The Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) in Konongo in the Ashanti Region has made a significant contribution to mission work with the donation of two brand new Hadjin Motorbikes and two Rechargeable Speakers to the International Missions Office.
The items, valued at GHS 28,400, was made on Thursday, May 2, 2024, on the sidelines of the 18th Session of the Extraordinary Council Meeting of The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.
The Walewale and Wa Areas in Ghana are set to receive the motorbikes, while the speakers will be sent to Cameroon and Zambia.
Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, the International Missions Director (IMD), received the items on behalf of the Missions Office. He expressed his gratitude to the PIWC Konongo for their generous donation, noting that it will significantly aid missions work in the beneficiary areas and countries.
Present at the donation ceremony were Apostle Daniel Owusu-Akyaw (Konongo Area Head), Pastor Edmund Mawunyo Duvor (Resident Minister of PIWC Konongo), Pastor James Kusi (Personal Assistant to the IMD) and some officers from PIWC Konongo.
The Aflao Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo, on Friday, April 12, 2024, dedicated the Salo Central Assembly church building in the Salo District.
He was ably assisted by the District Minister, Pastor Seth Asamani Wettey and other ministers in the Aflao Area.
The building was funded through grants from the Church’s General Headquarters, the Area, District and contributions from members of the Local Assembly.
Delivering a brief exhortation at the event on the topic: “The holy things of God” based on Isaiah 38-39, Daniel 1:1-2, Daniel 5:1-11, 2 Chronicles 7:1, the Anloga District Minister, Pastor Carlmax Obeng Boadu exhorted Christians not to treat the holy things of God with contempt.
He emphasised that anything that is connected to God is holy unto him. Relating his sermon to the church of God, Pastor Carlmax stressed that since the church s the gathering place of God’s people, it is holy unto him.
“God doesn’t want the value of his house to be diminished. Christians ought to exhibit the highest level of reverence and honour to God anytime they are in his presence,” he stated.
He therefore admonished the congregants to take good care of the building.
Dedicating the building, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Church for the financial assistance.
He commended the leadership of the Salo District, the current and past District Ministers, the district presbytery and the members for the successful completion of the project.
He admonished the church to exhibit sacrificial service to the Lord so that God will use them to build a strong church.
He encouraged the members to take good care of the church building since it is God’s holy place for the gathering of the saints.
The history of Salo Central Assembly could be traced back to 1976 through aggressive evangelism spearheaded by the late Pastor V.Y. Gogo (the then Anloga District Minister) through the instrumentality of the late Apostle K. K. C. Gadzeko (then an Elder and Witness Movement leader).
At the end of the outreach, souls were won, baptised and gathered for church service the following Sunday morning.
The Assembly started in a classroom as a place of worship. After 4 years of its existence, it was relocated to the late Efo Yador’s house, where a temporary structure was erected for church services. Few years later, the newly planted assembly faced diverse kinds of trials and persecutions from a cross section of the townsfolk who saw the church as a threat to their traditional religious worship. The church structure was burnt down on two occasions (in 1979 and 1993).
By the grace of God, the church bought a piece of land from the Gapkpetor family in 1990 with a temporary structure raised on it. In 1996, the local assembly through the hard work of Elder Gabriel Logah (the then presiding Elder) raised funds to commence her permanent building project.
The local assembly together with the members embarked on communal labour and raised the structure from foundation to the lintel level. Through the hard work of Pastors Enoch Nii Akrashie (the then Anloga District Minister) and Pastor Julius Semanyor (the first District Minister of Atorkor), the building project continued to the roofing level.
However, the project stalled for 10 years due to lack of funds. During the tenure of the late Apostle Blessed Bonney (Rtd.), the Area released Headquarters grant of GH¢14,000.00 for the roofing of the building. This therefore paved way for the laying of foundation stone which was held on March 12, 2011. Pastor Inusah Aturi (the then District Minister for Atorkor) also continued with the building project during his tenure.
In 2019, the Salo District was carved out of Atorkor with Pastor Seth Asamani Wettey stationed as the first District Minister. Through the gracious hand of God as well as the financial support from the Area and the diligence of the District and the local assembly, the project has been completed and dedicated.
