A former Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Church International, Bishop Samuel Noi Mensah, has lamented the frequent characterisation of church leaders by some politicians.

He said the politicians fail to recognise the roles being played by Christian organisations to maintain peace and development in the country.

When they are in opposition, Bishop Noi Mensah said political leaders support the church to keep the government in check but are quick to label the same groups as anti-government when they take over leadership of the country.

Speaking in an interview on the Second Joy Christian Forum, Bishop Noi Mensah said the church will not remain silent in any public discourse for fear of being labelled, insulted and destroyed by politicians.

“Our political leaders have specialised in labelling individuals and Christian organisations, but once you know who they are, you would think about the bigger picture that is about Ghana.

“The government side can tell you without the church playing that influential role; we can’t go very far. The minority will also confirm the same, but sometimes, when you are in the minority, you would like to go to the church ask the church to speak on issues. When they become the majority, and then you speak on the same issues, then they label you and tell you to be quiet,” he said.

He observed that “it is only in Ghana’s politics where a presidential candidate speaks for the people, defend the people, share the pains and joys of the people and when he becomes a president, he develops the dead goat syndrome where he wouldn’t listen or care about the people again and would decide to do his own thing.”

“When you begin to speak, they think you are against them, but when they needed you in the minority, they wanted you to speak,” he added.

He said the church's contributions in terms of health, education, agriculture and other social services play a crucial role in the development of the country’s economy.

He added that the church’s role in protecting the social comfort of Ghanaians cannot be overemphasised.

“In this country, we don’t have a lot of social services, and it is the church that is providing that social services in the form of services. Every week somebody will go to church. The singing, the prayer and hearing the word of God bring comfort to that person.

“Otherwise, you’d end up having a lot of crazy people doing crazy things and the amount of suicide that you probably experience, especially in these critical and difficult economic times. People are stressed, people are going insane, and it takes the provision of the church in sustaining the social fibre of this society.”