The newly created Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), French, and PIWC-English in the Aflao Area have been officially inaugurated.
The inaugural ceremony, which was held on Sunday, August 13, 2023, at the PIWC-English auditorium, was officiated by the Area Head, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo.
Inaugurating the worship centres, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo explained that the concept of PIWC is a special ministry of The Church of Pentecost dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of persons who are exposed to or more comfortable with the ‘Western form of worship,’ as well as persons who are considered “elite” in society.
In a brief sermon on the topic, “Behold, I will do a new thing” Isaiah 43:18-19, Apostle Brefo admonished Christians not to dwell on past experiences but be sensitive to the new moves of God in their generation.
He explained further that people who dwell on the past become slaves to their past.
He recounted how the majority of the Israelites got stuck in the desert and couldn’t get to the Promised Land due to their murmuring and backward mindset.
This, according to him, is because when God, through the leadership of Moses, delivered them from their Egyptian bondage, they were excited on the way through the desert, but they began to complain about their past, claiming that they were better off when they were in Egypt. These, among other forms of grumbling and disobedience to God, were the reasons why they spent 40 years in the wilderness.
Apostle Agyen Brefo advised Christians to take lessons from the failures of the Israelites and do their best to avoid the negative tendencies that cause people to dwell on the past, even though God has prepared new dimensions of blessings for them.
“It is very important that all of us will reposition ourselves very well so that we will be the vehicles that God will use to do new things he is about to bring into his church,” he stated.
“Make yourself available. Do not dwell on past glories. It is normal to complain about the past and forget about the new things that are springing up. If, however, you want to make progress or maximum impact in your life, you have to get up and strategize about the way forward,” he stressed.
Apostle Agyen explained further that even though the Apostle Paul made a lot of inroads in ministry, he still did his best not to dwell on past victories but rather pressed on toward the mark of which Christ Jesus had called him, Philippians 3:13-14.
He emphasised that the forbears of the Aflao Area have set the tone for the present generation. It is imperative that this generation will take hold of the baton, push harder, and possess the people of the land for Christ.
Apostle Agyen encouraged the members of the worship centres to take advantage of the opportunities the establishment of the worship centres will bring to the Church of Pentecost Aflao Area and seize them.
“This is because the Aflao municipality, which shares a boundary with neighboring Togo, a Francophone nation, is a hub for trade and commercial activities, with Ewe, English, and French as the predominant languages spoken by the people. It is imperative, therefore, for the Church to create an environment where the gospel of Jesus Christ would be preached to every people group, no matter their languages. The creation of the PIWC English and French Centres is, therefore, very timely and strategic,” he said.
Giving a brief history about the worship centres, Pastor Jeremie Atakpa, the Resident Minister for PIWC-French, stated that the centres initially began as a PIWC/French District in September 2020 during the leadership of Apostle Peter K. Dzemekey (the then Aflao Area Head) with Pastor Herbert Fiifi Anobil as the first District Minister.
However, in the year 2023, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo, in consultation with the Chairman and leadership of the Church, saw the need to split the District into French and English worship centres with respective Resident Ministers manning the oars.
This is due to the immense growth the PIWC/French District had experienced within the past three years and also the necessary impact the church will make on the French and English speaking people within the Aflao municipality.
In attendance were a cross-section of the pastorate and their wives in the Area, officers, and family members, among others.
Report by Pastor Francis Lamptey (Aflao Area Reporter).