A sermon by Pastor Mensa Otabil, founder of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), has set off one of the sharpest public debates among Ghanaian church leaders this year.
According to reports of the sermon at the start of November, Pastor Otabil criticised people who call themselves prophets but, in his view, lack Christian character. He was widely reported as saying that about 90 percent of Ghana’s prophets are not genuine, and as challenging true prophets to expose the false ones. The exact wording of the 90 percent remark has varied between reports.
Owusu Bempah: “needs to be put in his place”
Rev Isaac Owusu Bempah of Glorious Word Power Ministries International responded to his congregation on November 2. He accused Pastor Otabil of undermining the prophetic ministry. “He is fooling and misbehaving and needs to be put in his place,” he said.
Rev Owusu Bempah has since made several personal allegations against Pastor Otabil. Charismata News has not been able to verify them and is not repeating them.
Badu Kobi: “Prophets, sit up”
Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi of Glorious Wave Church International took a different line on Sunday, November 8. He said he did not blame Pastor Otabil, arguing that prophets had damaged their own image by attacking each other on radio and other platforms.
He said the real problems were disunity, selfishness and competition among prophets. He also defended the prophetic office, saying a prophecy that does not happen is not automatically proof that a prophet is false. “What Dr Otabil is saying is simple: Prophets, sit up,” he said.
A long-running debate
Other figures have joined in. Evangelist Kumchacha told Pastor Otabil to leave correction of prophets to prophets, according to Ghanamma. At the Catholic bishops’ assembly this week, Bishop John Opoku-Agyemang separately listed the rise of self-proclaimed prophets among the concerns facing the Church in Ghana.
Pastor Otabil and Rev Owusu Bempah have clashed publicly before, in 2017 and 2025.
Sources: GhanaWeb, 2 November 2026; GhanaWeb, 11 November 2026; Ghanamma, 3 November 2026; ACI Africa, 10 November 2026.
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Faithful Scribe is a passionate writer dedicated to exploring Christian teachings and inspiring believers to live out their faith with purpose and conviction. For more insightful articles, stay connected with Charismata News.
