The Avoeme District in the Aflao Area of The Church of Pentecost has donated items worth CFA 211,000 (GHC 5,300.00) to the Boumonga District, an external branch of the Church in Togo.
The donation was presented by a four-member delegation from Avoeme District, led by the District Minister, Pastor Daniel T. Gyan Henanaopeh.
The items, comprising suits, t-shirts, dresses, shoes, 24 pieces of brand-new clothes, wristwatches, and numerous used clothes, were received by Pastor Paul Kinanssoa Sambiani, the Boumonga District Minister, on behalf of the district.
During the brief presentation, Pastor Henanaopeh stated that this “act of kindness is part of the church’s quest to support missions work in her zeal to possess the nations for Christ.”
Elder Peter Tetegah, the National Deacon of the Church in Togo, who represented the National Head, expressed gratitude to the team for their demonstration of love and asked for God’s blessings upon the church.
Pastor Paul Sambiani, filled with mixed emotions, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to God and the team.
The presentation was also witnessed by Pastor Jeremie Atakpa (PIWC-French), Deaconess Josephine Ocloo (Avoeme District), Deaconess Hellen Sambiani (Avoeme District), and Mr. Promise Dotsey (Avoeme District).
Report by Pastor Francis Lamptey (Aflao Area Reporter)
The Mannheim District of The Church of Pentecost in Germany held a day’s conference for all singles and youth in the district on Saturday, 29th June 2024, in Freiburg.
The event, which was the first of its kind, focused on “Singles’ Issues & Thoughts; Taking Some of the Blur Out of Dating and Finding Mr. or Mrs. Right.”
Speaking at the conference, Deaconess Mercy Opoku, the District Assistant Women’s Ministry Leader, advised singles to solely depend on God in their singleness and to allow God to work on them. This, she said, would help them to be fully prepared and ready for marriage because long-term singleness brings fear and anxiety into one’s life.
“In your singleness, stay connected with God, trust in Him, and He will direct your paths,” she added.
Deaconess Opoku encouraged singles to be committed to God and serve Him diligently. She further advised them to commit their ways to the Lord and tell Him what they need, and not just look at the outward appearance.
“Don’t only look at the outward features, but pray to God to prepare you for your partner and your partner for you,” she reiterated.
As part of the conference, a panel discussion session was held to answer and discuss questions asked by participants during the conference.
Present at the conference were P/Overseer Andrews Asamoah-Boakye (District Minister), his wife, Mrs. Colleta Asamoah-Boakye, and Elder George Agyebeng, former Presiding Elder of PIWC Mannheim. They also served as panelists for the panel discussion.
The Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost in the Netherlands embarked on an educational excursion to the Parliament House in Den Haag.
The event, which took place on Monday, July 8, 2024, involved a youth delegation of selected individuals and executives from the ministry, accompanied by leaders, including Overseer Albert Amoah Tenkorang, the National Youth Ministry Leader.
The group received a warm welcome from Hon. Don Ceder, a member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands and a prominent lawyer affiliated with the Christian Union Political Party.
Hon. Don Ceder provided the delegation with an engaging overview of the Dutch political system, introducing the various political parties and assessing the group’s knowledge of Dutch politics.
He shared his personal journey into politics, emphasizing his commitment to Christian values, which motivated his political career.
During the interactions, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts on several pertinent issues.
Topics discussed included immigration, education, LGBTQ rights, abortion, housing in the Netherlands, and the challenges of learning Dutch as a foreigner.
Hon. Don Ceder addressed each question comprehensively, sharing insights into the Christian Union Party’s stance and actions on these matters.
He acknowledged the controversial nature of issues such as LGBTQ rights, abortion, and drugs, which often provoke heated debates in parliament.
Hon. Don Ceder further elaborated on the Christian Union Party’s efforts and the obstacles they face. Despite occupying only three seats in parliament, the party remains committed to advocating for Christian values and making a positive impact on society.
He encouraged the youth to develop an interest in politics, highlighting the importance of having Christians in political roles to influence decisions that align with their faith.
