The Assemblies of God (AG), Ghana, has instructed all its ministers of the Gospel to refrain from using honorary academic titles such as “Dr” in accordance with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) regulations, which do not recognise such titles as equivalents to earned academic qualifications.
In a circular dated July 11, signed by the General Secretary of the church, Rev. Ernest Birikorang (Ph.D.), pastors were reminded of the importance of maintaining the integrity of the ministry to avoid conflicts with the regulator.
The directive clarified that pastors conferred with honorary doctorate degrees, whether from accredited or non-accredited institutions, must desist from appending the title “Dr” to their names.
The circular also urged ministers who had legitimately pursued academic programmes leading to degrees such as bachelor’s, master’s or Ph.D. to be prepared to submit their certificates to the GTEC for verification if they wanted those qualifications to be officially recognised by the church.
It warned that any pastor who flouted the directive or was in conflict with the GTEC would face suspension.
Background
The Assemblies of God directive followed a series of stern warnings issued by the GTEC regarding the misuse of academic titles in the country.
In April this year, the commission expressed concern over what it described as a growing trend of individuals parading as “Dr” or “Prof.” based on honorary awards.
The GTEC said while honorary degrees were legitimate, they were purely symbolic and did not confer academic or professional status on recipients.
According to the commission, the use of such titles misled the public and undermined the integrity of the country’s higher education system.
It stressed that only those who had earned their qualifications through academic study and research were entitled to use them.
The commission cited the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which empowers it to regulate the use of academic nomenclature, including “Doctor” and “Professor.”
Under the law, offenders face sanctions, including fines of up to 250 penalty units, imprisonment of up to one year or both.
To enforce compliance, the GTEC launched public education campaigns and warned that it may publish names of offenders and take legal action against persistent violators.
Example of leadership
In the Assemblies of God circular, Rev. Birikorang urged pastors to follow the example of the church’s General Superintendent, Rev. Stephen Wengam, who announced last year that, although an honorary doctorate had been conferred on him, he had voluntarily ceased using the title “Dr” and encouraged other ministers to do the same.
Rev. Birikorang expressed confidence that church ministers would adhere to the directive, noting that doing so would uphold the ministry’s credibility and show respect for Ghana’s education regulatory framework.
He said that, by aligning with the directives, the Assemblies of God becomes one of the first major Christian denominations in the country to formally instruct its ministers to refrain from using honorary titles.
