MENSAH OTABIL ON THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Earlier this week, the Founder and General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church joined the Bethesda Conference in Bolgatanga to deliver a powerful message on the Purposeful Church.

This message has quickly gained traction on social media, as the renowned teacher addressed some of the challenges faced by the African Church.

One of the major hurdles, he emphasized, is that many church founders and leaders fail to recognize that the church does not belong to them. They boast about their hard work, their sacrifices, and their contributions, but they forget that it is not about them. While we may refer to a church as Pastor Otabil’s or Pastor Eastwood’s, we must not possess it as our own. This conflicts with the teachings of Jesus, who said, “I will build my church.” The people in the church belong to Him.

He further expressed concern about how many church leaders in the sub-region have deviated from preaching the pure word of God, teaching doctrine, and sharing the gospel. Instead, they have become more focused on their own prominence in the eyes of their followers.

“If Jesus is the one building the church, it is only logical that we know a great deal about Him. It’s common sense. After all, it is His church. He is the owner, so we must strive to know Him. Who is He? Where did He come from? Where is He going? What are His preferences? What are His teachings? Is what I am saying in line with His words? We need to purify the African church and ensure that it becomes a faithful custodian of the mysteries of Christ for future generations.”

Dr. Mensah Otabil went on to emphasize the importance of preserving the core beliefs of Christianity in Africa to prevent its decline, contrasting the need-based approach influenced by poverty with the necessity of teaching sound doctrine. He warned against the prevalence of heresy in African preaching, stressing the significance of imparting foundational knowledge about faith and God. Failure to uphold these principles could lead to the demise of Christianity in Africa, not due to external resistance, but because of internal corruption and distortion of the true essence of the religion. The focus should be on genuine faith and doctrine rather than mere popularity and superficial practices.

Watch the full sermon here.