Ghanaians React As Pastor Otabil Claims The Church Is Not Supposed To Build Factories And Schools

According to a report by The BBC Ghana today being Sunday, November 1, 2026, Pastor Mensa Otabil has stressed that establishing factories and building schools are not among the primary responsibilities of the church, insisting that religious institutions should remain focused on their spiritual mandate.

He explained that the church was established to carry out specific religious duties, including preaching the gospel, nurturing the faith of believers and providing places where people can gather for worship.

In his view, expecting churches to take responsibility for industrialisation and formal education could amount to shifting their attention away from their central purpose.

To make his argument clearer, the pastor used the example of a lawyer, questioning whether it would be reasonable to demand that a legal practitioner convert his chambers into a hospital simply because members of the public need medical attention.

He noted that lawyers have their professional responsibilities, just as doctors are trained to provide healthcare services. Therefore, he believes it would be inappropriate to expect someone in one profession to assume the duties of another.

Applying the same reasoning to religious institutions, Pastor Otabil maintained that the church should be permitted to concentrate on its spiritual assignment rather than being expected to establish factories and schools as a measure of its contribution to society.

His remarks have generated conversations about the place of churches in Ghana’s national development agenda and the expectations citizens should have of religious organisations.

While some people believe churches should invest more in education, employment creation and other social interventions, others maintain that such responsibilities should not overshadow their religious objectives.

The debate has once again brought attention to the relationship between faith-based organisations, social responsibility and the broader development needs of the country.

See some of the reactions from Ghanaians below.

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