Religious leaders have urged clergy to exercise greater responsibility in the prophetic ministry, warning against reckless prophecies and the growing politicisation of religious messages in Ghana’s national discourse.
The call was made at the maiden edition of the Bible Breakfast Club held at the University of Gold Coast on Saturday, 30 May, where participants examined the role of prophecy in Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme, “Balaam, Balak and Mammon: Prophecy and Political Power in Ghana’s Fourth Republic,” the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, expressed concern about the increasing influence of partisan politics on religious activities.
He stressed that the prophetic ministry must remain a source of spiritual guidance, truth and accountability rather than a tool for advancing political interests.
According to him, Ghana’s political culture has become excessively partisan, with many issues increasingly viewed through political lenses, a trend he believes is undermining the integrity of religion.
“The problem we have in our country is our obsession with partisanship. We process everything from start to finish through partisan political interests, and religion is being corrupted to serve these partisan political interests,” he said.
He criticised the tendency of some self-styled prophets to compete over political predictions during election periods, describing such behaviour as spiritually unhealthy.
“When elections are approaching, people who claim to be prophets fight each other over who predicted what outcome. The sad thing is that we try to bring God to our level. I think it is deeply unspiritual for us to use the prophetic ministry in self-serving ways,” he added.
Founder of the Liberation Bible Church, Apostle Dr James Amponsah, also called for greater prudence and discernment in the exercise of the prophetic ministry.
Drawing from 1 Corinthians 14, he emphasised that prophecy should be used to edify, encourage and comfort believers rather than create fear and panic.
“Prophecy should be situated within the context of Scripture. The practice of frightening people, threatening them and creating anxiety instead of building faith in Christ and confidence in the Word of God must come to an end,” he said.
For her part, the Director of Programmes at the Anglican Diocese of Accra, Rev. Dr Akua Ofori-Boateng, defended the role of religious leaders in addressing national issues, provided their interventions remain non-partisan and focused on the public good.
She argued that the clergy have a responsibility to speak on matters affecting society and should not limit their ministry solely to church-related concerns.
“We need to speak to national issues, not to become partisan or direct people on how to vote, but because national issues affect everyone. When we champion only one individual or political interest, we narrow our impact. Our responsibility is to speak truth to society as a whole,” she said.
Rev. Dr Ofori-Boateng noted that religious leaders are increasingly becoming more vocal on matters of national importance and should continue to contribute to public discourse in ways that promote justice, truth and social cohesion.
Participants at the event concluded that while prophecy remains an important aspect of Christian ministry, it must be exercised with wisdom, humility and accountability. They emphasised that prophetic declarations should remain firmly anchored in Scripture and guided by a commitment to the spiritual well-being of both the Church and society.
