I Speak Through Text Messages Now – Rev. Martey

A former moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), Reverend Professor Emmanuel Martey, has described allegations making round that he has stopped commenting on national issues, as untrue.

According to him, he is still vocal except that he had changed his style of communicating on issues of national interest in the country.

Delivering a public lecture at the 140th anniversary of the Ascension congregation in Koforidua, Rev. Martey said he still speaks on national issues, but only through text messages.

“Rev. Prof Martey is still speaking but has changed the style. Those I need to communicate with them I communicate. Sometimes through text messages and a lot of things have happened because of my intervention. So I’m still speaking.

“You know the revelations, practice and procedure of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the spirit of our constitution is that the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has only one representative to speak on behalf of the church and that person is the moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana; not past moderators, but serving moderator”.

It would be recalled, Rev. Martey was very vocal about corruption and governance issues during the John Dramani Mahama administration.

However, since President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won election in 2016, he has been silent.

But in response, he said: “And for me, my understanding of leadership is that, especially the church’s setting leadership is like a relay race, when the baton is given to you, you run as fast as you could and when you get to the next person, you hand over the baton and stop running. If you hand over the baton and you continue running, anyone who does that is mad”.

Very Rev Martey admits corruption is still pervasive in Ghana, but says many clergymen are reluctant to openly speak, due to fear of verbal attacks by the guilty society.

He also alleged that some clergymen accept bribes, which comes as gifts from politicians to silence them while others refuse to speak out due to the fact that their tribes men are in power.

He said even though the bible enjoins Christians to pray for and respect political authority, it similarly charges Christians to resist authority that is disobedient to God.

He emphasized that the church must not be silent; but rather use its prophetic voice to fight for the poor and the oppressed and, nip in the bud, ills of society.

Speaking on the Theme of the Public Lecture “The Bible, Its impact on the Church and Society in Ghana”  Very Rev Prof. Martey said the Bible has positively influenced and impacted all spheres of lives including politics, arts and entertainment industry, moral standard and facilitated national development.

He, however, bemoaned Politicians who hide behind the Bible to win power but departs from the principle of the bible thereafter.