Presby Church Ghana commissions 55 new ministers

The Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) on Sunday commissioned 55 newly trained ministerial probationers from the Akuapem Presbytery Hospitality Center into the Holy Ministry of the church.

This was after they had gone through three months intensive theological education at the centre, under the supervision of the Ramseyer Training Centre, Abetifi Kwahu.

Preaching the sermon on the theme: “Be Attentive and Active as You Wait for Your Redemption,” Right Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey, Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCG, said it had become difficult to preach the unadulterated word of God in present times.

He expressed concern about what he termed false prophesies and teachings which had become the order of the day by some ministers of the gospel and cautioned the congregation  to be wary of such people whiles waiting for the second coming of the Messiah.

The Moderator said some false prophets had constructed doctrines to suit themselves and their followers and only preached what people wanted to hear.

He said those false prophets would not preach against negative practices such as fornication, adultery or homosexuality.

Rt. Rev. Prof. Martety said the Presbyterian Church of Ghana was a Bible believing and practicing church and just as the Bible rebuked wrong doings, the church would also do the same.

“As ministers of the PCG, you are to utter prophetic voice and bring prophetic messages to both rulers and ruled and do not mind those who will say the church should stick to the Bible and not rebuke political leaders when they go wrong”.

“Such people do not know the Bible; neither do they believe what the Bible says if indeed some of them read the Bible,” he said.

The Moderator reminded the newly commissioned ministers to speak the truth always, irrespective of what happened to them, and that was the only way society could distinguish between the true messages of God and the false messages.

He cautioned the new ministers to draw lessons from what had happened to some ministers of the gospel who entered the ministry with different motives.

Rt. Rev. Prof. Martey said such people lost the anointing from God and urged them not to allow themselves to be influenced by the pleasures of this world but be courageous in their ministry to enhance their personal spiritual growth and that of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

He urged the new ministers to empower themselves as they began the ministration of the gospel.

He said it took only the invitation of the Holy Spirit to gain liberty and peace to pursue the task ahead, observing that the anointing of the Holy Spirit would set one apart as righteous and sacred and also confer on one spiritual authority .

The Moderator said there were socio-economic and spiritual challenges that were confronting Ghanaians, and that their call to the ministry must be to provide solutions to them, especially in a world that knew no peace and lacked hope, like in the times of Isaiah and Jesus.

In a brief address before the commissioning, Isaac Gyamerah Konadu, who represented the probationers, expressed his appreciation to the hierarchy of the church for their ministerial training and promised that they would do their best in their ministerial journey to lift the banner of Jesus high.

Source: GNA