The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
At Accra’s Neoplan bus station, the sound of worship fills the air before the morning rush, as a small group of Christians gather in prayer, preparing to spread their message aboard vehicles carrying passengers across Ghana.
Amid drumming and dancing, Boateng Bismark James leads 13 fellow worshippers — nine men and four women — in prayer for drivers and travellers heading to destinations throughout the country.
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Ghana, a predominantly Christian nation, has long been home to the widespread practice of preaching on public transport. On long-distance buses, pastors are a familiar sight — and sound — often standing near the driver or walking the aisle, Bible in hand, urging passengers to repent, sometimes for the duration of an entire journey. Passengers occasionally offer money to support these preachers’ efforts.
However, a newly enforced law threatens to put an end to this tradition. Under the regulation, anyone caught preaching inside public service vehicles now risks up to eight months in prison, a fine of up to $52 (£39), or both.
Passed by parliament in May and increasingly enforced in recent weeks, the law targets both preaching and hawking aboard moving vehicles, classifying the practices as a nuisance and citing passenger safety and comfort as justification.
Boateng, a 61-year-old pastor at Gospel Light Church, has preached on commercial vehicles departing from Neoplan station since 2023. Speaking to the BBC in Twi, he explained that not everyone can attend church on Sundays, so he sees his bus ministry as a way to reach people with a message of salvation — and even to pray for healing among passengers.
Dressed in a clerical collar, Boateng moves between loading buses before boarding one headed to Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city. The BBC spoke with him before departure to avoid any legal violation. Aboard the bus, reactions to his preaching vary — some passengers listen attentively, while others scroll their phones or chat, seemingly indifferent. Boateng says many travellers have responded positively, with some telling him they’d never heard certain biblical messages explained so clearly before.
The new rules have sparked mixed reactions. Critics argue that preaching on moving vehicles poses a safety risk by distracting drivers and creates discomfort for passengers, while supporters maintain that evangelism is a core Christian duty deserving protection under religious freedom.
One woman, who asked to be identified only as Chery Lokko, said she values peace while travelling and finds the preaching disruptive — citing noise and even instances of preachers unintentionally spitting on nearby passengers. A recent viral video captured a passenger angrily confronting a preacher attempting to board a minibus, demanding he get off.
Still, in a country regarded as one of the most religious in the world, many view bus evangelism as a vital way to reach people who might not otherwise attend church. Bernice Nartey, a passenger travelling to Kumasi, said she believes pastors should be allowed to preach — but only with the consent of passengers — noting that such messages can offer comfort and renewed hope to those going through difficult times.
Boateng admits he was unsettled by the new law and is hoping for an exemption for religious preachers, explaining that many pastors rely on the monetary gifts from passengers to support their families. He suggested a compromise where preachers could continue their ministry until the bus exits Accra.
For Boateng, preaching is more than a religious calling — it’s also a critical source of income that has helped fund his children’s education, including his youngest child’s recent university graduation.
Ghana’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, though such rights remain subject to public safety considerations. Preaching on commercial buses was first banned in Ghana back in 2012, carrying a penalty of up to 30 days in prison, but weak enforcement allowed the practice to persist, particularly on long-distance routes. The newly strengthened law significantly raises the stakes for violators. Preachers using megaphones at lorry parks and markets, however, remain unaffected by the ban.
The Christian Council of Ghana did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment, but Rev Enoch Paul Hayes, a senior pastor at the International Central Gospel Church — one of Ghana’s largest churches — said he does not believe the new rules infringe on religious freedom. He has urged fellow pastors to comply with the law and explore alternative platforms, such as social media, to continue spreading their message to large audiences.
For Boateng and other bus preachers, the new regulation presents a difficult choice: adapt their ministry, give up a vital source of income, or risk running afoul of the law.
