The Presiding Bishop Has Spoken, Let All Listen

By: Stephen A. Quaye,Toronto-Canada

Conflict in Christian churches is an area that few people want to speak about. But it is an area that we must address especially with the bible so clearly tells us that the devil will work through false teachings and seducing spirits.
We must understand that these spirits are present in all Christian churches and that the devil will work in any way he can to bring into every Christian church, regardless of its doctrines.
Understanding this, every Christian be he a pastor, reverend minister, leader or an ordinary member will not point an accusing finger at someone or tag him as the cause of troubles in the church or the Satan who does not want the church to grow.
There are too many errors in our Christian churches today that the devil has worked and continues to work through false teachings and seducing spirits that is denying the children of God true salvation.
Some of these errors collapsing churches include, financial misappropriations, sexual promiscuity among members, gossiping, libeling, unnecessary break away, self ego, and struggles for positions, politicking and many more which are destroying many churches.
A renowned world evangelist Dr. Rebecca Brown, in her awakening statement to Christians asked,” how many precious souls are there in the world today who miss God’s gift of salvation simply because they have not searched out the scriptures?”
“We would be overwhelmed if we knew the number. These souls, most of them, sit in many different churches, assuming that because they follow what the leaders of the church tell them to do that they will “get to heaven” in the end. How tragic. It is only through the personal searching and a personal decision to make Jesus Christ Lord and saviour that anyone gets to heaven”.
But the presiding bishop of Methodist Church Ghana, Professor Emmanuel K.Asante, has spoken extensively identifying what a church means, as well as its nature mission.
The presiding bishop’s teachings was contained in a keynote address he delivered at the annual general meeting of the North America mission of the Methodist Church Ghana, at Maryland, U.S.A recently.
He chose the theme, “The World Is My Parish”: Harnessing Our Diverse Gifts for Mission.
The presiding bishop noted that one of the notable legacies John Wesley, the founder of Methodism bequeathed to the people called Methodist is his notion on the parish, which is hardly limited to a definable geographical area.
He said, a serious reflection on this statement by John Wesley clearly points to a perception of ministry that is hardly parochial in focus which points to a conception of ministry that has a universal and global thrust.
“The expression points to our grand itinerancy the basis of which is the mandate given to us by the master to make disciples of all nations:” Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all the nations [ta ethne]” he explained what forming a church means.
Professor Emanuel K.Asante, called on Christians to understand that the nature of the church is that of ecclesia, that is, a people “called out” in the sense of a people who have woken up to the realities that are already true about the world; people who have believed and experienced the gospel of liberation brought to us by Jesus, the Christ and are committed to bearing witness to Christ and the gospel of liberation.
He emphatically stated,” we are those who through our mutual love, sacrifice, reconciliation and forgiveness of one another point the way to the new kingdom, that is ours in Christ, revealing to those who are still sleeping-those who still distrust the light and remain in the darkness of sin and unbelief, that Christ Jesus has won the day”
From this clear teaching, a church can be understand to mean a people called out to and spread the gospel to win souls for Christ but a people who thinks they are Christians and for that matter can confine themselves in a particular area and under a palm fronds shelter and say they have formed a church.
We can point fingers at so many churches which were very strong and powerful in spreading the gospel but today are on a verge of collapse because of lack of knowledge as to what a church means.
Professor Emanuel K.Asante, through the Holy Spirit the redeemer, comforter, peace maker and the giver of all wisdom that passes all understand has given us an insight into what a church means.
Truly speaking if Christians would heed to his advice, many of the conflicts that are breaking churches will vanish and the mission of the church will be uphold to break eternal salvation to all mankind which we are all charged to do.
Stay tune for other issues he touched which could help solve problems in the church.
End.