Church Must Reflect or Face State Intervention — Prof. Joseph Osafo Warns

A clinical psychologist and senior lecturer, Prof. Joseph Osafo, has called on churches in Ghana to undertake serious self-reflection to restore public trust, warning that failure to do so may compel the state to step in.

Speaking on Point of View on Citi FM during a discussion on the declining trust in religious leaders, Prof. Osafo said the growing public skepticism toward churches is largely self-inflicted and requires urgent internal correction.

According to him, humility and honest introspection must be the starting point for religious institutions.

“The church should have the humility for self-reflection. It should begin to judge itself and ask questions like: where have we slept, where have we made mistakes, and where have we not done well, so that corrections can be made,” he stated.

Prof. Osafo observed that many churches today are consumed by an unhealthy struggle for authority and influence, which has weakened ethical accountability within religious spaces.

He further noted that excessive reverence toward religious leaders has created an environment where followers are discouraged from critical thinking.

“There is a deep strive for authority in our churches today, coupled with excessive kowtowing to religious leaders. This is not to say we should not respect them, but it sends a message that religion denies people the ability to use their rationality,” he explained.

The psychologist stressed that this trend is particularly evident within some new-believer and charismatic churches, where unquestioned obedience is often promoted as a virtue.

Prof. Osafo cautioned that if religious institutions fail to correct these excesses internally, public pressure could justify state regulation.

“If the church fails to put its house in order, the state will inevitably have to come in,” he warned.

He concluded by urging church leaders to embrace accountability, transparency, and ethical leadership as a means of rebuilding confidence and safeguarding the moral authority of religion in Ghanaian society.