This call to action echoed Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”
The meeting concluded with a prayer by Overseer Albert Tenkorang, followed by a ceremonial presentation to Hon. Don Ceder.
The event ended on a joyful note with networking, socialization, and group/individual photographs capturing the memorable occasion.
This event was not only an educational experience but also an inspiring one, encouraging the youth to engage with political matters and consider the impact they can make as future leaders.
The visit to the Parliament House provided valuable insights into the Dutch political system and underscored the importance of integrating faith with public service.
The wife of the Dansoman Area Head of The Church of Pentecost and a longtime missionary, Mrs Rebecca Sey, has advised wives of missionaries to recognise that they are partners with their husbands in missions and ministry.
She admonished them not to seek to overshadow their husbands because they are not in any form of completion, but rather work together as partners with the aim of winning souls for Christ.
Mrs Sey gave this admonition when sharing practical insights and lessons learned from her experiences as a missionary’s wife during the 2024 Missions Orientation held at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, from July 8-12, 2024.
According to the wife of the Dansoman Area Head of the church, although ministers’ wives may not hold official titles, their ministry is an integral part of their husband’s work. She encouraged wives to be supportive, submissive, and to serve as spiritual pillars and warriors behind their husbands’ ministry.
She likened missionaries to ambassadors and diplomats, sent to represent God and their churches with the mandate of preaching the gospel and working towards the salvation of souls. She stressed that being called as a missionary is a great honour, as Jesus Christ himself was the first and greatest missionary.
She cautioned against exploiting the missions’ journey for personal gain, urging them to serve faithfully.
Addressing the challenges that missionaries face, Mrs Sey reminded them that God will never forsake them, as promised in Matthew 8:18.
Mrs Sey emphasised the need for wives of missionaries to be encouragers, showing maturity in the face of challenges. She advised them to develop a sacrificial heart, be visionary partners, and maintain humility, diplomacy, and a teachable spirit.
Acknowledging the challenges missionaries face, including financial constraints, missing family, and cultural and language barriers, Mrs Rebecca Sey encouraged wives to stand firm in their faith and not force their husbands to compromise their values.
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University (PU), Apostle Prof. Kwabena Agyapong Kodua, has challenged churches to be active in the anticipation of future trends and prepare for them.
Apostle Prof. Kodua said this at the 2024 Missions Orientation held at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, for newly called missionaries of The Church of Pentecost.
‘By 2028, the world will be technologically advanced. AI and technology will have changed the future,’ the VC declared.
He added: ‘More electrical and driverless cars will be seen in the streets; education will take a different form, with schools in the cloud, digital healthcare, e-businesses, digital law, and a host of online activity will increase.’
In his presentation, Apostle Prof. Kodua stated that these technological developments are not without their attendant challenges.
‘Top scientists are making some pronouncements which are quite worrying,’ he said, cautioning against potential ethical and societal issues that could arise. He, however, reminded believers that God has not lost control of His world.
Warning that family lifestyles would become complex and a struggle between human rights and godly principles would intensify, Apostle Prof. Kodua forewarned: ‘This may assume uncontrollable heights.’
Reflecting on the church’s journey, the Vice Chancellor lauded current efforts at embracing technology and social media through the creation of an e-church, saying, ‘The general attitude of the church towards technological advancement, characterised by the creation of an e-church and increasing its visibility on social media, is quite commendable.’
He also touched on the church’s programmes relating to marriage and family life, as well as those relating to care for the environment.
Apostle Prof. Kodua said the church has added ‘Marriage and Family Life’ to its tenets and launched ‘Environmental Care Campaign’ projects to tackle environmental challenges.
He said that despite the successes in soul conversion, there was a need to empower believers for the engagement and transformation of the different systems within society.
‘If a system is bad, whatever a believer will do, they are more likely to fall or compromise. If you do not seek to change the system, the system will change you,’ he cautioned.
Concluding his presentation, Apostle Prof. Kodua called on all believers to be spirit-filled, with knowledge of God’s word, of current systems, and wisdom.
