Go, labour on while it is day,
The world’s dark night is hast’ning on;
Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away;
It is not thus that souls are won
Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice!
For toil comes rest, for exile home;
Soon shalt thou hear the Bridegroom’s voice,
The midnight peal, “Behold, I come!”
─Horatius Bonar
INTRODUCTION
The community of those who belong to the Lord is a charismatic one. The history of salvation is inundated with a plethora of instances where the power of God is tangibly felt among his people associated with the miraculous. It may seem from one angle that if the Spirit has come to abide with us most convincingly, we do not need leaders to oversee the affairs of the Church. After all, the Spirit has come forever to abide, we may reason. Albeit, a cursory appraisal of events that unfold in the history of the Church demonstrates ipso facto that we need leaders. As we should be aware, the Spirit has also bestowed human gifts to the Church to steer the Church to drink deeper in the river of God. One such leader with whom the Lord has graced the Church was Apostle Michael Kwabena Ntumy of Osramani in Ghana. He is with the Church triumphant at present. Meanwhile, his life, ministry, and work speak volumes even as he soared into heaven. He came to lead a Pentecostal church with a global influence. The philosophy and practices that define Pentecostalism, especially as practised in Africa, must be brought into conversation with M. K. Ntumy. The former can draw vital lessons from the latter in shaping Pentecostalism so that the movement would be rid of any scandalous marks. The cry concerning the Pentecostal movement has gone abroad. There have been the good and the ugly in terms of theology and practice. We must desire a Pentecostal community that shines and shines into a brighter day whilst occupying and positively transforming the various spaces in the larger society. This short essay will set out to demonstrate this connection between Pentecostalism and the life of Ntumy.
IN PRAISE OF PENTECOSTALISM
It is now an undeniable fact that Pentecostalism has carved a niche for itself as a “Third church” distinct from Catholicism and Evangelicalism, even though it is an offshoot of the latter movement. It has inherited some key ideas from evangelicalism, and one is right to assert that Pentecostal theology draws much from that of the evangelicals. While keeping some of the evangelical emphases, including but not limited to staunch belief in salvation through faith and the central role of Scripture in doctrine formulation, Pentecostalism is distinct in terms of the weight it places on the activities of the Holy Spirit. It draws attention to the pneumatic phenomena accompanied by operations in the gift of the Holy Spirit, healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues, among others.
There have been various renewal movements in different parts of the world at the turn of the 20th century. Although the American Azusa Street revival has been the most popular occurrence in the tracing of the original epicentre of the Pentecostal movement, the movement of the Spirit was indeed around the world, even prior to Azusa and indeed after Azusa.
The various strands of the Pentecostal movement have been facilitated by local revivals around the world. In its various forms, Pentecostalism includes the African Initiated Churches (AICs), Classical Pentecostalism, the Charismatic or Neo-Pentecostal churches, and the new prophetic churches. It must be indicated, however, that it is difficult to put Pentecostalism in the box. Within academia especially, the similarity in the doctrine and practices has brought the various renewal movements under the umbrella of Pentecostalism.
The Pentecostal movement testifies that the community of God’s people has always been charismatic, in which the Spirit operates in ecstatic ways among the people. By this, Pentecostalism has revived an old characteristic of how God works among people. This places Pentecostalism within the mission of God. How the various revivals happened demonstrates that the ebbing of the Spirit cannot be thwarted whatsoever. Also, the Pentecostal emphasis on the spreading of the Gospel, healing, the miraculous, and provision of relief in various forms to people who share in the vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in which he makes reference to the Spirit upon him and how that plays out in touching the world (Luke 4:18-21). Furthermore, the happenings within Pentecostalism place it as a movement that is in a continuum with the world of the New Testament. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, whether Luke wrote to discuss a charismatic theology or primarily as a chronicle of the happenings within the early Church, events within the early are strikingly similar to those of Pentecostalism. Contemporary Pentecostal churches are not alien to the Universal Church since the Day of Pentecost.
