You are here: HomeReligion2008 07 14Article 146850

Religion of Monday, 14 July 2008

Source: GNA

Moderator advises pastors to stop advertising themselves

Mampong (Ash), July 14, GNA - The Right Reverend Dr Yaw Frimpong-Manso, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), has urged pastors to preach the gospel vigorously to help salvage society from evil deeds. He expressed regret that some clergymen praised and advertised themselves instead of preaching the word of God to address the challenges and vices in society.

Rt. Rev. Frimpong-Manso was speaking at the ordination ceremony of 24 pastors of the church at Asante-Mampong on Sunday on the theme; "Music As the Word of God". He said: "The constant changes and decay in the world today are always calling the church to its mandate of transformation based on the imperatives to the great commission of Our Lord to go into the world to make disciples of all nations."

He entreated clergymen to at all times strive to work within the principles and tenets of the Bible in the discharge of their duties to sustain and enhance the image of the priesthood institution. The Moderator implored the government and stakeholders in the nation's development, to as a matter of urgency, institute proactive policies to ban the advertisement of alcoholic beverages on the radio and television stations. Such advertisements, he said, came with lyrics that led most of the youth into alcoholism, drug abuse and immorality among other vices. Rt. Rev Frimpong-Manso said in spite of the dangers alcoholism posed to the health of the citizenry, little efforts were being made to stop its advertisement. He said just as government had banned the advertisement of tobacco, it must do the same to alcohol advertisements. He urged the new pastors to uphold the code of ethics of the priesthood institution and the church in general to draw more people to the church.