The Assemblies of God Ghana has directed its pastors not to use honorary doctorate titles in their names during official and public engagements or face suspension.
The decision, given to ministers via a circular dated July 11, originates from a resolution passed by the church’s Executive Presbytery at its May 2024 meeting.
The leadership stated that the decision was in accordance with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission’s (GTEC) laws governing academic qualification recognition.
According to the instructions, pastors who have received honorary doctorates from approved or unaccredited universities are not permitted to use the title “Dr.”
Furthermore, ministers with legitimate academic degrees, such as a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD, have been asked to submit their credentials to GTEC for authentication before they may be officially recognised.
The Assemblies of God also warned that ministers who ignore the mandate or violate GTEC’s criteria would face disciplinary action, including suspension from office.
To provide an example, the church mentioned its General Superintendent, Rev. Stephen Wengam, who said last year that, despite receiving an honorary degree, he no longer uses the title “Dr.” Leaders urged other pastors to follow his lead in maintaining honesty in ministry.
The announcement comes as GTEC ramps up its enforcement efforts against academic title misuse. The most recent case includes Deputy Health Minister and Essikado-Ketan MP, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, who has been cautioned by the Commission for using the title “Professor.”
In a letter to the Chief of Staff, GTEC ordered that she provide verifiable evidence of her professorial appointment by August 11, 2025. Her lawyers, lead by David K. Ametefe, responded on August 8, claiming that she was duly appointed Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Utah in the United States. They claimed that GTEC lacked the jurisdiction to review foreign selections and criticised the Commission’s move as unreasonable.
The legal team further stated that if GTEC does not withdraw their letter within 14 days, they will pursue redress in court via certiorari, mandamus, and declaratory relief to protect their client’s reputation.
