenly father to do his will would stoop low to the level of selling anointing oil and toffees to church members, especially, at exorbitant prices. There are pastors who sell a bottle of oil for as high as GHC2000.00 to sick people, some are even asked to buy up to three or four bottles of such oils for immediate solutions to their problems.

Genuine men of God do not sell anointing oil or “spiritual items” Jesus Christ did not die for us to be deceived by charlatans. I am glad Ghana’s law enforcement agencies do not spare these pretenders when they commit crimes.

HAVING FAITH

It behooves on all Christians to have faith in God by believing that moving from one pastor to the other is not the solution to the issues of life, but rather focusing on the word of God and believing that if it is the will of God to bring liberation to them, it will happen in God’s own time.

It is good to let your pastor pray with you but while seeking spiritual or divine solutions to problems, ensure you are vigilant so that you do not fall prey to the ploys of Satan’s agents who have disguised themselves as Christian leaders.

BY RAISSA SAMBOU

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