Tension In Anyinam Over Burial Of Church Leader

Tension is brewing at the headquarters of the African Faith Tabernacle Church at Anyinam, in the Atiwa East District in the Eastern Region, over who has the right to bury the late leader of the church, Superior Prophet David Nkansah.

While the extended family has claimed ownership of the body and announced plans for burial, the children of the deceased, together with the leadership of the church, insist they are the legitimate persons who can give the spiritual prophet a befitting burial.

According to the children, the widow and the leadership of the church, they are unaware of the planned burial and funeral rites being announced on some local radio stations which are expected to begin this week.

As a result, they have threatened to stop the process by every means possible, despite threats to deploy the military and the national security to the town for the burial to take place.

Osabarimaba Kwabena Boadu, the eldest son of the late Superior Prophet Nkansah, said that, the children of the late leader of the church are unaware of the intended burial and funeral rites and therefore they will not allow it to happen.

Speaking to the media, the newly-elected leader of the African Faith Tabernacle, Superior Prophet Stephen Frimpong Nkansah, explained that the church bore all the medical costs of the deceased, when he was sick.

He stated that it was the church that had the late leader flown to India three times for kidney transplant, without the support of any of his family members.

According to him, even after their leader passed away, it was the church that took him to the morgue.

However, the mortuary attendants are being threatened by some faceless security operatives to disregard the church leadership and the children to release the body to the family this week for burial, he said.

But Prophet Stephen Frimpong Nkansah said, per the constitution of the church, it is obliged to organize a befitting burial and funeral rites for the late leader, in collaboration with the family, instead of the manner the family is maneuvering to sidestep the church, as part of a grand scheme to take control of the church.

He said the church has not sanctioned the burial of the late leader and will resist any attempt to hold his funeral.

The Anyinam District Police Commander, Mahama Iddrisu, told the media that, the police have not been notified of the planned burial, but considering the security implication, they will investigate for the necessary security intervention to maintain law and order.

Because of the heightened tension, Superior Prophet Stephen Frimpong Nkansah is calling on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to intervene and install law and order.

He also called on the military high command to prevent any individual from deploying the military to Anyinam to avert a repetition of the Ashaiman brutality debacle

Impasse 

The former leader of African Faith Tabernacle Church died at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

But some family members have been litigating with the church since his demise over burial and funeral rites, as well as selection of his successor.

The dispute compelled the Atiwa East District Security Council (DISEC) to shut down the headquarters of the church, but some family members have taken over the mission house at the headquarters,popularly called Bethlehem.

The family members claimed that the late Prophet David Nkansah II had nominated his 17-year-old cousin to be ordained as the next leader of the church when he dies.

However, the Elders, Trustee and Executives debunked the family’s assertion as false, and said that they have chosen Superior Prophet Stephen Frimpong Nkansah, who was the linguist to the late Prophet David Nkansah, to be the next the leader.

The Elders, Trustees and Executives subsequently issued a statement on April 13,2022 saying that, “In the wake the demise of the late Superior Prophet David Nkansah II, the National Trustees, National Officers and the Regional Representatives of African Faith Tabernacle Church are pleased to announce the appointment of Chief Pastor Stephen Frimpong Nkansah as the acting leader of the Church, with effect from 7th April ,2022.”

The statement described Chief Pastor Stephen Frimpong Nkansah as a competent leader who has a broad and quite unique experience from both church leadership and doctrines.

He was confirmed during a national delegates election held at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region on March 11,2023 with 379 delegates from 22 regions, including La Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, London and Australia.

Superior Prophet Stephen Frimpong Nkansah polled 355 votes to beat two other contenders, namely Chief Pastor Dr. Samuel Asare Baadu and Chief Pastor Apostle James Kofi Takyi, who obtained 15 and 7 votes respectively, with two spoilt ballots.

African Faith Tabernacle Church is a renowned Ghanaian indigenous spiritual church, founded in the year 1919 by late Prophet James Kwame Nkansah, who died in 1987.

After his death, Superior Prophet David Nkansah succeeded him until his death in 2022.

The headquarters of the church are located at Anyinam in the Eastern Region.The church has over 1,000 branches both in Ghana,some West African countries and Europe.

Source: Anchorghana