The Ethical Dimension of Pentecostal/Charismatic Church Leadership in Ghana

Abstract

The emergence of Pentecoastalism in Ghana from early 1900 has registered a massive following with institutional structures that have significantly impacted Christian discourse and national life. The said Churches have produced prominent leaders, developed Christian education programmes and generated volumes of Christian literature that is unprecedented in Ghanaian Christianity. These accomplishments notwithstanding, public opinion often upbraids the leaders for unethical conduct. The functional evidence of ethical concepts in these ministries reveals a continuum between principles and utility, demonstrating a challenge of integrating traditional ethics with Christian moral values. The prevailing church polity, administrative structures and ministerial ethical codes suggest an overriding concern for high moral standards. Nevertheless media reports on Pentecostal ministerial conduct, which sometimes borders on sensationalism and stereotyping, abound on promiscuity, power abuse, financial misappropriation, and superstition. Although congregation members and more perceptive observers appreciate the constructive moral impact of the Pentecostal ministers, available data reveals a gap between travesty and ideal in Pentecostal ministerial ethics. Ascribable factors to unethical ministerial conduct include inadequate training, poor accountability and a general low level of ethical reflection. One would suggest that a multidimensional approach of responsible reportage, emphatic moral education, adequate but sympathetic response to moral failure, and peer review accountability could help to approximate to appreciable standards in ministerial ethics.