Sankofaonline Staff Writer
Across Ghanaian communities at home and abroad, funerals are sacred. They are moments of collective grief, cultural duty, and deep respect for the departed. Yet a troubling practice, one that many families have whispered about for years, has now erupted into public debate after social media influencer Freda Yayra Amable posted a video condemning what she describes as a quiet but persistent exploitation by some churches.
In her video, Ms. Amable did not mince words. She called out the practice where churches take the first collection at funerals, often the largest portion of donations,before the bereaved family is even given the chance to receive support from mourners. According to her, this is not tradition, not protocol, not spiritual stewardship. It is stealing.
Her message struck a nerve because it echoed what many families have long felt but rarely voiced: that at the very moment when grief is rawest and financial burdens are heaviest, some churches place themselves between mourners and the family, siphoning off funds under the guise of “church collection.”
The most disturbing part, as Ms. Amable explained, is the element of deception. Mourners, unaware that the first collection goes entirely to the church, give generously, believing they are supporting the grieving family. Only after the basket has gone around once are they informed that a second collection will now be taken for the family. By then, much of what they intended to give is already gone.
Families, already overwhelmed by funeral expenses, are left with the scraps.
Several individuals interviewed at recent funerals echoed the same sentiment: this practice is not only unethical, it is a deliberate strategy by some churches to profit from the deaths of their own members. One mourner described it as “a well‑designed plot to enrich the church at the expense of the grieving.” Another called it “a betrayal of trust.”
Funerals, by their very nature, are costly. Coffins, venues, transportation, burial fees, food, and cultural obligations place enormous financial strain on families. Collections at funerals were originally meant to ease that burden, not deepen it. They were meant to honor the dead, not enrich institutions or individuals for that matter.
Yet in some congregations, the church insists on taking the first offering, sometimes even announcing it with pride, while the family, who has borne every cost, waits for whatever remains.
This is not compassion.
This is not ministry.
This is not service to the bereaved.
It is a distortion of the very values the church claims to uphold.
Communities are now calling for transparency, fairness, and a return to the true purpose of funeral collections: supporting the family of the deceased. Many argue that if a church wishes to take an offering, it should be done after the family has been supported, or clearly announced in advance so mourners can make informed decisions.
What is clear is that the silence around this issue has been broken. Ms. Amable’s video has ignited a conversation long overdue, and families across the diaspora are demanding accountability.
Funerals are moments of vulnerability. They should never be moments of exploitation.
The church is meant to be a refuge, not a revenue stream. And when grieving families must compete with the very institution entrusted with their spiritual care, something fundamental has gone wrong.
The call is simple:
Let compassion lead.
Let transparency guide.
Let the dead be honored, not used.
And let families, already carrying the weight of a loss, receive the support that rightfully belongs to them.
