Usually, pastors emerge on a banging note gaining instant popularity but end up going down in no time due to shameful conducts mostly related to sexual activities and deceit.
Well, in no particular order, the following Ghanaian pastors are not perfect but they have gone through a lot of challenges and remain household names, at least for now.
1. Dr Mensa Otabil, is a Ghanaian theologian, philanthropist, motivational speaker, entrepreneur. He is the founder of International Central Gospel Church headquartered in Accra.
He is one of the men of God whose preaching most Ghanaians don’t want to miss because of how he combines reality with the scriptures to speak directly to the hearts of his followers.
He fell a victim of political colourisation and attacks for years but those seem to be too scanty to bring him down due to the magnitude reputation he has built for himself over the years.
Also, many people feared for his integrity when his name featured in the collapse of Capital Bank and allegations that the directors including him had engaged in malfeasances that resulted in the loss of depositors’ funds. All sorts of attacks were hurled on him relative to the Capital Bank collapse but he remained calm and now, he appears to have been exonerated.
At least for now, Dr Mensaah Otabil is a giant man of God.
2. Also worthy of mention is Nicholas Duncan-Williams, the Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International ministry, headquartered in Accra. He is the founder of the Charismatic Movement which started 40 years ago in Ghana and other parts of West Africa.
He has a powerful voice and most Ghanaians including politicians respect him.
He has a large following and his ministry keeps growing ostensibly due to the way he digests the scriptures to the understanding of his congregation.
He has also suffered some attacks in the past but none of those could bring down his reputation. He remains standing and powerful.
3. Reverend Opambour Ebenezer Adarkwa Yiadom is the General Overseer of Ebenezer Miracle Worship Centre. Popularly known as Prophet One, he was one of the popular pastors who emerged some years ago.
Admittedly, he is not as popular now as he used to be but he has at least survived many scandals which ordinarily would have made him join his colleagues in extinction.
4. Joseph Eastwood Anaba is the President of the Eastwood Anaba Ministries (EAM).
He is one of the men of God who have stood the test of time and continues to be a strong voice for God over the years.
Although the Christendom has become congested with all sorts of wealth and fame-seeking people calling themselves pastors and doing derogatory things using the name of God, he and some few others have refused to follow the crowd.
5.Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell, S.V.D. is the Parish Priest of the Christ the King Church, Cantonments, Accra and the Chairman of the Lepers Aid Committee.
Rev. Fr. Campbell, known as the “Leper Priest” by many, has been working in Ghana as a Catholic Missionary Priest in The Society of the Divine Word since October 1971.
Fr. Campbell was born in Dublin, Ireland, on March 27, 1946. He studied Philosophy and Theology and through hard work and dedication, obtained his Bachelor of Divinity Degree from St. Patrick’s College in the United Kingdom on 20th October 1970. In December 1970, he was ordained into the Catholic priesthood.
He has worked as a priest in a number of parishes in the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, some of which include St Peters parish Osu, the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, Sacred Heart parish, Derby Avenue and Good Shepherd Parish Tema.
Some of the notable ministries of Rev. Fr. Andrew Nii Lanety Campbell, as he a affectionately called by the Ga people in Accra includes the cured lepers in Ghana, visitation to the prisons, building of schools for the poor and needy, Chairman of the only children’s hospital in Ghana, the Princess Marie Louise Children’s hospital in Accra, building a dam and grow vegetables at Kordiabe, teaching in a Girls Secondary School, ministering to ‘ladies of the night’, teaching catechism to adults, Soup Kitchen for the poor and needy who roam the streets, among others.
Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell, S.V.D. who is the head of the Weija Leprosarium has been awarded at the just ended Made in Ghana Awards (MIGA) as the Humanitarian Personality of the Year, 2018, in Accra.
With all the above-stated contributions to the betterment of the Ghanaian society, every fair-minded person would agree that Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell is an epitome of love.
6. Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle is a Ghanaian Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, a former teacher and a key figure in the political scene in Ghana. He is currently the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cape Coast and is the second Ghanaian native to become Archbishop of Accra.
The man of God is respected by many Ghanaians and speaks occasionally on issues he feels strongly about and policymakers listen to him. He does not speak just for the sake of it but once he decides to talk about any development, all ears are eager to hear his point of view.
7. Bishop Charles Agyinasare is the founder of the Word Miracle Church International, later Perez Chapel International, a Pentecostal-Charismatic ministry in Ghana. He is the founder of Precious TV, Chancellor of the Perez University College and author of several books on Christianity. He, like some other reputable men of God, mentioned above would not do anything desperate to get attention and end up degrading the name of God but he remains respectable and a strong voice of God.
8. Reverend Sam Korankye Ankrah (born 23 February 1960) serves as the Apostle General of the Royal House Chapel International, a church in Ghana with more than 30,000 members. He is also the first vice president of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council.
He has built a formidable reputation for himself over the years and his name cannot escape mention when considering topnotch men of God in Ghana.
9. Dag Heward-Mills is an African Evangelist, Pastor, Author and Conference speaker based in Accra, Ghana. He is the founder and Presiding Bishop of the United Denomination Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches. He is also the founder of the Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Center.
Unlike other fame-hungry men of God who suffer all sorts ridicule and are not taken seriously because of their own conducts, one would always be careful when talking about Dag Heward-Mills because of the image he has carved for himself.
10. Reverend Dr Christie Doe Tetteh is the founder and general overseer of Solid Rock Chapel International, a vibrant and growing church headquartered in Accra. with several branches and affiliate ministries under her supervision.
Many people call her the first lady or Mother of Charismatism, in the Christian circles in Ghana while others call her spiritual bulldozer.
She is a highly sought-after speaker and frequently ministers on platforms of leading ministries in Ghana and outside. Additionally, her dynamic and insightful teachings, preaching and prophetic ministry have taken her to many countries like Gambia, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Nigeria just to mention a few in West Africa. She minister’s extensively in United Kingdom (UK), Europe and the United States of America (USA).
Rev. Christie Doh Tetteh has authored many books including Serve the Lord with Gladness, Celebrating Womanhood, Tithing made easy, The Phenomenal Woman (Biography), Who will not serve a God like This, Soaring like the Eagle, Five ways strategic revelational prayer, and Wait Patiently.
She is constantly involved in humanitarian service and makes frequent visits to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, orphanages like Borjuase, Save them Young in Ashiaman, SOS Osu, school of the blind, Korle Bu hospital, Achimota hospital, and Legon Hospital, prisons among others.
She Features frequently on national and governmental platforms.
She has been honoured with four Doctorate awards from the Truth Bible College, Jacksonville, Florida on February 16, 2003, a Honorary Doctorate of Divinity by The Global Bible University, Baltimore, Maryland on May 23, 2007, and a degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Christian Education from the Eastern Theological Seminary, Lynchburg, Virginia on May 23, 2007.
She was awarded a degree of Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Divinity from the University of family Bible, Baltimore County, Maryland on October 29, 2011.
In fact, the woman of God has managed to build an enviable reputation for herself in a male-dominated work.