The United Kingdom National Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Lord Elorm-Donkor, has admonished newly commissioned ministers of the church to follow Jesus throughout their ministerial journey to finish successfully.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Follow To Finish Well,’at the Commissioning Service organised for newly trained ministers held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, on Friday, July 12, 2024, the UK National Head indicated that whenever there is a task to be performed, there will always be the question of ‘how am I going to finish?’ This, he indicated, is not different from the call to the full-time ministry.
He, however, admonished them to know that they have not called themselves into ministry but Jesus Christ who has called them and, therefore, they need to follow Him. He stressed that so long as they obey the voice of Christ and follow Him, He will grant them the grace to do the work and finish well.
He explained that following Jesus who has called them into ministry requires them to trust and obey, adding that it is very simple but many times it is very difficult to do it.
‘Many times, we say we are following Jesus, but we don’t obey His every instruction,’ he said.
To succeed in ministry, he charged the newly commissioned ministers to trust the church in which they have been called and its practices. According to him, the leadership of the church have carefully, with the help of the Holy Spirit, interpreted scriptures to guide ministers for a successful ministerial life and so they should follow and abide by the church’s constitutions and ministerial practices.
He also informed the ministers that following involves humility, which has to do with accepting who they are in God and depicting themselves as such and not allowing anything make them raise their shoulders high.
Apostle Dr Lord Elorm-Donkor admonished the ministers to always have its in mind that it is not always about their achievements in ministry but about how they were able to follow Jesus to make such achievements.
A total of 118 ministerial students out of which 106 are from Ghana and 12 from the external branches were commissioned after completing their training from the Pentecost School of Theology and Missions.
The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on Friday, July 12, 2024, commissioned into the full-time ministry 118 men who have accepted the call of God and have completed their ministerial formation from the Pentecost School of Theology and Missions of the Pentecost University.
Out of the 118 ministers who have been commissioned with their wives, 106 of them are from Ghana while 12 are from the external branches outside Ghana.
At a commissioning service held at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, the Chairman reminded them of the requirements of their calling and administered the oath of office to them.
Advising the newly commissioned ministers, Apostle Nyamekye told them that acceptance of the office of the overseer places upon them many responsibilities such as preaching the Word of God in season and out of season, baptizing new converts by immersions, and discharging any other duties assigned to them by their Area/National heads and the Head Office.
He also asked them to remember that they are being commissioned at a time when the whole church is being unleashed to transform their world and, so they must have a renewed commitment to Christ through reaching out to many with the gospel and have their presence felt beyond the church walls to the marketplaces, offices and all spheres of society for transformation.
He called on Area and National Heads to take particular interest in the new ministers, guide and train them with their experiences, while admonishing the districts and local assemblies to accept them, pray for them and support them to succeed.
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong Kodua, expressed gratitude to all lecturers and faculty members of Pentecost School of Theology and Missions for the in-depth training they have given to the students whom he described as God’s gift to the communities that God has decided to dispatch them.
He admonished them to have Jesus as their model and look up to only Him and yearn for His grace.
Ministers who have been called into the missions’ field were also prayed for and encouraged to do the work with God as their help.
The Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM), Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, has urged churches to deliberately invest in digital media for the purposes of evangelism.
Speaking on the topic, ‘The Church and Missions in a Digital World,’ Apostle Anane Denteh who is an Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost, urged church leaders to purchase digital media gadgets and train persons on the digital media space to successfully conduct missions work on that space.
He indicated that with over 5 billion people living in the digital space, missionaries need to be strategic in getting the gospel to them.
He stated: ‘The digital space is a place where many people in the world now live, and God is interested in them. Hence, missionaries must be interested in their souls.’
He highlighted how digital media helps missionaries minister to people in hard-to-reach areas simultaneously.
Apostle Denteh also spoke about the need to understand the whole concept of the digital world, how it operates and how to penetrate there with the gospel.
According to him, the Church’s vision to be a global church, includes the sharing of the gospel to people in the digital space and planting churches there. To achieve this, he proposed a ‘Church Digital Missionary Model,’ where every Christian with a digital device is called to share the gospel in the virtual realm.
‘The church must orient all such persons with the basic steps of evangelism so they can pick it up,’ he stressed.
