Youth Group in Divine Healer’s Church calls for calm over court issue

A section of the youth of the Divine Healer’s Church also known as Brother Lawson have appealed to the Board of Trustees of the church to engage the pastors who have sent some leaders of the church to court to withdraw the case and settle the matter at home.

The youth calling themselves the Concerned Youth of The Divine Healer’s Church and other organs of the Divine Healer’s Church numbering about 235 in a petition and a memo dated 17 March 2023 and signed by the Convener, Henry Smith Lartey, said much as the plaintiffs may have genuine reasons for going to court, the issue can still be settled at home.

“We have also learned regrettably that this matter has become a subject of a legal suit in an Accra High Court, a case initiated by some respectable Pastors of our Church. This case in court has received considerable media attention in newspapers, radio news, television news and extensively online. This is certainly not good news for our great Church, which has remained peaceful over 69 years.

“We cannot be spectators at this crucial moment of our Church. We risk losing following for Christ and we are at a verge of being described by society as not a law-abiding Church. The church is supposed to be the standard of morality for society,” the petitioners noted.

They called on the trustees to immediately call all parties to the table and resolve this amicably to end any further negative press against the church and not to set a bad precedent for future generations.

They also urged the Trustees to enforce details of the Church’s constitution on how leaders are selected and how their tenure should be carried out.

“We appreciate the contributions of our Dear General Overseer and his team to the development of the church in the past 17 years. However, their continuous stay in office violates the Church’s constitution. The constitution of our great Church states clearly that upon attaining the age of 65, church officers holding a position are required to retire. However, we note with dismay the continuous stay in office of the Overseer and other members of the National Executive Board despite attaining this illustrious and constitutionally determined age”, the petition said.

It would be recalled that six pastors of the Divine Healer’s Church have dragged their General Overseer and five other leaders of the church to court to challenge their continuous stay in office.

The plaintiffs argue that the continuous stay in office of the General Overseer and the other executives violates the constitution of the Church.

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council have however intervened to resolve the issue amicably.

The next date for the court hearing is April 24, 2023.