Some Ghanaian pastors have expressed worry over the way some of their colleague pastors, bishops and prophets use nicknames saying those names trivialize the gospel and make mockery of Christ and Christianity.
They noted that most of the “men of God” who use those nicknames do not belong to any of the conventional Christian associations and so they are not responsible to anybody and they carry themselves in ways that tarnish the image of God.
It is becoming very common to find self-styled prophets using nicknames such as Computer man, Apae Live, Jesus Abrantie, Kumchacha, Prophet one, Major Prophet, Obonsam Last stop and Jesus Onetouch, who was recently jailed 10 years for defilement and incest.
Besides using nicknames, some of those prophets also put up practices on public television, which have raised eye brows on several occasions.
The President of the International Clergy Association, Bishop Dr. Charles Abban told Asempa News that most of these pastors use nicknames to create the impression that they have some powers by themselves even though power is from God.
He said their nicknames create the impression that they represent themselves or any other thing but Christ.
Bishop Abban therefore entreated those pastors to desist from such acts and use their own names and the name of Christ to attract unbelievers to the church.
The General Secretary of the Ghana Pentecostal Council Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi also tells Asempa News that such behavior will never happen in the Pentecostal churches because the council has a code of ethics they go by.
He noted that some pastors misbehave the way they do because they are under nobody and answer to nobody, but in the Pentecost church, where pastors answer to a board, one cannot just keep postures which are not in line with regulations.
But Prophet Eric Kwesi Amponsah, aka Computer man said his nickname was given to him by admirers who benefitted from his ministry.
He said there is a testimony behind that name and the the testimony attracts people to his church and through that he gets the opportunity to introduce them to Christ.
Story by: Afia Amankwah-Tamakloe/Asempa FM/Ghana