The PEMEM Director mentioned that while some emerging technologies like AI may be perceived as ‘threats’ to Christianity, the Church must seize these innovations and transform them for the advancement of the Kingdom.
He noted that social media is a crucial mission field, emphasising the need for intentional engagement with Christian bloggers to push the Church’s contents and put together persons with various expertise within a variety of fields to effectively manage their digital media presence.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Dr Emmanuel Anim, has advised missionaries to always carry along the Gospel message, which is the main task of a Christian.
According to him, missionaries are not self-appointed but sent with a divine message.
‘You have been called and sent, but you are not going on your own accord but with a message. Your goal is to communicate effectively the message you have been sent with,” he stated.
Apostle Dr Anim revealed this when speaking on the topic, ‘Biblical Perspective on Mission’ during the second day of the 2024 Mission Orientation currently underway at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh.
The Pro-Vice Chancellor noted that the entire Bible is the foundation for the mandate of mission, saying, ‘Through Christ and the people of God, who are Abraham’s spiritual children, we have a responsibility to all mankind to be stewards of God’s creation.’
Citing Genesis 12:1-3, he urged Christians to recognise their calling, much like Abraham did.
He also referred to Jonah as a reluctant missionary whose story reflects human limitations and desires in seeking to accomplish God’s mission.
‘Often God does not think like us. Jonah wanted his enemies to be punished because of historical experiences. He saw Yahweh as the God of Israel and not God of their enemies,’ he noted.
Drawing from Matthew 28:19, he cited the imperative of the Great Commission, stressing that Christians are sent out to change systems with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.
Missionaries, according to Apostle Dr Anim, must lead people to recognise the Lordship of Christ.
He referenced Acts 10:15-16 where Apostle Peter struggled but eventually accepted and obeyed God’s directive to welcome Gentiles into his home.
‘The missionary challenge you will have to deal with is gospel and culture. Culture is dynamic, but you must understand where people are at a particular time. At the heart of every culture is a worldview, which shapes our future,’ Apostle Dr Anim explained.
He likened culture to an iceberg, with observable aspects and hidden depths that can only be suspected or imagined.
‘The principle of love must be in operation; do not exploit the people. Mission is about the transformation of people and cultures in the light of God’s word,’ he concluded.
The Head of Ministerial Formation and Training at the Pentecost School of Theology and Mission (PSTM), Pentecost University, Apostle Dr Christian Tsekpoe, has stressed the critical importance of intergenerational missions in fulfilling the Great Commission.
Presenting a paper on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, during the 2024 Missions Orientation for newly called missionaries of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Tsekpoe drew some lessons from Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 and explained that Jesus’ vision for the gospel was not to be confined to Jerusalem, but to spread to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth – encompassing all generations to come.
He lamented that while the church in Africa is experiencing vibrant growth, the church in the West has lost much of its former vibrancy. He warned that this shift is a deviation from God’s original mandate, which is for the gospel to be spread and not for it to move from one point to another.
He indicated that there is a need to consider all persons, both old and young in the missions work. This, he explained, is because they both play roles that are significant from each other.
He emphasised the critical role of the Holy Spirit in maintaining the gains of the church and called for a deliberate, intentional approach to intergenerational missions.
The Resident Minister for A-Lang Worship Centre challenged the church to not cling to outdated practices, but to adapt to the needs of the younger generation. He urged the church to encourage intergenerational services, where children and youth are given meaningful roles and opportunities to participate fully alongside the adults like ushering, protocol, choirs, leading worship, and even preaching.
For that to be possible, he suggested that intentionality and consistency is required. He cautioned against separating the young from the adults, as this can make them feel unimportant.
Apsotle Dr Tsekpoe also emphasised the need to listen to the language and perspectives of the current generation rather than simply passing down the practices of the past to them. He called for a deliberate, mission-focused approach that provides opportunities for all generations to interact and collaborate.
The Pentecost University Lecturer made a clarion call for the church to embrace the vision of intergenerational missions, ensuring that the gospel continues to spread to the ends of the earth and to all generations to come.
