Prekese Ghana Media, in a report has put
together a list of Pastors in Ghana deemed to be the richest.
To get information about the subject an
intensive research was conducted. Many sources were consulted including church
websites, businesses, government resources, libraries and some Ghana media i.e
Ghana Business News and News One.
Prekese Ghana Media have adapted the article
from their original sources and have made some changes to reflect the needs of
the time.
Our Findings though not exhaustive is believed
that it would whet the appetite of the Ghana “Yese Yese” people.
Please note that this article is not in any way
poking fun of any church or its leader but is being shared as a form of
entertainment, education and source of information for our readers.
The history of the Ghanaian has been very rich
with a lot of interesting stories. The classic and the modern church which are
mostly charismatic or Pentecostals are perceived as a God-sent institution with
missions to preach the gospel of hope, faith and salvation to the poor and
downhearted. But in recent times, many churches in bad news have earned some of
the churches the notoriety of being labeled exploitative institutions. In the
quest to get to the bottom of this allegation, BUSINESS GUIDE treats readers to
this piece.
Church goers and non-church goers alike have
contended that some of the charismatic churches extort huge sums of money from
their congregation by playing on the minds of the members. Some people too have
argued that leaders of these churches, these days, preach and plan fear in
their followers as a result of the people’s believe in witchcraft just to make
them donate huge sums of money to pursue their interests.
While some of these arguments may not be far
from the truth, BUSINESS GUIDE and PREKESE GHANAMEDIA would want to recognize
and appreciate some distinguished men of God in the country, particularly to
underscore the roles they have played through their ministries in the
socioeconomic development of Ghana.
“In fact, these pastors have been richly
blessed to the extent that they cannot be excluded from the wealthy people in
our society today. Most of them are building multi-dollar empires, cruising in
luxurious cars like the BMW, Don Rolex, Daimler, Porsche and owning magnificent
mansions all over the world,” an anonymous disciple of one of these men of God
interviewed by this paper mentioned.
Below is a list of Ghanaian pastors, according
to how the public perceives them hierarchically. Categorically, these are
sampled views of readers on the subject matter which was collectively put
together by this paper.
Dr. Mensa Otabil is the founder of
International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), one of the biggest charismatic
churches in Ghana. The church was officially inaugurated on the February, 26, 1984,
in Accra. The first meeting was held in a small classroom with a total of
twenty people. Dr Otabil is highly credited for turning the fortunes of many
Ghanaians around with his precise and talented teachings from the Bible.
Just as ICGC began to witness rapid growth
across the country, the Central University College, the church’s central
business arm, was born. It is the second private university established in 1988
in Ghana to offer pastoral training after Valley View University. Now, it has
campuses spread across Greater Accra. Central University currently charges
GH¢1,700 as tuition fee per semester, has its main campus at Dahwenya near
Prampram, whilst the first campus is still located at Mataheko in Accra.
Today, the university is regarded as one of the
best private universities in Ghana offering business, science and technology courses
as well as the arts.
With an ambition to help grow Ghana’s economy
financially and economically, Dr. Otabil is alleged to be a strategic shareholder
of non-bank financial giant, First Capital Plus. He is also on the board of a
number of institutions including Starwin Pharmaceutical Company, a listed
company on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE).
Even though it is difficult determine the exact
worth of Dr. Otabil, he is considered by many as a wealthy millionaire.
Dr Charles Agyin-Asare, founder and presiding
bishop of the Word Miracle Church International and associated churches, is
another man of God who has been considered by many as wealthy.
Dr. Agyin-Asare, who presides over 300 churches
both within and without Ghana, is a television evangelist, an educator, a
public speaker and an author of thirteen books. He is regarded by many as a
missionary statesman.
He has preached the gospel in 40 nations of the
world with the manifestation of signs and wonders. Some of his crusades have
reached over 100,000 people in a single night.
Dr. Agyin-Asare has had the pleasure of
addressing audiences ranging from presidents of nations to ordinary citizens.
He is the senior pastor at the church’s headquarters which is one of the
fastest growing and largest local churches in Ghana. He has three kids with his
dear wife Rev. Mrs. Vivian Agyin-Asare.
Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams is known in
many parts of the world as the “Apostle of Strategic Prayer.”
He is the General Overseer of Christian Action
Faith Ministries, with over 100 affiliate and branch churches in North America,
Europe, Asia and Africa. He is also the Founder and President of Prayer Summit
International.
Anointed in the ministry of prayer, healing and
the prophetic, his teachings have touched countless lives over the past 32
years. He has a lot of politicians in his church.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams has been used by God
to counsel and speak to world leaders of various nations. These have ranged
from several presidents to scores of ambassadors, ministers of state, members
of parliament, and law makers in the continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, and
North America.
Another name that made it on the rich pastors
list is Reverend Gideon Titi-Ofei. He presides over a multi-faceted ministry
known as the Titi-Ofei Ministries and varied entrepreneurial ventures known as
the Titi-Ofei Group. He is the president of the Pastoral Leadership Institute
(PLI), a contemporary pastoral leadership training centre, the president of the
League of Pastors, an apostolic ministry that provides covering for emerging
pastors, and the Convener of Momentum, an annual international congress of
pastors and church leaders.