Report by Pastor Francis Lamptey (Aflao Area Reporter)
The Ho Technical University (HTU) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) organised a five-day rural evangelism outreach at Heleglokope community within the Agorve-Woe District of the Church of Pentecost.
The event, which took place from Wednesday 24 to Sunday 28, April 2024 is an annual soul-winning initiative of PENSA-HTU held at the end of the second semester of the academic year. This year’s outreach was held under the theme “Jesus Christ, the Light of the World” (John 8:12).
The PENSA-HTU team, led by the ITI Travelling Secretary for Lower Volta, Pastor Edgar Kwasi Karikari and wife, Mrs. Bridget Karikari and the Pensa President, Elder Benjamin Antwi was received on arrival at Heleglokope by the Agorve-Woe District Minister, Pastor Francis Lamptey. He commended their passion for soul winning and prayed with them for a successful outreach.
The outreach was characterised by the following activities: Open air rally in the evenings, house to house evangelism during the day and Morning Prayer sessions with the members of the Ashiata sub-zone and the outreach team at Ashiata Church building.
At the end of the five-day event, 46 souls were won with 45 of the converts baptised by immersion. Thirty eight (38) of the converts received the Holy Spirit baptism.
The team also donated 10 plastic chairs and other freebies to the members of the newly inaugurated Assembly. Pastor Francis Lamptey offered great appreciation to the team for their kind gesture. He assured them that intensive discipleship programs will be rolled out to conserve the harvest and also ground the new converts in the Lord.
The Kasoa CP District of The Church of Pentecost has donated an 8.5kVA generator and a pair of professional audio systems worth GH₵39,550.00 to the Dedesawirako District in the Effiduase Area of the Church.
The donation was necessitated by erratic electricity supply, which hampers effective open-air activities in most parts of the Dedesawirako District. The Kasoa CP district also donated two hair dryers, a hair wash basin, and four pieces of clothing to the district.
Elder Maxwell Abalo (Presiding Elder), together with District Missions Committee Chairman, Elder Solomon Abbey, and other officers of the assembly, handed over the items to the Area for onward presentation to the Dedesawirako District.
Subsequently, Pastor David Obuobi Ayisi presented the donation to the Dedesawirako District Minister, Overseer Francis Samuel Fraban, and his wife, Mrs. Princilla Fraban. Pastor David Obuobi Ayisi was supported by the Area Secretary, Pastor Joseph Kwame Aryeetey, the Area Missions Committee Chairman, Pastor Isaac Deku, and the Kasoa CP District Minister, Pastor George Kwasi Timinca, and his wife, Mrs. Joyce Timinca.
Pastor David Obuobi Ayisi admonished the Dedesawirako District to put the items to judicious use and ensure the adequate maintenance of the same.
In response, Overseer Francis Samuel Fraban expressed joy at the donation and assured that the items will help alleviate a myriad of challenges within the district.
Overseer Fraban seized the opportunity to bless members of the McKeown Assembly of the Kasoa CP District, who donated GH₵35,250.00 out of the total amount.
The Asesewa District in the Agormanya Area of The Church of Pentecost has generously donated a 3500-litre PolyTank valued at GHC 4,550.00 to Asesewa Senior High School (ASSEC).
The donation was made to address the critical issue of water storage that had been affecting both students and staff at the school. The facility was officially presented to the school by the District Minister, Pastor Isaac Gyebi Owusu, during the climax of a three-day programme, dubbed “Transformation Conference,” organised by the Church for the students and staff from April 26 to 28, 2024.
The conference, themed “Transformation through the Power of the Holy Ghost,” featured morning, afternoon, and evening sessions and focused on word ministration, deliverance, impartation, and counseling.
The impact of the Transformation Conference was profound, with many students experiencing life-changing breakthroughs, healings, and miracles. Some were delivered from hearing impairments, vision problems, and olfactory difficulties, among others.
The programme ended on Sunday, April 28, 2024, with a special service. To the glory of God, 104 students surrendered their lives to Christ during the three-day period, which recorded an average attendance of 1,074 individuals, including staff and first-year Form 1 and 2 students of the school.