Some other features that characterise the Pentecostal movement, including frowning on racial discrimination, breaking down social stratification of society, preaching the eminence of the Parousia, and having an ecumenical instinct, among others, are leading to positive changes in various facts of society. Today, one cannot deny the contribution of the Pentecostal-type of Christianity to socio-economic development. Pentecostalism must be looked upon more in this respect. In Africa especially, this movement is fast-spreading and leading to the growth of Christianity on the continent. When people thought the Christian faith would struggle when others were of the view that “God is dead,” then came Pentecostalism to change the narrative. This age of Pentecostalism can rightly be described as a time of refreshing.
Considering how Pentecostal spirituality is enabling the rise of many self-supporting changes in Africa and how it is causing the emergence and spread of African-led churches outside Africa, especially in the West, it would play a vital role in the religious transformation of the Euro-American West. It is not far-fetched to agree with the Psalmist that “This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eye” (Psalm 118:23, KJV).
IS THAT NOT THE VOICE OF CRYING?
Sadly, the misuse of the Spirit in Pentecostalism has, arguably, posed critical challenges to the Church and society. Disturbing theologies and practices have found a field day. Some people, in the name of an encounter with the Spirit, have upset the faith of many. Owing to the emphasis placed on the workings of the Holy Spirit, which is often associated with spontaneity, irrationality, disorganisation, ecstasy, and seen as one who cannot be controlled, some aspects of Pentecostal spirituality and theology have landed the Church in some chaos. This, from where I stand, seems to be a pneumatological crisis. In this regard, people’s concept of the nature and activities of the Holy Spirit is mistaken and translates into praxis.
Many Pentecostal churches are being established every day. Most of these churches are not branches of already existing and perhaps recognised ones. This poses a challenge to the ecumenical effort even though Pentecostalism is supposed to be ecumenical in orientation. Many of the people who establish these churches do that for diverse reasons. A key reason, regrettably, is for them to make ends meet. Consequently, the teachings and practices of these Pentecostal leaders are inspired by tricks and deceptions. They claim to have the ability to do away with all kinds of suffering in the lives of their followers. Doctrines are coined to advance these practices. People who do not receive healing after prayers are often branded as sinful and faithless. The infirm, therefore, becomes all the more burdened. This line of teaching and practice is not limited to those who establish churches for ulterior motives alone. Those who may have been genuinely called to the pastoral ministry, so-called, but fail to adequately learn and be trained, join this disturbing way of leading Christian churches.
The gravitation towards irrationality within the Pentecostal faith has caused numerous setbacks in diverse forms. The sick are discouraged from seeking medical care; those who long to excel are limited to prayer and certain rituals; Christians are maltreated in the name of deliverance; people who utilise rational ways to earn their safety are branded as faithless; when one falls into diverse problems and difficulties the person may be branded as guilty of some wrongdoing; and almost every happening is associated with the activities of demons. The human factor, misfortunes, and God’s chosen way of preparing his people are swept under the carpet.
Consequently, the uproar against these unfortunate occurrences in Christianity enabled by contemporary Pentecostalism has been loud and clear. The joy that must accompany the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit has turned into a lamentation even concerning the great move of God in contemporary times. Some people think to themselves that maybe the fire of Pentecost that has been set ablaze is a strange fire so that amidst the light that this fire exults, darkness looms. Others are of the view that even Satan can cause fire to fall from heaven. Indeed, many people wonder what the future of Christianity will be like in the wake of Pentecostalism. Apostle Ntumy, a lover of God and a Pentecostal leader who had a colossal impact on Christianity in and outside Ghana shows by his life and ministry that Pentecostalism must not be mistaken for what it is not.
