The winner of the 2021 edition of Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB) pageant, Benedicta Sarfoa Asamoah, today, paid a courtesy call on the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, at the Church’s General Headquarters in Accra.
According to the newly crowned queen, the visit was to thank God for the great victory chalked and express her heartfelt gratitude to the leadership and the entire church membership for the tremendous support she received before and during the 14-week period of the competition.
Sarfoa, as she is widely known, was in the company of her parents, Apostle Victor Asamoah, the Afram Plains Area Head of the church, and his wife, Rebecca.
Addressing the Chairman, Sarfoa said, among other things, she owed her victory to the training, teachings and doctrines that were imbibed in her as a member of the Church. This, she said, helped her to hold on to her Christian values throughout the competition.
She explained that, as a church member, she desired to contribute her quota to the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda of the Church (Vision 2023) and, for this reason, she always prayed to God for the opportunity to do so. She later identified the beauty pageant as an area of interest and consulted her parents and church leaders to counsel her on its propriety for Christians.
“After making the needed background checks, we realised that GMB was different because, unlike the others, it aimed at promoting Ghanaian cultures and values,” she said.
Sarfoa further stated that her decision to embark on the prisons project, which she describes as scripturally based (Hebrews 13:3), was also fueled by her desire to contribute to the five-year vision of the church (Vision 2023). She is, therefore, looking to collaborate with the Church in the quest to promote the welfare of prisoners and the less marginalised in society.
In response, the Chairman congratulated the GMB queen on her great win and for making The Church of Pentecost proud. He revealed that he was keenly interested in the competition because of Sarfoa and was rooting for her to emerge victorious. He was, therefore, grateful to God for her victory.
Apostle Nyamekye advised her to use her capacity to effect the needed changes in her sphere to change the face of pageantry in the country by promoting the cultural values and beauty of the Ghanaian people, and not for advertising nudity and other unchristian virtues like other beauty contests.
“The purpose of the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda is to change spheres. So, we want to enter every sphere and effect change. We pray that you become an inspiration to many people, especially those in The Church of Pentecost; as young people who are poised to possess the nations,” he said.
Apostle Nyamekye also commended Sarfoa for nursing the desire to be part of the church’s agenda, which, according to him, has led to the Lord granting her this space (capacity) to contribute to the vision.
“It is my prayer that this spirit would catch up with every youth of the Church so that everyone would understand that the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda is what happens outside the Church, so we need to get involved in every sphere of society and change the place,” he added.
The Chairman lauded her management team and all the people who contributed in diverse ways towards the victory. He also commended TV3 for organising the programme and encouraged the media station to champion more of such educative programmes.
Touching on the prisons project of the Church, Apostle Nyamekye said that he was happy that she has decided to come on board and for throwing more light on the project to the audiences of the show.
“Through your education, a lot of people who did not understand why the Church should undertake the prisons project have now come to understand it. Because of you, more young people now appreciate the project, and we want to thank you for that. You are a great ambassador of The Church of Pentecost,” he said.
The Afram Plains Area Head, in turn, revealed that when his daughter first told him about her desire to participate in the competition, he was a bit disturbed because he did not know whether it would be appropriate for a Christian to participate in such a contest. But after consulting, the Chairman, Apostle Nyamekye, consented, saying that, “it was in line with the Church’s vision.”
Apostle Asamoah was, therefore, grateful to the Chairman for giving his daughter the blessing to participate in the competition and supporting her to win the ultimate, adding: ‘A glorious church knows no defeat.’
The proud father was also grateful to the Youth Director, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, Apostle Prof. Peter Ohene Kyei (Rtd.) and his wife, Dr. Abigail Kyei, as well as Mrs. Christiana Asiedu and her husband, Elder Victor Asiedu, for the timely support, counsel, and encouragement.
The brief meeting had in attendance the General Secretary (GS), Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, the International Missions Director (IMD), Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, and the Evangelism Ministry Director, Apostle Dr. Amos Jimmy Markins.
Others present were some members of Headquarters Management, including Pastors Benedict Eghan (Personal Assistant to the Chairman), Felix Okyere Anti (Admin. Secretary to the GS), Frank Amoah (Admin. Secretary to the GS), Dr. Felix Dela Klutse (Media Ministry Pastor) and Pastor Kwasi Asante Annor (General Manager, Pent TV).
Benedicta Sarfoa Asamoah fellowships with the Pentecost International Worship Centre, Atomic (PIWC-Atomic) in the Haatso Area of the Church.
Sarfoa, who represented the Ashanti Region in this year’s GMB, beat competition from 15 others to win the ultimate prize package comprising the queen’s crown, GH¢10,000 cash and a brand new 4X4 car from MG Auto Ghana Limited.
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