The Headmaster, along with other school officials, gratefully received the donation on behalf of the school. He expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Church for their timely intervention in resolving the significant challenge of water scarcity and storage at the school.
The leadership of The Church of Pentecost has honoured people who have served the church in various capacities at the national level.
The Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, presented certificates of service and other packages to the reviewed officers during the opening ceremony of the 18th Session of the Extraordinary Council Meeting, held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
The reviewed officers include Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, currently Ashaiman Area Head, who served as the General Secretary of the church for 10 years.
Reviewed Executive Council Members were also appreciated. They were Apostle Ousmane Patinde Zabre (National Head of Burkina Faso, who served for 15 years), Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi (Cape Coast Area Head), Apostle Dr Daniel Okyere Walker (Tarkwa Area Head), and Prophet David Kankam Beditor (Obuasi Area Head), all serving on the Executive Council for five years, respectively.
Other people who were appreciated were Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko (former Finance and Administration Director at the Headquarters) and Apostle Samuel Otu Appiah (former Chairman of the Estate and Development Committee), who served for three and four years, respectively.
From Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM) National Executive Committee (NEC), Elder Dr Ebenezer Asamoah Nyarko (former Deputy Director, who served for eight years) and Pastor Bernard Azizu Mohammed Abogorago, currently Wa Area Head, who also served on the NEC for three years, were appreciated.
Pastor Michael Peasah of Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Bolga, was honoured for serving on the Youth Ministry National Executive Committee for a year.
At the same event, Apostle Dr Christian Tsekpoe (former Chairman of the Home and Urban Ministry – HUM), and other NEC members of HUM namely, Apostle Patrick Aseyoro (Suhum Area Head), Elder Lawyer Oladele Kwaku Aribike and Elder Kabore Jonas, were all honoured for serving in that capacity for four years, respectively.
All the reviewed national officers were presented with certificates of service and other packages.
In a remarkable display of community-driven development, various assemblies, districts, areas, and nations under The Church of Pentecost undertook a series of impactful initiatives to uplift the lives of people in their respective communities.
These interventions, which were taken across Ghana and other nations across the world, showcased the church’s unwavering commitment to grassroots development.
The Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, disclosed this in his State-of-the-Church Address (SOCA) delivered at the opening ceremony of the 18th Session of the Extraordinary Council Meetings at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region on Wednesday.
According to the Chairman, the interventions which covered a variety of socio-economic spheres of life included the constructing and commissioning of an ultramodern Children’s Ward at the Kade Government Hospital, costing GH¢ 370,642.55.
The Ashaiman Area in the Greater Accra Region also gave the Ashaiman Police Barracks a facelift by painting the entire building for GH¢30,000.00, and also supported the Akuse Prisons with GH¢5,000.00 to commence renovation works.
For employment and economic growth, the Adansi District in the Assin Foso Area completed and commissioned a Coconut Oil factory for the Adansi Atwereboana community, costing GH¢95,000.00.
Across various districts, the church has undertaken numerous infrastructure projects, including the construction of boreholes, bus stop shelters, drainage systems, and information centres, he pointed out.
The church’s community development efforts extend beyond Ghana’s borders. Various districts in the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada, supported charity organisations with food and clothes donations to be given to the homeless and persons in care homes.
He added that in Guinea Bissau, the church collaborated with the medical team from the Ghana Armed Forces of the ECOWAS Stabilisation Force, to organise Free Medical Screenings for church members and the surrounding communities in the West African country.
African countries like Guinea Bissau, Kenya and Nigeria benefited from the church’s educational development projects where several schools have been constructed in those countries.
The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has revealed that the church will continue to provide facilities to alleviate the plight of people in communities. He made this announcement during the presentation of the State of the Church Address (SOCA) at the opening session of the 18th Extraordinary Council Meeting at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) in Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa.
Apostle Nyamekye stated that the church has already provided many such facilities over the years under the Community Safe Water Improvement Project. In 2023 alone, the project drilled and mechanised 30 boreholes across 10 mission areas in Ghana.
