Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Full Gospel Church International, Bishop Dr Samuel Noi Mensah, has stressed that Ghana’s challenges demand practical, problem-solving approaches rather than reliance on prophetic declarations.
He noted that while he respects the government’s efforts to manage the circulation of sensitive prophecies, national development cannot be built on spiritual predictions.
“No nation has developed based on prophecies,” Bishop Dr Mensah stated. “Nations have developed through leaders who think and solve the problems of our society. If you look at China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai, they are not developed based on prophecies and prayers. The problems we have in our country are not spiritual. They are common-sense problems that need common-sense solutions that need critical thinking.”
His comments were in response to a recent call by Presidential Envoy Elvis Afriyie Ankrah for religious leaders to submit sensitive national prophecies to his office before going public.
While extending condolences over the recent helicopter crash that claimed eight lives, Bishop Dr Mensah warned against excessive government involvement in managing prophecies. “I do appreciate what we are trying to do to manage the feelings of our people. But the government getting involved in the management of prophecies… we will probably get into a system where the government cannot control this. The government’s function is to provide leadership and solve the problems of Africa. We shouldn’t mix what we claim as prophecies with the management of governance,” he said.
He criticised a growing trend where prophets claim to have foreseen tragedies after they occur. “How come all the prophets always spell doom for the country? They can’t see anything meaningful about our development and how we can move our country forward,” he questioned, adding that most of these prophets are not part of recognised church bodies such as the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Christian Council of Ghana, or the National Association of Charismatic Churches.
According to him, if church councils cannot regulate these practices, “government must step in to regulate some of these things,” citing Rwanda as a model for restoring order.
Addressing President John Mahama directly, Bishop Dr Mensah advised him to stay focused on governance. “The president has so much to deal with. He shouldn’t be bogged down with the so-called prophecies.
Otherwise, people will take undue advantage, create a job for themselves, then go tell presidents all kinds of stories,” he said. He urged that any prophecy of national significance be handled privately rather than broadcast publicly. “Let’s give the church councils the opportunity to come out with a solution. If they can’t find solutions, then the government must come in,” he concluded.
