ICGC allowed the media to judge me – Josh Laryea

Gospel musician cum Pastor, Josh Laryea has accused authorities of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) of ‘fueling’ his recent dilemma by allowing the media to judge him when a letter of his suspension was leaked to the media.

The Presbytery of ICGC sometime last year suspended the pastor over an alleged ‘immoral conduct’.

In a letter dated March 29, 2017, the council of the Church said the decision was taken after it received a report against the pastor.

But responding to a text message on Starr Chat with Bola Ray indicating that he (Josh Laryea) was not patient and had to resign, the Reverend Minister said, “If the media is being given room to judge, then they should judge.”

“If the thing can get to the media, if the media can be judges, then we don’t need to even sit down and judge because there is nothing to judge” he stressed.

The musician expressed joy over the fact that everything worked in the end for his good.

“I am so glad that I was bold to make the decision of quitting ICGC. I thank God for the grace to make that decision and I have not regretted and I will never regret” he added.

Asked whether he gets calls to go back to ICGC, Pastor Josh Laryea stated that few friends from ICGC call him occasionally to request a comeback but he insists on moving on; once that chapter is closed in his life, it is closed forever, he said.



Background

ICGC in a letter indicated that “The Presbytery has authorised the Disciplinary Committee to look into the allegations levelled against Rev. Laryea”.

The letter further stated that “Rev. Josh Laryea is being withdrawn from the pulpit and thereby the Doxa Temple with immediate effect. This is to allow the Committee carry out its work uninterrupted.”

The Church Council noted that another minister will be assigned to manage the assembly (Doxa Temple) and urged the pastor to fully co-operate with the leadership of the church in the investigations.

Rev. Josh Laryea is one of Ghana’s brilliant gospel musicians. Over the years, he has thrilled Ghanaians with hit songs such as ‘Emere’, ‘Bisa’, ‘Aseda Nka Onyame’, and ‘Jesus is the Answer’.