REMINISCING THE LIFE OF M. K. NTUMY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PENTECOSTALISM
The life and ministry of Apostle Ntumy have been characterised by many twists and turns that demonstrate that the Lord God has led him every step of the way toward what he has purposed for him. In reflecting briefly on his life, special attention will be paid to his call to the pastoral ministry, his afflictions, and his healing experiences.
After accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal Saviour at the tender age of 13, his love for the Lord bloomed. He has been contributing his part to promoting the Kingdom of God even as a young Christian. He has served in very high offices in the Church of Pentecost (CoP) even before his going into the pastoral ministry to the extent of being one of the two elders to represent his region at the General Council (the highest policy-making body of the CoP) Meetings of the CoP for two consecutive years as an Elder. With time, as he would narrate it, the leaders perceived the call of God upon his life. He had a personal conviction concerning this as well. The Lord was using him mightily in the area of evangelism. He had a great love for mission work, which eventually saw him serving in several mission areas. He excelled in the miraculous as well. Despite this, it never crossed his mind to even attempt to establish an independent church. Around the time he came into the pastoral ministry in 1984, independent Pentecostal/Charismatic churches were emerging in Ghana in leaps and bounds. He could have followed suit. Today, as indicated earlier, this phenomenon has skyrocketed. In many instances, the motives behind the establishment of these churches that are emerging every day are not genuinely the best. It is a major reason for the many scandalous actions in today’s Pentecostalism. Instead of taking a step that may pose a challenge to Christian ecumenism in Ghana, he has been one of the Christian leaders who have promoted Christian unity in Ghana considerably.
Divine healing is a heart of Pentecostalism. As a Pentecostal leader, Apostle Ntumy has preached healing considerably. He has experienced the same. As a young Christian, he was healed of diabetes. His account of how that happened demonstrates a divine touch of God. Despite his staunch Pentecostal spirituality, a cursory look at his life shows that he was very particular about his health, seeking healthcare from medical doctors when he became unwell. This manner of life did not undermine his spirituality, neither did it indicate that he was a man with a feeble faith. Indeed, if the Bible is being written today, he would be part of the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11. Pentecostal concept of health and healing as is being held by some Pentecostals, as revealed above, stands the chance of making Pentecostalism a bane of professional medical care. When people are branded as faithless or guilty of certain sins for not receiving their divine healing, this would even hurt their Christian faith as well. Whilst God can heal all sicknesses, sometimes he chooses not to. In this regard, he supplies the grace for people to go through pain and discomfort. If Pentecostals fail to recognise this, they will take very disturbing steps, as we see today, to attain healing. Many will be deceived in this respect in the name of deliverance from the evil of sickness. The experiences of Apostle Ntumy, a Pentecostal of no mean stature, calls on Pentecostals to place their spirituality of healing under the sovereign will of God to address the many scandals that the prophetic-healing ministry has been overwhelmed with.
Concerning suffering, Apostle M. K. Ntumy has set a high standard for Pentecostals to follow. If the Christian does not appreciate how God deals with his people but chooses to follow preachers who claim to have the ability to drive out all kinds of suffering from the life of people by the “power of the Holy Spirit,” they will continue to be led astray. A Pentecostal leader of the calibre of the Apostle has been through a lot of suffering and challenges, but he stood on his feet until the Lord called him into glory. Naturally, the accolade “Christian General” befits him. He has said, “The strength of your character is tested in the school of afflictions and hard knocks.” This servant of God, before and during his full-time pastoral ministry and after retirement, has been through sicknesses, wars, accidents, vilification, and paralysis. Even in paralysis, he continued to labour for the Lord as if to suggest to us in the words of Horatius Bonar that “The world’s dark night is hast’ning on; speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away . . . Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice!” Are Pentecostals willing to stand tall in their faith to shape the beliefs and practices of Pentecostalism, especially on the continent of Africa?
Whilst I draw this fleeting breathe,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for
Let me hide myself in Thee
─Augustus Toplady
Written by Elder Dr. Stephen Ofotsu Ofoe
