Two Pastors Fight Over Church Name

The founder of Dwanekobea Bible Prayer House Ministry, Evangelist Owusu Fordwour, has threatened to go to court to seek redress following the use of the name of his church by another pastor at Kumasi. Evangelist Fordwour told DAILY GUIDE that his intention to go to court had become necessary because several warnings given to Pastor J. Opoku to desist from using the name of the church had fallen on deaf ears. He said his church, which was duly registered with the Registrar General's office, had its headquarters at Techiman and branches at Tanoso, near Kumasi, Berekum and Nkoranza. He related to DAILY GUIDE that when he heard that Pastor Opoku, who has been preaching on some FM stations in Kumasi, was using the name of his church to preach, he made a trip to the area where the church of Pastor Opoku was located and saw 'Dwanekobea Prayer House No. 2' written boldly on the wall and warned pastor Opoku to rub it, but he refused. Evangelist Fordwour said what he found disturbing was Pastor Opoku's doctrine which is at sharp variance with his (Evangelist Fordwour's) ministry and as such people who worshipped at his church became peeved because of the way Pastor Opoku was using the name of the church. He stressed that his church preaches to win souls for Christ but that of Pastor Opoku professes to have the power to catch witches and wizards and also exorcise evil spirits. Following the startling revelation of the use of juju by some pastors in the Brong Ahafo Region, founders of churches do not want other people to use the names of their churches, for fear-that the activities of such fake pastors would mar the names of the founding churches. The recent arrest of a man of God at Chiraa for burying a live dog near his church, and another one who ran away at Kato after Nana Kwaku Bromsam, a fetish priest, went to demand the return of a juju he prepared for him, have brought the name of spiritual churches in the region into disrepute. When DAILY GUIDE visited some of the spiritual churches last Sunday, the issue of juju being used by pastors was the topic of most sermons. Preaching at Jesus the Redeemer Chapel at Kwaadwokrom, Evangelist Afriyie Mensah condemned the use of juju by some pastors, and apealed to pastors who are in the habit to put a stop to it to avoid the wrath of God. He said it was only prayer that could bring healing and deliverance. Citing the case of Hanna in the Bible, Evangelist Afriyie said she did not go to any juju man to get a child but cried to the Lord God who listened to her and gave her what she desired.