🔹 Summary of Key Facts
- Assemblies of God, Ghana, has banned its ministers from using honorary doctorate titles in official and public engagements.
- The directive follows a resolution passed by the Executive Presbytery in May 2024.
- Pastors must refrain from presenting themselves as “Dr.” if their degree is honorary, regardless of the institution.
- Ministers with academic qualifications must verify them with GTEC before recognition.
- Defaulters risk disciplinary action, including suspension.
- General Superintendent Stephen Wengam previously stopped using “Dr.” after receiving an honorary title, setting an example.
- The directive ties into Ghana’s wider debate on questionable academic titles, including the ongoing case involving Deputy Health Minister Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, who is contesting GTEC’s challenge of her professorial claim.
The Assemblies of God, Ghana, has taken a bold step to restore integrity in ministry by instructing all its pastors to stop using honorary doctorate titles.
In a circular issued on July 11, church leadership said the decision was backed by a resolution passed by the Executive Presbytery in May 2024. The move also reflects the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) mandate to regulate the recognition and use of academic titles across the country.
Under the new directive, ministers who have received honorary doctorates—whether from accredited or non-accredited institutions—are not permitted to introduce themselves with the title “Dr.”. Instead, pastors with genuine academic qualifications, from bachelor’s degrees to PhDs, must first submit their certificates to GTEC for verification before those credentials can be acknowledged by the church.
The Assemblies of God further warned that pastors who ignore the instruction or disregard GTEC’s regulations will face disciplinary sanctions, including possible suspension.
To reinforce the point, the church highlighted the example of its General Superintendent, Rev. Stephen Wengam. Though conferred with an honorary doctorate, Wengam publicly dropped the title, stating he would not use “Dr.” in official settings. Leaders encouraged other ministers to follow his example as a show of transparency and accountability.
This directive comes amid growing national scrutiny of academic titles. GTEC has recently tightened its oversight, raising questions over individuals who claim professorships or doctorates from questionable institutions. The latest case involves Deputy Health Minister and Essikado-Ketan MP, Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah. The Commission demanded proof of her professorial status, asking her to submit documents by August 11, 2025.
Her legal team, however, has pushed back, stating she was legitimately appointed an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah in the United States. They also argued that GTEC has no authority over foreign academic appointments and threatened legal action if the Commission does not retract its letter within 14 days.
By publicly supporting GTEC’s stance, Assemblies of God has positioned itself as an ally in curbing the misuse of honorary titles—aiming to ensure that both spiritual and academic leadership remain credible in the eyes of the public.
Source: NewsandVibes.com
