Is about time the church pays attention to Church Members' Psychosocial Needs.
Religious leaders, particularly church leaders, have been exhorted to focus on preaching and spiritual manifestations while also attending to members' psychological needs.
Dr. Ebenezer Tetteh Kpalam, a clinical psychologist who provided the advice, decried the lack of attention to congregants' psychological needs, even though many of them were religious and in need of assistance.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema, Dr. Kpalam, who is also a pastor at the Church of Pentecost, issued the advice in response to an increase in complaints of domestic violence resulting in the deaths of some victims.
"It is the churches' job to prepare the leaders to do more than preach and develop the spiritual needs of the people; it is good to accompany them in prayer but encourage them to seek professional treatment," he added.
He stated that church members must be educated to understand that violence against them is not acceptable and that they must seek treatment whether they are the victim or the abuser.
He claimed that the church was failing society, stating that "God is engaged in every part of life, not just the spiritual," and that "any subject that pertains to life must be handled in the church."
He believes the church should establish a unit and make it known to the congregation and the surrounding community as a place to go for help when dealing with psychosocial issues.
He suggested that churches invite specialists to their meetings to address such concerns and educate members about the fact that discussing marital problems does not imply a lack of trust in God.
He asked the public to use caution when addressing people's psychological disorders, since doing so may discourage others from speaking out about their problems and getting treatment.