In Open Response to the “Prophesy” of Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams
My Dear Friend and Brother,
I do not think there is the need to introduce myself. I remember the first time I met you over four and a half decades ago at the Association School field. It seems like yesterday.
I remember you came to watch us play soccer, in your decent attire and infectious smiles, a real gentleman I will say.
You later inspired my younger brother to become a labourer in Christ’s vineyard.
I am compelled to respond to your latest comment on a national issue in which you said that what you were about to say was not a prophesy, but your own mind.
Adding that if things do not change, there will be an uprising in this country after 2024. Like Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:12, you stated your personal opinion, assuring us, it was not from Christ.
My Dear Brother Nick, I know that in these times, there is growing despair among the youth and some of them are been incited to run riot and take over the country through a revolution.
Apart from the fact that this cannot be the solution to problems this country is facing, recalling how some youth in the Ghana Armed Forces violently took over the affairs of this country in 1979 and where they led us to, we certainly do not need any revolution again.
We must eschew political, ethnic and ideological differences, and find lasting solutions to our problems.
My Dear Brother Nick, I personally believe that should this country fall, it should not be blamed on politicians, on public office holders or on the private sector but on the leadership of Christian churches in this country called Ghana, and I am afraid, you and yours are not excluded.
I am saying this because there are over 22 million Christians in Ghana making up over 71% of the population. And there are numerous churches per square kilometre where daily services are held even during working hours.
My Dear Brother Nick, unfortunately, in all these, Christ is been seriously ridiculed in this country. I can say without any fear of contradiction that many are those who are not Christians, who will feel disgusted about Christianity because of the conduct of Christians, especially in the leadership of the churches in Ghana.
Most of your brothers and sisters in the ministry do things that are alien to the mind of Christ. How can a leader of a Christian church, proudly inform his church members that he had slept with his junior pastor’s wife and this should be accepted as coming from Christ?
How can a man of God use God’s name to predict results of a soccer game and when the victory went the other way, he was bold to tell us that that God was alarmed at the number of people going in for betting, so He changed the results, and this should be accepted as coming from Christ?
During election years some men and women of God will come out claiming God had ordained this or the other candidate to win. Different names coming from the same source as if God cannot make up His mind and this should be accepted as coming from Christ?
How can a man of God with armed guards violently invade the premises of someone and threatened to kill her, but when the law caught up with him, he comes back to blame the president, his vice and the IGP for not stopping him from been arrested and this should be accepted as coming from Christ?
Jesus Christ who did no wrong was arrested, tortured, thrown into jail and later killed, yet He never complained but rather beg for forgiveness of the wicked.
My Dear Brother Nick, as you are aware that something worrying is taking place? In the Gospel of St. Luke Chapter 9 verse 49, John reported to Jesus saying, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your Name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.”
And this is where my worries emanate from. If Jesus’ disciples would prevent someone from using the Name of Jesus, to do good things, why are His shepherds of now-a-days not condemning their own who use the Name of Jesus to do wrong things?
No church leader is standing up for Christ by rebuking and condemning those fake men and women of God who act against the will of Christ.
After news broke that a pastor had killed his own sister-in-law and went on to admit that he and his accomplice had earlier killed two more for ritual purposes and another pastor was alleged to have beheaded his wife, to this day, no leader of the Church has come out to condemn the act. What a shame.
No one wants to defend the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Because it rather seems as if, all of you are only interested in fame and wealth and do not care about the good name of the Church.
During the mandatory ban on gathering due to the Covid in 2020, which significantly affected attendance of church activities, it was a shame how some pastors used the electronic media and to organise church and demanded that their congregants send money to numbers displayed through electronic transfer or MoMo.
Can you imagine? While death was lurking on everyone’s window and doorstep, pastors were eager to collect money from the poor and the needy.
You should be aware of effects of wrongly using material fame and wealth. When these are misdirected, they lead to a situation where idolatry comes in, making the fellow to believe that only money matters in life and God is.
How God relates to the spiritually poor is beautifully written in the Gospel of St. Luke 16: 19-31, and that is about Lazarus and the rich man.
Lazarus was poor and his situation signified one who had emptied himself for the Lord, one who blessed and thanked the Lord for his every breath and heartbeat, one who knows that before God and man he was nothing.
The rich man signified as one who is completely independent of God and does not allow Him to come into his life.
Have you noticed that upon all his might and wealth, this rich man was never mentioned by name, but poor Lazarus’ name was mentioned?God remembers those who are submissive to Him and calls them to His side. This is what you and your colleagues must do.
This is where I come in. With a population of over 71%, Ghana is expected to be moulded in the Life of Christ and Christianity should be positively felt everywhere in this country and among Ghanaians. Sadly, that is not the case.
The leadership of the churches are to lead their members to Christ. So, if today, there is corruption and high crime everywhere then the problem is the leadership of the churches.
Known drug barons, highly corrupt people, so-called church members who violate every bit of Isaiah 58, people who are so wicked and treacherous and people who cannot fit into the Body of Christ are blessed and prayed over in the presence of the poor in the church.
When the table is laid before them in the presence their enemies, they feel more than conquerors and drive away the poor, who come to beg for crumbs, from their sight, and continue in their wickedness.
With this the poor in the church who wants recognition in the sight of God, may also follow suite and go corrupt. He will then come and give testimony, lying about how his life changed and praise God for great things He did to him.
My Dear Brother Nick, the love of money and wealth has entered into the church, and blessings from God are now auctioned. The more one gives the greater the blessings. And I thought this was one of the reasons, Martin Luther criticized the Holy Catholic Church and broke away in the 1500’s.
There is no single instance during church services that any of these now-a-days men and women of God will condemn the corrupt members in their churches, because these corrupt government appointees and private businessmen are the sources of wealth for that man of God.
He would rather attack such people who do not belong to his church.
My Dear Brother Nick, in your view, who are letting Ghana down? Who are letting the youth down, who cannot see a clear future ahead of them.
To them there is always honour among thieves in this country because those who are corrupt and overly greedy are protected by the churches and offered wonderful blessings from God, while the poor are even forced to pay tithes and made to somehow believe that their money is going straight to God.
As if God, in putting up mansions in Heaven to accommodate the saints coming in, is running out of money. Tithes that are supposed to be used on the poor rather flow from the poor.
In my candid view, as long as the men and women of God in the Christian churches, cannot convert sinners among the followers, Ghana will continue to sink low.
My Dear Brother Nick, it is your responsibility and that of others in the ministry, who should live by good examples, to change Ghanaians and make us walk on the path of righteousness. Failure to do so and this country runs down, you are to blame.
If God has given you the power to lead His flock, do exactly that and crack the whip on the sheep who stray away.And do not be afraid to openly correct your colleagues who are straying away. Take a cue from Galatians 2: 11-14 and do exactly what Paul did.
The rise and fall of this country is in your hands, not in the hands of the politicians, the public office holders and private businessmen. Pray to God for that gift that can transform the sinner and make him or her draw closer to God.
My Dear Brother Nick, please accept that what you said about a violent uprising coming up after 2024 if things do not change, is that silent Voice of God drawing your attention to the situation in your church and some other churches and begin the clean-up now and you will witness a great transformation and give the glory to God.
Amen and thanks.
Hon. Daniel Dugan
