The Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of Christian Action Faith Ministries, Nicholas Duncan-Williams has admonished couples, particularly the men, not to follow his example and divorce their spouses.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams and his first wife, ‘Mama’ Francisca, in 2007 walked out of their 26-year-old marriage due to what the Bishop said were “irreconcilable differences as the source in his divorce pleadings”.
The Papa, as he known to his over 20,000 congregants in April 2008 married Rosa Whitaker, the CEO and President of the Whitaker Group, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy specializing in trade and investment in Africa.
Attempts to settle the divorce proceedings out of court failed, with murky details of the marriage playing out in the media glare and the US-based elder children of the couple joining the fight against their mother, whom they accused of mistreating their father and being the source of their marital problems.
In a letter read to the congregation in 2006, Bishop Duncan-William said “the challenges in my marriage are personal and shall remain private for the sake of our children and loved” noting however that “the decision on my part was not taken in a haste without years of prayer, best efforts and Christian counselling”. Seven years on, Duncan-Williams, however, maintained he still believed in the sanctity of marriage.
He was speaking on a rare occasion where he made comments about his own marital issues, when the crew of the Super Morning Show on Joy FM transmitted from the Church’s headquarters on the Spintex Road, Accra, Monday, November 3, 2014.
“I believe what the scriptures say about marriage, divorce and remarriage,” he upheld.
He advised couples contemplating divorce to carefully think through it before they decide to walk out because, “it is very complicated” especially in marriages where children are also involved.
He opined that should also not mean that anybody suffering any form of abuse in such situation should remain in it.
“This thing about divorce is not that simple…and that is not to say that if you are in an abuse situation you have to stay in it and die.
“I don’t want my situation to give anybody to a license to die or to go and divorce their spouse…It’s not that simple, it’s very complicated,” he stated. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy |jerry.mordy@myjoyonline.com
