The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost (CoP), Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has urged clergy, officers, and members of the Church to strive to preserve the Church’s brand identity and refrain from acts that can tarnish the Church’s image and thus bring the name of God into disrepute.
“When members have grievances or concerns about the church or ministers, they should not speak ill of them, but rather channel their grievances through the established procedures to seek redress,” the General Secretary has admonished when speaking at this year’s Head Office Management & Staff Retreat today at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa.
In a presentation on the topic, “Maintaining The CoP Brand – Rules of Conducts,” Apostle Kumi-Larbi said that the Church is the household of God, redeemed and sanctified by the blood of Jesus.
“The Church is not a mere social institution, but a family of saints being trained and equipped until we all attain the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,” he stated.
He said that The CoP brands are what identify and separate the Church from others, saying, “It shapes the minds of the way of people, distinguishes and makes us unique.”
The General Secretary noted that God gave the forbearers of The Church of Pentecost a covenant which shaped its tenets, core values and rules of conducts.
“In every generation, if they don’t respect their part of the covenant, God will leave them and choose other people,” he stressed.
According to him, for the Church to fulfill its mandate of the covenant, some guidelines have been outlined to shape its members thoughts and principles of living. These, he noted, are the rules of conducts that govern the Church.
Stating the rules of conducts, Apostle Kumi-Larbi explained that they can help members to maintain the church’s brand which is highly respected at all levels.
Below are the Rules of Conduct of The Church of Pentecost:
a. Set aside a period daily for a personal quiet time in prayer and meditation on the Word (Matt. 6:6; Eph. 6:18-20).
b. Always endeavour to adequately prepare yourself through prayer and meditation before coming to the house of God (Heb. 4:15-16).
c. Be in your seat in good time before the commencement of service and participate fully in every aspect of the service.
d. Endeavour, by word and deed, to bring up your children in the fear of the LORD, and bring them with you to the house of God. Supervise and monitor the active participation of your children in Sunday School and Youth Ministry, as the case may be. Do not neglect the spiritual well-being of the other relatives and househelps under your care; they also need salvation (Gen. 18:19; Jos. 24:15; 2 Tim. 1:5,6; Prov. 22:6; Deut. 6:4-7).
e. Take the pastor as your own friend. He needs your compassion, help and advice as you also need his. Pray for him always (Heb 13;17, 18; Rom. 15:30-32; Mal 2:7).
f. Make the Church your spiritual home. Love the brethren with brotherly affection and, if you are able, contribute to the needs of the saints (Phil. verse 7; Ac. 2:46).
g. During casual conversation at home or at work, do not speak disrespectfully or disparagingly about the Church and God’s servants. Make your concerns and grievances known to the appropriate authority for explanation or redress (3 Jn. 9,10; Num. 12:12).
h. Endeavour to study the Bible diligently on your own and take it with you anytime you go to the house of God (2 Tim. 2:15; Act. 17:11; Jos. 1:8).
i. Enter reverently; pray fervently; listen attentively; give praise from a grateful heart, and worship God in the beauty of holiness (Ps. 118:27-29; Eccl. 5:1; Rom. 7:12; Jas 1:19). “Enter into His gates with thanks-giving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful unto Him and bless His name” (Ps. 100:4)
j. Marital fidelity and chastity before and during marriage are the hallmarks of a true Christian and are, therefore, strongly urged upon every child of God. Pre-marital and extra-marital relationships have no place in the Church of God; members found in such relationships should be punished by suspension and/or withdrawal from fellowship (1Cor. 5; Heb. 13:4).
k. In your business, endeavour to make all your dealings and transactions Bible based, honest and transparent (Prov. 16:8; 21:6; 22:13,16; Jer. 17:11; 22:13). A true child of God should not deal in items known to be detrimental to the spiritual, mental and physical health of others, e.g., alcohol, cigarettes and narcotic drugs.
PENTECOST NEWS
