Ghana must use the Rwandan model to regulate churches, Prophets – Cardinal Turkson

Ghana must regulate churches and activities of prophets

Cardinal Turkson backs Police directive on doom prophecies

The government of Ghana must take steps to sanitise the religious space in order to safeguard the peace and security of the country.

This is the view of Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson who holds that the current trajectory some church leaders in Ghana were proceeding on pointed to the fact that there was the need for regulation.

In an interview that aired on Accra-based Asaase Radio, the senior Vatican official pointed Ghana in the direction of Rwanda as a good reference point with respect to regulation of especially the activities of church leaders.

“I think probably we can also learn from Rwanda. In the case of Rwanda, the proliferation of all of these churches is also being brought under control; and I think there’s a law in Rwanda that says there are conditions that pastors or church founders must fulfil.

“At least some decent knowledge of the very books that you use for your church service which is the scriptures, this again is some kind of reductionist, reducing religion to just knowledge of the literature of the Bible and whatever, but essentially we need to find a way of curtailing all of these,” Cardinal Turkson admonished.

His views are at variance with that of a number of Charismatic church leaders who have openly opposed what they say is a move by the Ghana Police Service to impose regulations on their activities.

The Police’s ‘clash’ with a section of the clergy started when they issued a December 27, 2021 directive warning against ‘doom prophecies’ on the eve of the year 2022 during Watch Night and Crossover services.

Some prophets went ahead to deliver prophecies in their own guided ways rather than the usual point-blank mentioning of names and doom incidents but a follow-up statement early this year noted that police were reviewing some of the videos received after the Watch Night Services.

They hinted that prosecution will be pursued in the case of Prophets deemed to have made statements that border on creating fear and panic.

One of the key Charismatic leaders to openly oppose the actions of the Police is Perex Chapel founder, Bishop Charles Agyinasare.

Delivering his sermon on Sunday, January 9, 2021, he said if care was not taken, the Police will begin dictating what men of God should preach.

“On the 6th of January the police sent a communique…they said the police is analysing the prophecies of the various churches. We want to thank God for the Police and for protecting us during Christmas.

“It’s okay for the police to caution us about prophecies that cause fear and panic, especially those that have to do with notable personalities. However, for the police to issue a statement on the 6th of January that they are analysing prophecies of the various churches…is trying to legislate prophecies,” he said.