Perez Chapel International has declared a one-week fast and prayers following the controversy between the church’s founder, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare, and the chiefs and people of Nogokpo in the Volta Region.
The declaration was made on Sunday, June 4, 2023, by the Presiding Bishop of Perez Chapel International, Benjamin Ohene Aboagye.
“On the 25th of last month, during our Supernatural Empowerment Summit, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare made a statement concerning the Nogokpo issue. I think we are all aware of the issue in Ghana. It is trending on social media and other platforms. We, the Perez Council, on behalf of the Executive Council, have taken notice of all these things and this is what the Executive Council is saying. We are declaring a one-week fast from the 5th to the 11th of this month, and we expect all pastors, elders, deacons, deaconesses, and all our churches to participate in this fast for one week. We believe that God is our helper. He is our rock. He is the one we look up to. So this is the decision we have taken for now. We expect everyone [in all our branches] to take part in this fast,” he said.
The controversy surrounding Archbishop Agyinasare began on May 25, when he made a statement during a church service about the Nogokpo shrine.
In his sermon, Archbishop Agyinasare said that Nogokpo was the “demonic headquarters” of the Volta Region. He went on to make further claims against the Nogokpo deity.
The Nogokpo shrine is a popular traditional shrine in Ghana that is considered to harbour the god of justice.
The shrine’s elders were angered by Archbishop Agyinasare’s comments and summoned him to appear before them within the next 14 days or face their wrath.
Archbishop Agyinasare has since said that he did not mean to cast a slur on the people of Nogokpo.