Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu bemoans clerics with questionable characters

The President of the Trinity Theological Seminary, Very Rev. Professor J. K. Asamoah-Gyadu, has expressed worry about the “scandalous behaviours” of some pastors, many of whom talk more about their personal material acquisitions, titles, socio-political connections more than the love of God.

He said others even cursed people instead of teaching about the passion to live in integrity.

Addressing graduands at the 78th graduation of the seminary at Legon, Accra, Very Rev. Professor Asamoah-Gyadu urged them not to “join the band of end-time lazy and spiritually bankrupt and heartless spiritual leaders and prophets whose stock-in-trade have become the extortion of money from vulnerable and gullible people and who proclaim ‘thus says the Lord’ when the Lord has not spoken to them”.

Held on the theme: “Integrity in Christian Ministry and leadership", the ceremony saw the graduation of 335 theological students last Saturday.

Among the graduands was the Founder and President of the Atta Mills Institute, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, who graduated with a Master of Arts in Ministry.

The honours include Certificates in Ministry (CIM), Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree; Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM); Master of Divinity (MDiv); Master of

Theology (MTh), one Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree, and Doctor of Philosophy in Theology (PhD).

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the seminary, Rt Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, conferred the various degrees on the graduands.

Ceremony

The ceremony attracted a lot of dignitaries, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), Dr George Agyekum Donkor. 

Ethical flaws

The President of EBID, Dr Donkor, who spoke on the theme for the occasion, said it was appropriate and relevant considering the ethical flaws and leadership crisis that had characterised ministry and Christian leadership in recent times.

The advent of technology, he said, had exposed the depth of the crisis, saying hardly a week passed without a news item of “inconsiderable misconduct” by a pastor or  a Christian leader thereby creating avenues for people to make mockery of the Christian faith.  

“As a Christian leader, it is necessary for you to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ, such as honesty, humility, honouring commitments, both in public and private,” Dr Donkor stated.

Advice

Dr Abdul-Hamid, who was the guest of honour, started off his speech by singing few verses of “Aseda Nka Nyame" to the admiration of the audience.

He reminded the graduands that there were realities not taught in the classroom that would confront them as they went into the world to do God's work.

“It is important to develop the tenacity, wisdom and intelligence of the mind to appreciate the realities in order to be a successful minister of God” the CEO stated.

“I want you to recognise that we live in a world of plural values where you will face the reality of people who understand God differently,” Dr Abdul-Hamid, who is also a senior lecturer at the Department of Religion and Human values at the University of Cape Coast, told the graduands.

Graduate

Later in an interview, Mr Anyidoho explained that people should not be surprised seeing that, as a politician, he was also pursuing God's work because, he argued, many people did not know that Dr Kwame Nkrumah was a Theologian with degrees in the course.

The overall best graduate for CIM went to Anthony Kwashi-Kuma Dordunoo.

Sandra Ashami Amartey, won the overall best for BTh, Erica Abena Ofori-Atta was the overall best for MAM, while Frank Quainoo received the overall best for MDiv.

Christian Ashong received the overall best graduate for MTh.