The Akim Ofoase District in the Akim Oda Area of The Church of Pentecost has organised a day retreat for officers and their spouses on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Akim Ofoase Central Assembly church auditorium.
The event was the first of its kind in the district, as an invitation was extended to officers’ spouses who are not members of The Church of Pentecost.
The theme for the retreat was “The Church Leader’s Marriage” with scripture references from Genesis 2:18-25, Hebrews 13, and Matthew 19:5-6.
In his welcome address, the District Minister, Pastor Francis Kofi Gyimah, mentioned that as the church leader represents the image of the church wherever he or she goes, it, therefore, requires that the spouse of the church leader complements the ministry of the church leader.
Hence, if the marriage and family life of the church leader are jeopardised, his or her ministry as a church leader becomes questionable to the general public. In view of this, there is a supporting role of the church leader’s spouse for excellent ministry.
He also shared lessons from the Puritans’ view of marriage and how they appreciated marriage as a calling and seminary.
Pastor John Nimfah, a retired minister of the church and the main speaker for the event, shared practical marriage life experiences coupled with in-depth communication in marriage teachings.
Pastor Nimfah stated emphatically that “calling into church leadership is divine; hence one called into such an office should not trivialise the opportunity and disgrace the image of the church and God with their marriage life.”
Any Christian marriage with unsolved problems means that both couples do not understand their salvation and lack effective communication in their marriage, he stressed.
He further noted that the church leader’s marriage is a mirror for the members to emulate.
Sharing practical experience with his personal marriage life, he stated that in spite of the challenges he had as a pastor and as a husband, which were inevitable as humans, he appreciated whoever his wife was until her demise because he considered his marriage a calling from God and was determined to fulfill his ministry.
He, therefore, challenged church leaders who might be experiencing marital challenges to focus on God, their calling, and work on their marriage until death does them apart instead of resorting to divorce, which is a disgrace to the body of Christ.
“I believe God shall reward faithful marriage couples because I dreamt that I was receiving a citation in honour for my marriage,” he said.
Participants, especially those whose spouses were not members of the church, were allowed to ask questions on the presentation, and their concerns were adquately addressed.
Pastor Eric Kojo Darko, the Nkwateng District Minister, led the house in intensive prayer sessions.
In attendance were also singles and widows who are ordained officers of the church.
Due to the overall success of the marriage retreat, the District leadership has resolved to organise the event annually.
Report by Akim Ofoase District Media Team.