Some Church members of Emmanuel Congregations of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Koforidua Anlo Town in the Eastern regional capital are alleging that they are being harassed to pay tithes.
According to them, Leadership of the Church has been bombarding them with phone calls demanding payments of their tithes, a move they are not happy about arguing that leadership of the local assembly seems to be forcing them to pay tithes while Church is under lock over coronavirus pandemic.
Government of Ghana on March 15, 2020, banned all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities, and other related events as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.
President Nana Akufo-Addo in a national address said the ban was to last for four weeks but was recently extended.
Ghana has recorded 1042 confirmed cases of coronavirus with nine deaths.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo on Sunday lifted the three weeks partial lockdown imposed on Greater Accra Region and Greater Kumasi, but a ban on public gatherings including Church activities is still in force.
However, the assumption of many Christians in Ghana is that, once they are not going to Church, there is no need to pay tithes.
There have been diverse theories and believes in the relevance of payment of tithes in contemporary Christianity. Historically, Payment of tithe was an obligatory offering from the Law of Moses requiring ten percent of an Israelite’s first fruits. Because God provided the harvest, this first part was returned to Him.
It was to remind the Israelites that all things we have belong to God therefore It was a show of thankfulness for his provision. Tithes also provided for the Levitical priesthood, festivals, and the needy.
Many Christians believe, God was and still is serious about tithing, to the point that even nonpayment of the tithe is criminalized as a form of robbery and theft as stated in Malachi 3:8-9 that, “‘Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me! ’But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
