PREACHING ON BUSES AND ITS ASSOCIATED WORRIES.

Have you ever wondered how convenient it feels to have a smooth ride to your destination devoid of any religious harassment?

Preaching on buses is a looming canker painting a very negative impact on society. It feels very irking to get on a commuter bus only for one loquacious preacher to get on board and bark ear-aching sermons at you. There are merely the same characteristics with these on-board preachers; they usually

spread the gospel with disregard for ones comfort. They stand on the bus, contributing to overloading, which is illegal according to the Motor Transport and Traffic Units Rules and Regulations. This hence, may call for the arrest of the driver. The sermon also distracts the driver which can lead to road accidents.

Overloading creates a lot of heat on the bus, fresh air is hardly allowed in,
to ventilate the atmosphere making commuters suffocate with sweat. Some of the heat is also generated from the mouth of the preacher and spattering saliva on the faces of commuters. In the course of the journey, these standing preachers loosing balance fall on or hit themselves against commuters especially those in front or at the extremes of the pathway leading to the back seats.

Moreover, most of these preachers are not godly-inspired. They are usually vagrants, whom have quickly found the opportunity preaching brings. Most people who beg or do other business around the stations and other busy places in wake to change their style of begging resort to preaching. Especially, these drug sellers, they usually win the attention of commuters by starting with preaching. After gaining the attention, pull out their so-called drugs that can cure almost every disease and begin to sell.

This is why the bible foretells us in Matthew 7:14(KJV) “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’ clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves”. These preachers usually start with craving the fear of Heaven and Hell into the listeners. Without even necessarily preaching salvation or getting people born-again, they always talk about their life experiences usually times when they were womanizers, alcoholists, robbers.etc, which benefits nothing to the ardent listener. Mostly, they find it difficult to read talk less of interpreting. They then preach on their mundane understanding and mention quotations haphazardly, some which do not even fit into the preaching. All they care is just to have something to say and quickly gather offertory for their “hungry stomachs”.  They are able to easily deceive, since people neither know the word nor do carry bibles around. 

One time a church elder told his congregation; he was in a mini-bus when one man hopped in to preach. He realized, the man mentioned a quotation he was very familiar with, but to his utter dismay, a wrong quote was made for the verse. He prompted the man; the man apologized and yet mentioned another wrong quotation. The elder later showed him a few quotations to use with regards to the topic he’s preaching on. Sensing all eyes on him and a bit uncomfortable; he confessed, he was a Muslim, whom converted not long to Christianity.

A Nigerian friend of mine also told me about a friend he was hustling with on the streets of Accra. Fortunately, he got a job and had to go off-town. After about two years, he came to town, only to find this same friend turned preacher. He possibly knew it was one of the tacts; the friend has deployed to make money even before he found out for himself.

 Most of these on-board preachers are they themselves not born-again and do not even attend churches yet they associate themselves with renounced churches and sadly end denting names of those churches.

Let me recount to you this last instance. A reverend minister (name withheld) from a recognized church in the country was in a bus one faithful Tuesday because; he had a mechanical fault with his car. While in the bus, he was slapped with an open prophecy by one young preacher named Atta. Atta prophesied that, this reverend minister has being married to an evil woman whom had shattered his dream for that reason at his age has no car but joins a public transport known in the Ghanaian parlance “Tro-tro”. Atta further shocked the minister by telling him, the lord has revealed to him that the actual woman that was purposed for him was residing in Germany and the only way he could meet this woman is allowing him(Atta) perform some concoctions for him. The reverend minister was aged and smart in thought, so he played along. He asked where Atta worships and he coincidentally mentioned a branch of the same ministers’ church. The minister was a bit startled as to how a member of his church could engage in such mischief. He asked of certain leaders in the branch, Atta claimed to be attending; he couldn’t mention any. They later exchanged contacts; he called Atta and invited him to one of the main branches in Accra. He directed Atta to his office, Atta was very shocked and as any rational being must take to his heel or confess. He still stood by his tricks and a panel of clergymen was paraded in front of him, he yet again prophesied that one of the female pastors needed a spiritual bath.

The whole church ground turned rioty as the young men in the church grabbed and wanted to beat him up. They later threatened to take him to the Police station, that was when he confessed to be using preaching as a means of making earns.

In spite of that, these preachers are just heartless and intolerant. I’ve sat in three separate buses and heard these unscrupulous men abandon the work of God and incredibly insulted and cursed people who heckled them. These men do not have love. Yet, we all know, God is love. How can you worship God or even share his word if you don’t have love?

WATCH OUT FOR PART TWO!!!