General News of Sunday, 30 August 2009

Source: GNA

Ministers cautioned against visa, passport contracts

Koforidua, Aug. 30, GNA - The clergy have been reminded that they have been ordained to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and not to engage in wealthy things like visa and passport contracts. Reverend Cannon Jacob Nii Ayi Hammond, Parish Priest of the Abertifi Anglican Church of Ascension, gave the advice in a sermon at the ordination of Rev. Father Kwesi Appau Ateffour and Rev Father Solomon Kwesi Frimpong into the Anglican Church at the St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral at Koforidua on Sunday.

The ordination was celebrated coincided with the close of the Third Session of the Ninth Synod of the church. Rev. Hammond reminded the priests that they were being ordained into the church at a time when society was facing integrity crisis and urged them to practice what they preach and not to behave as if they were saints.

He urged them to prepare adequately for the delivering of sermons because even though the gospel remained the same, the circumstances under which it should be presented kept on changing. Rev. Hammond asked the priest to pray ceaselessly for God's support and guidance since their ordination did not insulate them from sin and temptation.

He called on the congregation to support the priests economically to enable them to have sufficient time for the work. Rev. Hammond also asked the worshippers to continue to pray for the priests, since they were ordinary people chosen by God.