Dr Lawrence Tetteh, an International Evangelist, says he was taken aback by the backlash among Christian leaders about government’s proposal to support members of the faith to embark on a pilgrimage to Israel.
He told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra on Monday that “I don’t know the full details of the proposal but I believe a broader consultation on the issue is necessary, and I see no point why the matter should be politiced”.
Among those who refused the proposal made by the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs for the pilgrimage to Israel and the Vatican City was the Christian Council of Ghana.
Reverend Dr Opuni Frimpong, the General Secretary of the Council, was reported by the media as saying there was a closed door meeting between the government and the body over the issue but members turned it down.
However Dr Tetteh, President and Founder of the UK-based Worldwide Miracle Outreach, observed that most leaders of the Christian community were resourceful and in better position to embark on such a pilgrimage on their own and so were perhaps embarrassed by the offer.
“I have had the opportunity to travel to Israel a number of times since 1988 and I believe countless of my colleagues have also been able to do so.
“But the question is what about the many people out there who are yearning to perform the pilgrimage but lack the financial ability to do so?”
He said his faith tells him that any Christian who was desirous to visit the Holy Land to see the root of his or her faith should be able to do.
“It is spiritually fulfilling to visit Jerusalem or Bethlehem to see where the Saviour Jesus Christ was born,” he said.
He noted that the cradle of the Christian faith was connected to Israel.
Dr Tetteh said the offer by the Ministry was not strange since government since time in memorial had supported the National Hajj Committee to organise successful pilgrimages for Muslims who want to visit Mecca-Saudi Arabia, as their faith demanded.
He said there was the need for broad consultation among Christian leaders including the Pentecostals and the Charismatics for a consensus on the proposal.
Source: GNA
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AS for LAWRENCE, he is everywhere Kwame Nti. Where there is a small meat, you will see his presence.
I have read the news, what Wisdom man is saying is true. I just typed ZAMBIANS REJECTED RELIGIOUS MINISTRY and I got the results. NOW I KNOW THAT THE THE CHURCH SHOULD STAY AS CHURCH AND POLITICIANS TO WORK AS POLITICIANS. PILGRIMAGE SHOULD BE HANDLED BY THE CHURCHES WHO WANT TO DO SO. NOT A MINSTER. LOOK AND TELL ME WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS BEST: STC and VIP, PRIVATE SCHOOLS and GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS, STATE FARMS and PRIVATE FARMS, GOVERNMENT PRINTING HOUSES and PRIVATE PRINTING PRESS, etc. If Government controls Pilgrimage, it will be a disaster like Hajj. Let PRIVATE companies do their work. Thank you.
As a wisdom man, I need to talk wisdom. PLEASE, DO NOT ALLOW POLITICIAN TO COME CLOSER TO RELIGION, let them stay in their POLITICS. If you welcome them to that world, ONE DAY ONE DAY, they will swallow all the ARCHBISHOPS, APOSTLES, PASTORS and the MEMBERS. In Zambia, the Government wanted to establish RELIGIOUS MINISTRY, the Pastors did not agreed. If you allow them because of your selfish gain, you will buy it expensive from them in the near future. Do note sell you birthright to politicians: DUNCAN, TETTEH, OWUSU and KORANKYE (4) Let the Churches do their own pilgrimage. In USA, they do it by themselves, CANADA, GERMANY, etc.
I want to find a day to explain to Apostle Opoku Onyina. He said there is no POWER in River Jordan and anything in Israel. Eeh Papa. DO NOT SAY THAT AGAIN. Israel has given you a job. No Israel, no job for Pastors. Today you are condemning everything from Israel, because you are going out soon to pension. Christians grab everything from Israel by faith. The Communion Wine you use every month, is it the exact blood of Jesus. Christians drink by faith and respect they have for Jesus. The tithes, are you Melchizedek to collect tithes. Christians pay by faith. If you condemn Israel as a leader, you condemn your Church. Two terms is too much for the Leaders, ONLY ONE TERM IS GOOD FOR A BLACKMAN. If you give second term, they mess up things. ooh! PAPA POKU.
This is ***barred word*** for any government whatsoever to think of sponsoring people or a group of people to their supposedly holy site being it Israel or Mecca. Ghana is a secular state and not a religious one. The affairs and wellbeing of the state must be held supreme and not that of the representation of fewer class of people. Apart from the monies that are extorted from the vulnerable congregations by some pastors on daily basis, as if that isn't enough. Now, the democratically but not religiously elected government is here thinking about sponsoring his party faithful embarking pilgrimages. Whiles we are lacking infrastructural development, we schooling under trees, lack of medical facilities and so on and so forth. I personally think that this decision by the government isn't only unwise but also a misplaced priority.