The drilling and mechanisation of these boreholes, undertaken through the Church’s social services wing, Pentecost Social Services, are located at Tamale, Yendi, Walewale, Hohoe, Wa, Sawla, Kete Krachi, Konongo, Atebubu, and Kintampo. These areas are all underserved communities with institutions and mission houses lacking access to potable drinking water.
According to the Chairman, over the past five years (2019 – 2023), the Church has cumulatively provided 193 water facilities to deprived communities, institutions such as schools, prisons, police stations, and health facilities, as well as mission houses in Ghana. These facilities serve over 100,000 people around these communities.
The Chairman expressed delight at the Church’s contribution to societal transformation, emphasising that the church’s relevance lies not only in providing spiritual guidance and relief to people but also in ensuring their holistic well-being and that of the environment in which they live. He stressed the importance of quality of life while serving God.
It is worth noting that The Church of Pentecost continues to make significant investments in the areas of health, education, employment, social amenities, environmental cleanliness, and more as part of its social and civic mandate to transform the world with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.
The Church of Pentecost continues to grow by leaps and bounds as new persons are daily won for Christ through the church.
As of December 2023, the church, which is one of the leading classical Pentecostal churches in the world, has a total membership of 3,864,355 in Ghana alone, representing a growth of 7.4% of the previous figure, resulting in a total membership of 4,534,644 worldwide.
‘This represents a significant proportion of the 2023 estimated Ghanaian population of 34,121,985, with the Church’s membership accounting for 11.3%’.
The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who doubles as the President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), disclosed this during his State-of-the-Church Address (SOCA) at the opening ceremony of the 18th Extraordinary Council Meeting at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, on Wednesday, May 1, 2028.
Apostle Nyamekye was full of praise to God and acknowledged the grace of God upon the church that has pushed it to remarkable progress. He urged the church populace to continue to galvanise efforts to ensure that numerical growth is translated into transformed people at all spheres.
The Chairman was also grateful to the clergy, laity and the entire membership of the church for their individual and corporate efforts at ensuring the church continues to grow in leaps and bounds to the glory of God. He observed that the efforts of the members and the leadings of the Holy Spirit are pivotal in ensuring growth and relevance of the church in society.
Apostle Nyamekye called on the members to work at daily maturity in Christ and live lives worthy of emulation to be practical examples of the gospel they preach.
‘Our sincere prayer is that our growing numbers will continue to contribute to the realisation of our mandate to transform every sphere of society with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God as we unleash the whole church for this purpose,’ he concluded, adding, ‘We humbly attribute this growth to the grace of God.’
The Church of Pentecost is making strides in providing quality theological education for its ministers, laity, and the Christian community. From the operations of its higher educational institutions, the church aims to better equip them for their mandate to possess the nations.
The Church believes that spirituality, coupled with marked scholarship, is crucial in meeting the diverse needs of its members. In a time when new Christian expressions and growth are needed to address emerging world orders and solve real-life global challenges, this emphasis on education is paramount.
Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, highlighted the Pentecost University, the Birmingham Christian College (BCC) in the UK, the Pentecost Biblical Seminary (PBS) in the USA, and the Pentecost Francophone Theological Bible School (PFTBS) in La Cote D’Ivoire as leading institutions in providing quality theological education. These institutions promote cross-cultural learning and offer global perspectives to enrich students’ educational experiences.
To enhance their reputation and expand the scope of accredited curriculum/programs, the Chairman disclosed that the Conseil des Instituts Théologiques d’Afrique Francophone (Council of Theological Institutes of Francophone Africa) has initiated the accreditation process for PFTBS.
He also announced that PBS, the training centre for clergy, lay leaders, and members of the Church in North and South America, has obtained an operating license from the NJ Board of Education (OSHE) and an “Applicant Status” from the Accreditation Board of Higher Education (ABHE), with a final approval expected after a campus visit scheduled for August 2024.
Moreover, he mentioned that Birmingham Christian College in the UK has been officially registered by the Office for Students (OfS) in the United Kingdom, representing a significant milestone and enhancement to the college’s reputation.
