Top five ‘fights’ between Ghanaian pastors that Ghanaians will never forget

From the Old to New Testaments, a common theme that runs through the Bible which is the moral guide for Christians is peace and love.

It is for this reason that some Biblical scholars hold the view that the Ten Commandments come down to two major themes – love and respect for God and love for fellow humans.

If the Bible which serves as a guide to regulate the lives of Christians places so much emphasis on peace and love, then it is not wrong for one to assume that pastors, prophets, evangelists or any leader of a Christian flock should embody those virtues.

Unfortunately, however, and owing to their infallible feature as humans, there have been instances where pastors have not only been at loggerheads with their members or relatives but also, ‘beefed’ (as used in the entertainment parlance) with their fellow pastors.

These public disagreements are mostly influenced by divergent opinion on religious principles, quest to protect perceived territories, miscommunication or battle for spiritual supremacy and sometimes sheer display of folly and indiscretion.

GhanaWeb highlights five most controversial pastoral beefs that rocked Ghana’s Christianity space

Owusu Bempah vs Agradaa

For months, Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah and self-acclaimed evangelist, Patricia Oduro traded direct and indirect shots.

The fight went beyond the two as their junior pastors got involved and dragged each other, mostly on social media.

The beef degenerated to the point where Reverend Owusu Bempah allegedly stormed the premise of Nana Agradaa and allegedly issued some threats which led to his arrest by the police.

It was believed that the beef had been settled but Agradaa continued to poke B mpah to the point of publicly stating that he had died whiles in the UK to seek medical care.

Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah subsequently issued caution to the Inspector-General of Police and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene in the matter else he will take some action.

He warned that if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia don’t intervene in the matter, he would take matters into his own hands.

“I am saying to the president of Ghana, the vice president and the IGP that if they don’t find something to tell the woman (Agradaa), I’ll not take the laws of the country into my hands but I will do something. I am telling you the truth; I swear on my life.

Prophet Obinim vs Reverend Opambour

The battle between the two in 2012 and 2013 was largely about popularity and supremacy.

Prophet Ebenezer Adarkwa Yiadom Opambour aka Prophet One, of the Ebenezer Miracle Worship Centre who had dominated the pastoral scene in Kumasi for years saw his popularity being challenged by Bishop Daniel Obinim of International God’s Way church and he did put up a fight.

During sermons at their respective churches, the two pastors fired veiled and direct shots at each other. There were even times when Obinim challenged Reverend Opambour to spiritual battles.

Though they officially have not smoked a peace pipe, they have toned down on the verbal war lately.

Reverend Obofour vs Rev Adom Kyei

Reverend Obofour, the founder and head of Anointed Palace Chapel (APC) Worldwide, in March 2023 sparked controversy by daring to reveal alleged secrets about Stephen Adom Kyei Duah, a popular Ghanaian televangelist.

The feud between the two religious leaders appears to stem from an incident where Rev Adom Kyei Duah accused Obofour of visiting his church, drinking his sobolo (a traditional Ghanaian drink made from hibiscus flowers), and requesting a loan afterwards.

Obofour has vehemently denied the allegations and accused Duah of lying to draw attention to his miracle items, which he claims is a tactic to generate income.

In a video that circulated on social media, Obofour was seen calling Duah a “liar” and questioning why, if he had drunk the sobolo, which he uses for miracles, he could have also used it on his bald head to make it grow.

“That guy is a criminal. He said I came to drink his sobolo and biscuits so he could advertise them. Don’t take it as a joke. He always wants attention to come to his miracle items. That’s how he gets the money. He is a liar; I didn’t drink any sobolo. If I took his sobolo, why doesn’t he pour it on his head so his bald hair will grow? I have watched the video. The man was boasting,” he said.

Nigel Gaisie vs Reverend Owusu Bempah

The two popular prophets were at loggerheads over their spiritual works for the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.

The beef was triggered by Reverend Owusu Bempah who described Prophet Nigel Gaisie as his ‘small boy’ following a prophecy the latter made about the winner of the 2020 elections.

Nigel Gaisie had predicted victory for John Mahama but Prophet Owusu Bempah was unhappy with it as he had prophesied victory for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Peace has however prevailed between the two after Nigel Gaisie sent Reverend Owusu Bempah a message in 2021 on his birthday.

He also came to his defense when he was arrested by the police during his war with Nana Agradaa.

Dag Heward Mills vs Larry Odonkor

There is currently a legal battle between Dag Heward-Mills, leader of the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC) and Bishop Larry Odonkor and some disgruntled former leaders of the church.

The peeved men of God claimed that they were offered raw deals by Dag Heward-Mills during their time as pastors as their SSNIT and other benefits due them were not paid.

They also claim that they sacrificed greatly for the church but earned nothing in return . The case been on trial since 2021.