‘Let them arrest me’ – Nigel Gaisie vows to preach on buses despite ban

Prophet Nigel Gaisie has vowed to continue preaching the gospel on buses and lorries despite a new ban on preaching in public vehicles in Ghana.

The founder and leader of Prophetic Hill Chapel said he is prepared to face arrest as he takes the gospel to passengers on public transport.

“In the coming weeks or days, I will be on buses and lorries to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said in a social media post. “Let them come and arrest me.”

His comments come after the enforcement of a new regulation prohibiting preaching and hawking on public service vehicles while they are in motion.

The regulation was passed by Parliament in May and is intended to address activities considered a nuisance while protecting the safety and comfort of passengers.

Under the regulation, a person found preaching or hawking on a moving public service vehicle could face up to eight months in prison, a fine or both.

But Prophet Gaisie has questioned the basis for the restriction on preaching, arguing that public transport has long been one of the spaces where Christians encounter the gospel.

He described the thinking behind the restriction as “medieval and unprogressive” and questioned what harm passengers suffer when someone preaches in ‘trotro’.

“What injury does one suffer while preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in a bus or lorry. No preacher enters into the buses or lorries without the permission of the driver, so what is the point?” he said.

Beyond the ban, he used the issue to criticise what he sees as a growing reluctance among churches and religious leaders to take bold positions.

He said some Christians, including himself, were products of preaching on buses and questioned why the church should remain silent when traditional avenues for evangelism are being restricted.

“The church is quiet. Nobody wants to stand out boldly like the days of Apostle Christopher Annor Yeboah of Christ Apostolic Church again. Let everything work but not the church of Jesus Christ? SAD,” he said.

In his opinion, the debate is therefore not only about preaching on public transport but also about how far the church is willing to go to reach people with the gospel.