We stand by Agyinasare – Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council

The leadership of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has backed one of its members–the Presiding Bishop of Perez Chapel International, Bishop Charles Agyinasare– who has received threats and insults over his recent comments on national issues.

A statement signed by the President of the GPCC, Rev Prof Paul Frimpong-Manso, said the council notes with concern some of the reactions” to Bishop Agyinasare’s pronouncements in the past one month.

The statement described most of the reactions the clergyman’s sermon as very awful, having been in the form of “insults, threats of harm, political sentiments, etc.,” which the Council denounced as “very unfortunate”.

“We wish to recall that since the beginning of the month of July, the Presiding Bishop has been teaching on the theme: ‘Building A Future After Covid-19’.

“The purpose is to help build a foundation for youth development as the next generation to take over this nation. In doing this, the Presiding Bishop has been highlighting issues on the political landscape, the attitude of civil servants and the clergy front, which should not have been so and which could be done differently”.

“He has also sought to draw examples from his personal life, including his marriage, his financial dealings to encourage the youth that in the midst of present-day promiscuity, it is possible to live a life of chastity and integrity”, the statement said of its former Vice-President’s sermons.

With the Bishop coming under criticism for his utterances on the banking sector cleanup and other issues of national importance, the council urged his critics not to take him out of context.

“We urge the press and the general public not to twist, distort, misrepresent, misreport or take out of context statements made by the Presiding Bishop and give them sensational headlines with the objective of giving the Presiding Bishop a ‘political bad name’ in order to hang him”.

The Council also appealed to the two main political parties in Ghana— the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress—to call their executives and members to order”.

“As the nation enters the political campaign season, we wish to admonish the entire citizenry to do all we can to keep the political temperature at its lowest minimum and conduct all political activities with civility and decorum.

“Let’s make the campaign one of ideas, programs for national development and peace and not one of insults, casting of aspersions, character assassination, violence and any actions that will threaten the peace and stability of our dear motherland,” it advised.

The Council also wished Ghanaians “peaceful campaigns and free, fair and transparent elections, which will produce a God-given leader and government for this nation”.

Last week, Bishop Charles Agyinasare said he had been receiving threats and insults over his sermons, calling out societal ills, but said those things will not deter him from expressing his views.

In his virtual sermon on Sunday, 26 July 2020, titled: ‘There is a cause for integrity and honesty’, which was part of his ‘Building after Covid-19’ series, the Perez Chapel International Founder said a lot of his friends and loved ones called and “pleaded with me to stop preaching what I am preaching on national transformation.”

He compared his situation to that of Jonah in the Bible saying, “ “Well, Jonah did not believe wicked Nineveh would change but when he declared God’s word, they repented and fasted in sackcloth and ashes”.

The word of God, he professed, “has the power to change people: it is a hammer that can break hardened hearts, it is a fire that can consume, it is like water that can wash the most sin covered soul, it like a light that can shine on the power of the worst of sinners”.

H expressed worry about how a section of the public, including his lived ones see politicians.

“Some of my loved ones said: ‘These politicians and their supporters, hmmm; they are dangerous ohhh! they can do something against you’”.

“If that’s “how we see politicians now, is there not a cause for me to preach to change it?”

“My amazement is whether it has come to the place in democratic Ghana, where I speak and people who are not happy (basically they disagree with me) and instead of they saying they disagree with me and stating their side, some of them issue threats, some insult me and people are saying: ‘Charles, you must be afraid, beef up your security and don’t sleep at home’”.

“Well, our senior politicians, Nana Akufo-Addo and John Mahama, that is how much your noble profession has been reduced to. It is being said and perceived that you and your fellows hire thugs to beat and even get people killed because they disagree with you.

“Meanwhile, the Akan name for democracy is ‘Ka bi na me ka bi aman buo’ – ‘speak your mind and let me speak my mind’ kind of government, Bishop Agyinasare noted.