The Titi-Ofei Group is an amalgamation of
top-flight educational institutions including the Graduate School of Governance
and Leadership (GSGL), the African Management and Productivity Institute
(AMPRO), a top-flight executive provider that provides quality and affordable
short-term training to middle to top level management; Leaders Factory, the
biggest annual emerging leaders conference, and the Strategic Leadership
Meetings, a community-based leadership development programme.
As a leadership development consultant, Rev.
Titi-Ofei, in the last seven years, has mentored and trained over eight
thousand leaders from varied backgrounds including political, corporate,
business, pastoral and traditional leaders.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills is another man of God
who has been considered by many as rich. He is the founder of Lighthouse Chapel
International. Founded in 1988, the church, now, is in 52 countries worldwide.
Dag Heward-Mills is a Medical Doctor and has
authored 58 best-selling English Christian books. He also established a number
of entities such as Lighthouse Mission Hospital, schools, Christian Orphanage,
National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches, and also Bible
& Ministry Training Centre.
Apostle General of the Royal House Chapel, Rev.
Sam Nii Korankye Ankrah heads a thriving charismatic church that has its
headquarters in Accra and a network of branches in many countries. The
headquarters holds three services on Sundays, with each having close to 10,000
people in attendance. His children school abroad and he lives in a palace-like
mansion at Sakaman Estates in Accra.
Among his fleet of cars NEWS-ONE has sighted
include a Cadillac 4×4, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, a Toyota Land Cruiser V8
and a Mercedes Benz ML.
He is on record to have explained his source of
wealth as this: “We are blessed and we cannot deny that. The blessing does not
only come by means of money but it comes through people that follow us. For
example, I have a club in my church called the Kings Club. It is made up of
very high-profile people who are doing something in society. Now every month, I
pray with them and let them know that God has placed them in their positions so
that they can serve people and serve mankind and so on.
Say I have 500 people in the club and it is
Christmas or my birthday or my wedding anniversary, by Ghanaian customs and
traditions where we honor our fathers, how much do you expect these people to
give me? I will not lie to you; say to the whole world that I say that by our
position as men of God, we definitely attract blessings of which includes
money, but for me it is the following and the people which is more important
and the more we serve them, the more they show us kindness at the least
opportunity. It is not calculated and intentional; we do not work out these
things. It is simply traditional, cultural and humane.”
KRISTO ASAFO (Christ Reformed Church)
Kristo Asafo -Christ Reformed Church - was
founded by Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo on the 3rd February, 1971. On that fateful
day, the then young Kwadwo Safo had a divine call to serve the Almighty God. As
a result, he started preaching the gospel single-handedly. He won his first
convert, Madam Faustina Akua Darkoah who has been very instrumental and
resourceful at the infant stages of the missionary work of Apostle Safo in
1971. Auntie Faustie testified that this Man of God who now lives in the pool
of wealth and luxury was once a very poor man. Like most of his predecessors,
he climbed the ladder from poverty to not only wealth but fame. He is now the
most famous icon in the eyes of many Ghanaians and Africans.
Humble Beginning
Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo started from a humble
beginning. Life was so cruel to him in all endeavors. Wanting to tell the world
that God has called him, poor Kwadwo Safo started the church in his suffocating
and extremely small single room in Accra Newtown, Ghana. Having won some few
converts he started teaching in his room every day as if the people had been
hypnotized to serve the Lord in this hot uncomfortable room at all cost.
Apostle Safo went to Ghana House in Accra to
preach the word of God regularly. Sensing more vigor, power and divine wisdom
in his words, a lot of people trooped in to listen to his divine preaching.
This kind of activity went on consistently until the first branch was established
at the Ghana County Preparatory School in Accra Newtown. Several branches were
formed in Accra and at a point in time the propagation of the Good News has to
go beyond the confines of Accra. With his Gospel Singers, he had to travel
outside Accra in search of money and work to fulfill God’s promise. He
travelled to Kumasi and started preaching from Bompata through Kwadaso to Old
Tafo, New Tafo to Bantama and Agogo. He won many converts but most of them
could not stay because life was difficult and feeding himself and his converts
was a challenge to the infant Kristo Asafo.
Investments:
Apostle launched and led an intensive
agricultural revolution in his church when in 1983 Ghana experienced the most
intensive and prolonged drought in remembered history with ravages of wild
fires that swept through the entire country.
Safo Nyame Cold Store Limited is a dealer in
frozen food in Ghana. Established in 1999 with a workforce of 5, the company
has grown tremendously over the years and has become the main supply hub of
frozen food within the Kumasi metropolis and the surrounding towns and villages.
It currently has a total workforce of 70 personnel.
Incorporated as a private limited liability
company in 1991, we have emerged as one of the biggest names in the
transportation services industry in Ghana. Our CEO, Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo has
conceived the idea of establishing a transport service company, and yes, he
did, and today Imperial Express has come to stay and is continuing to grow
beyond its boundaries.
The Great Kosa Clinic was established in 1987
to respond to the health needs of the society and to treat common diseases
using African healing methods and traditions in a modern clinical environment.
Apostle Safo School of Arts and Sciences (GREAT
ASSAS) was established to provide excellent education with achievable outcome
to the community. ASSAS in partnership with parents and the community is
dedicated to educating students from a variety of backgrounds through the
collaboration of highly qualified teachers, rigorous data-driven instruction
and student-centered activities. These initiatives enable students to acquire
knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an ever-challenging society in a
safe and orderly environment and a climate of high expectations.
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