As Clergy Rally Behind Mahama after Humiliation
By Gifty Boateng
They came for President John Dramani Mahama. But the men of God have fired back.
In a stunning show of force, Ghana’s powerful Christian establishment has closed ranks behind the President after Lincoln University in the United States publicly yanked an honorary doctorate award from him last week. The reason? Mahama’s uncompromising stance against LGBTQI+ rights.
And the churches are not just angry. They are celebrating the snub as a badge of honour.
First out of the blocks was the Assemblies of God Church the President’s own congregation where he and his family worship. In a statement that has since gone viral, General Secretary Rev. Ernest Birikorang declared:
“From our perspective, Lincoln University’s decision does not dishonour, but rather honours President Mahama… it resonates with the biblical scenario when the apostles rejoiced because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace.”
The church spoke of “joy unconfined,” adding that their member had been “found worthy of global disdain for his ironclad stand against LGBTQ+ practices.”
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, led by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, took a more diplomatic but no less firm line. While respecting the university’s autonomy, the bishops reminded Lincoln of its deep historical ties to Ghana ties that go all the way to the nation’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, a Lincoln alumnus.
“The circumstances surrounding this decision… are deeply concerning,” the bishops said, calling for “transparency, fairness, and due regard for the dignity of individuals and nations.”
But here is the kicker: the bishops also used their statement to push Parliament. They want the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill passed now.
“We call on all relevant authorities to act with diligence and a strong sense of national responsibility in advancing this important legislative process,” the bishops declared.
The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) which represents over 260 denominations and claims to speak for more than 71% of Ghana’s Christian population – was the most defiant.
Its President, Apostle Dr Eric Nyamekye, said the GPCC stands in “total solidarity with our beloved President.”
“We remain poised to support him even when further consequential actions follow the ill-advised decision of Lincoln University.”
The GPCC said Mahama is “not a pushover for foreign influences” and expressed confidence he would steer Ghana “well away from the shores of the LGBTQI+ agenda.”
Not to be left out, a bloc of 18 Apostolic Fathers led by Bishop Dr Gideon Titi-Ofei also issued a statement commending Mahama’s “principled stance” and his commitment to the legislative process.
Every single church statement also took time to praise Mahama’s other achievement during his US trip: securing a landmark UN resolution declaring transatlantic slavery a crime against humanity and opening the door to reparations talks.
The bishops called it “a deep commitment to justice, historical redress, and global solidarity for African peoples and the diaspora.”
The Pennsylvania-based university had planned to honour Mahama on Thursday, March 26, during his visit for the UN General Assembly. But according to Ghana’s embassy in Washington, “serious opposition and pressure from within the university community” forced a reversal. The trigger: Mahama’s promise to sign the anti-LGBTQI+ bill into law once Parliament sends it to him.
His predecessor, Nana Akufo-Addo, had refused to assent to the same bill during the 8th Parliament.
Lincoln University thought it was punishing Mahama. Instead, it has handed him a political weapon.
In a country where Christianity is woven into the national fabric, the President who has sometimes struggled to fire up his base now has the entire clergy singing from his hymn sheet.
The 9th Parliament has been slow to move the bill. But with the bishops now publicly demanding action, and the Pentecostals threatening to mobilise their millions of members, the pressure is mounting.