SOCIAL

Gov't urged to deduct tithe from source to church account
The Founder and Leader of Rivers of Life International Ministry Ghana, Bishop George Nii Ayeh has appealed to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo the President of Ghana to deduct tithe offering of government workers from the office of the Accountant General and deposit it into various church accounts to help raise the revenue base of the churches.

Date Created : 11/9/2018 2:58:34 AM : Story Author : William Dei-Gyau/Ghanadistricts.com

According to Bishop George Ayeh, since government is able to deduct taxes and VAT and also help some loan facilities to deduct their loan recovery from it government workers customers through the Controller and Accountant General office, the government should also help in retrieving monies meant for tithes in their salaries and deposit it into the account of the churches they attend.

In an interview with Ghanadistricts.com at his Winneba Branch in the Efutu District in the Central Region, Bishop George Ayeh said most churches are collapsing because most workers don't pay their tithes as expected of them hence tithe payment in the church has reduced drastically rendering most churches financially handicapped.

The Leader of the Rivers of Life Ministry International revealed that, Christians today love to focus on their immediate want at the expense of the will and blessings from God.

"Christians today love to attend to their earthly wants by using the money deemed for tithe offering to provide for their wants. People only remember they need shoes, television, carpets, dresses, among others only when they are due to pay their tithe offering to God and the church to be used to develop the activities of the Church" He revealed adding that

"It is disheartening to see the amount people pay as tithe, at times you will ask yourself what at all is happening, how can a government worker pays GHC 10.00 and GHC 5.00 as tithe. How can GHC10.00 be the 10% of your salary paid you for your monthly service to the nation.

These are some of the reasons why we are complaining of problems here and there because we are not doing what is right and I believe if government listen and grants these requests will help most people to receive the grace of God in all that we do" he laments.

In his efforts to explain how to get the self-employed who are not on the government payroll pay their tithes said "We have to education, sensitize and encourage the self-employed who are not on government payroll on the need to be transparent in paying tithes".

Bishop George Nii Ayeh schooling the government on how to achieve this observed that,

"There should be a column on the forms applying for social security (SSNIT) and any other form required from employees to be recruited into the government working machinery for applicant to state the church they attend after which all churches (good standing one's) be made to submit their Bank accounts to the Controller and Accountant General office for payment of tithes at the end of every month".

He also recommend that "government workers already in the system should be ask to update their data to include the church they attend to effect these agenda".

Bishop Nii Ayeh who was not pleased with the development said "Today most churches are struggling because the tithes which is expected to be used to manage activities of the church are not worth coming, Christians now a day feel reluctant in paying tithes in the church meanwhile that is the only way we can receive the blessings of God. It is mandatory for every Christian to pay tithe which is mentioned for the then levitates now Pastors as a source of income to develop the church" he laments.

He then disclosed that, in some countries, tithes are deducted from workers bank accounts to church accounts so Ghana can do same to stop churches from collapsing.

He condemned pastors who takes monies termed as consultation fee saying "consultation fees is not biblical, you need not to charge before attending to problems of humankind, we paid nothing for the gift and grace on us so why do you charge someone for consulting you as a man of God with his problem, we received it for free so we must give it out for free".

He was quick to add "you know most Pastors especially the one man churches are doing this because the tithe offering meant to develop the church are not forth coming".

He then encouraged churches to do well in helping the needy and poor in their Churches since most of them have no one to depend on sighting his church as an example said "in my church we take offering to support the poor every month during the communion service which I think other churches must emulate that".