Pastoral ministries escape route from unemployment – Kpebu

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says the surge in pastoral ministries reflects unemployment pressures that push many into religious leadership as a survival option.

Speaking on TV3’s Key Points on false prophecies in Ghanaian politics, Mr Kpebu argued that economic hardship has turned religious ministry into what he described as an “escape route” for jobless individuals.

“You know every corner you turn somebody is a pastor and you’re like, why are we not farms?” he said on Saturday. “Every corner you turn somebody is a pastor. The person wants to pray for you. It looks like it is an escape route from unemployment for a lot of them.”

Mr Kpebu linked the phenomenon to widespread joblessness and social desperation, warning that vulnerable people are often drawn to messages that promise quick relief. “I think unemployment is a huge push factor for these pastors, so it pushes a lot of people into their arms,” he said. “Because people are desperate, they need hope, they need a message to keep them alive.”

According to him, such conditions make it easier for some preachers to gain followership by offering unrealistic assurances.

“Once you start preaching that you will find a job tomorrow, then it draws people,” Mr Kpebu noted.

Reacting to a suggestion by a programme host that religious callings are divine and beyond human questioning, the legal practitioner dismissed the argument.

“You are a temple of God, Mussa Dankwah is a temple of God, I am a temple of God,” he said. “How many more do we need?”

Mr Kpebu said the state cannot remain passive in the face of what he views as the growing abuse of religion.

“So I believe that the government should take a firm stance on it,” he stressed, pointing to Rwanda as a possible model.

“In Rwanda like this, they say you can’t be a pastor without a proper degree in theology and they’ve clamped down a lot on it,” he added, arguing that regulation would protect both faith and the public.

His comments come against the backdrop of a recent high-profile prophecy involving Ghanaian politics. Pastor El Bernard had predicted that Kennedy Agyapong would win the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer election.

However, after the January 31 contest, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia emerged as the winner, contrary to the prophecy.

The pastor later issued a public statement apologising for getting the prediction wrong.

Mr Kpebu said such incidents underscore the need for accountability and regulation, insisting that faith should not be exploited to capitalise on unemployment-driven desperation.