The house of God which is the Church is one and only sacred place where people go not only to express their faith, but also a place where people run to seek solace in times of trouble. By this divine instinct, the Church is expected to be kept a holy place devoid of any activity that goes contrary to the word and will of God.
But in modern day society, the Church has gradually become a breeding ground for wealth creation where some people, particularly some pastors use the pulpit to amass wealth for themselves, thus giving room for the outside world to have negative perception about the ministry and the church as a whole. This perception has eaten so deep in the minds of some people to the extent that they begin to look at you with a different eye at the mention that you are a pastor.
The recent announcement by the government that churches are going to pay tax because they sell products such as anointing oil and bottled mineral water to their congregation at exorbitant prices is one of the concerns and perception. We all know that Jesus Christ at a point got angry when he entered the church and saw people selling all manner of goods.
He overturned the tables on which they were selling and drove them from the church saying ”my house should be called the house of the Lord and not a market place.” In our modern day society with its attended human rights, nobody can enter a church and begin to throw things apart as Jesus Christ did without any legal consequences.
But despite these human rights, I think there should be some level of control in the ministry to check those unsuspecting publics are not taken for granted by some self-styled pastors. The solution, in my estimation, lies in the creation of a special Ministry by the government that will be in charge of religious affairs to be a mediator between the Church and the government.
This ministry, should headed by a renowned and respected man of God who should be appointed by the various religious bodies in the country with the approval of the government, to champion the course of ensuring sanity in the ministry of God. When this is done, it will help lay the negative perception held by members of the public about the Clergy to rest.
Apostle Joshua Kobina Darko Spokwell
Graduate of Redeem Christian School of Missions-Nigeria
founder-Overcomers Royal Sanctuary
e-mail overcomersroyalsanctuary@gmail.com