Posts in category: Church News

The Agona Swedru Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Derek Mireku, has dedicated the Asikuma Central Assembly church building in the Breman Asikuma District of the Church to the glory of God.

The edifice was dedicated at a well-patronized ceremony held at the church premises on Sunday, July 17, 2022. The event was attended by past and present ministers of the district, namely; Pastor Emmanuel Assah Awuku (Breman Asikuma District Minister) and Pastor Reuben Mensah Adrakpanya (Rtd.), as well as Odeefuo Amoakwa (President, Central Regional House of Chiefs) and the pastorate in the Asikuma zone.

Speaking on the topic, “Dwelling In The Secret Place Of The Most High” with Psalm 91 as scripture reference, Apostle Mireku stressed the need for everyone to serve the Most High God.

According to him, God continues to assert His lordship by protecting and providing for the needs of His children in every calamity and difficult situations.

“Jehovah provides us with shelter and food and has power to confront every enemy. Indeed, Jehovah is the Lord our God,” he said.

He, therefore, called on believers to always desire to spend quality time in the Lord’s presence at all times.

In a brief remark at the event, Pastor Adrakpanya, who initiated the building project in 1996 during his tenure as District Minister, was full of praise and thanked God for granting him the opportunity to witness the glorious state of the building.

He also paid glowing tributes posthumously to Odeefuo Amoakwa Boadu VII, the then Omanhene of Breman Asikuma Traditional Area, and the late Deaconess Sarah Afenyi, a former Swedru Area Assistant Women Ministry Leader for donating the land on which the building is situated to the church in 1988.

According to him, the late Chief helped to secure the land when it became apparent that the community wanted to forcefully take it from the Church.

He also commended subsequent ministers who took over from him, especially Pastor Emmanuel Assah Awuku and his wife, for their maximum effort in ensuring the completion of the project.

The beautiful edifice, which is valued at GHC 462,757.00, was funded through grants from The Church of Pentecost Headquarters as well as support from the International Missions directorate, Agona Swedru Area, Breman Asikuma District, local offering and contributions from other areas (Suhum, Tarkwa and Teshie Nungua) and benevolent individuals.

Pastor Assah Awuku, Deaconess Prof. Alice Mensah and Mrs. Elizabeth Ofori were also acknowledged for their massive financial contributions towards the project.

PENTECOST NEWS

All is set for the maiden edition of All-Ministers’ Conference 2022, which is being hosted by The Church of Pentecost.

Over the years, The Church of Pentecost has sponsored worldwide conferences for its clergy. This year, however, the church will organise the maiden All-Ministers’ Conference, at which Ministers from other Christian denominations in Ghana will participate.

During the conference, all mysteries and heavenly methods for practising effective and sustainable ministry in a new way, expanding membership growth, and other mind-blowing tactics would be revealed.

The event, which is slated for September 13-16, 2022, would be held at the Pentecost Conventions Centre at Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana under the theme:  “Rediscovering and Fulfilling the Purpose of the Church.”

“The objective of the conference is to share fellowship with other pastors across the nation,” a statement issued by the Planning Committee has stated.

According to the Planning Committee, the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on the church have presented church leaders with insurmountable hurdles to handle. Nonetheless, the Planning Committee emphasised that fresh possibilities and ways exist for the church to explore in order to advance God’s kingdom.

How to Register

Registration fee goes for GHS 400.00.  All ministers in The Church of Pentecost and other denominations, who wish to participate in this historic event are encouraged to register online through an approved registration link below.

Registration link: https://www.allministersconference.com

Payment Methods

1. Pay at any of The Church of Pentecost (COP) Area Offices and upload the receipt when filling out the form.
2. Use the shortcode *887*2074# and upload a screenshot of the receipt.
3. Pay online through https://www.allministersconference.com/

The Pentecost University (PU) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates of (PENSA) organised a five-day evangelism outreach at the Mamobi township and its environs. 

The event, which took place from July 12 to 17, 2022, is an annual soul-winning initiative of PENSA-PU held at the end of the second semester of the academic year. This year’s outreach was held under the theme: “If the Son set you free…” (John 8:35).

The PENSA-PU team, led by their president, Elder Richard Mbelembote, was received on arrival at the Salem Assembly church auditorium by the Mamobi District Minister, Pastor Dennis James Osei-Asibey. He commended their passion for soul winning and prayed with them for a successful outreach.

Elder Mbelembote, in an exposition on the theme, indicated that there is total freedom for anyone who accepts Christ Jesus as Lord and personal Savior and is ready to become like Him. 

“Man’s independence does not bring total freedom, but there is total freedom for an ind­­­ividual that accepts to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ,” he stressed. 

The PENSA-PU Vice President, Elder Gideon Bonney, also asserted that no matter how powerful and strong an individual is, it takes the saving grace of God for them to lead a victorious life.

At the end of the five-day event, 117 persons gave their lives to Christ and many others received instant healing of various ailments to the glory of God.

The “Mamobi Outreach” has, indeed, sparked a fresh revival, love and joy among the members of the Mamobi District.

Report by Knack Pent Editorial Board PENSA-PU

The 2021/22 batch of ministerial students were on Friday, July 15, 2022, commissioned into the full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost on probation at a commissioning service held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.

The students, comprising 115 Ghanaians and 12 others from nine different countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Gambia, India, Cape Verde and Madagascar), have successfully completed the first phase of a ministerial formation course at the School of Theology Mission and Leadership (STML) at the Pentecost University (PU).

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in a brief address, urged the newly-commissioned ministers not to be dismayed by the uncertainty of the future because the Lord has already gone ahead of them to their respective stations.

He assured them that the Lord is with them even as they depart for the field, hence they are destined for exploits, saying: “This may be your best gift to your generation. Therefore, be the catalyst that facilitates the agenda of God in the world as we possess the nations together.”

Apostle Nyamekye further stated that the church would continue to invest heavily in training ministers to adequately equip them to deal with the challenges of the times.

“The world is becoming more complex by the day, and we need to train ministers to be equally complex to deal with these complexities,” he said.

The Chairman also urged church members to pray for the new ministers and support them in every way possible to succeed in ministry.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Apostle Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, commended the newly-commissioned ministers for the hard work during the preliminary training of their theological education.

He also lauded their contribution towards the success of some of the university’s activities. 

“You were exceptional in the Pentecost University student recruitment exercises in our churches and the communities. Not only that, your contribution towards the success of the PU offering and The Church of Pentecost Chairman’s Education Foundation (COPCEF) was also great!” he said.

The Head of the Department of Ministerial Formation, STML, Apostle Dr. Samuel Ofori, in a short sermonette, said that as ministers, they have been enlisted in the army of God and given the mandate to protect the flock from the enemy.

Alluding to various Bible references, he mentioned the flesh, the world and the devil as the three principal enemies that ministers must guard themselves and the members against.

He, therefore, urged newly-commissioned ministers to defend the Christian faith at all times, protect the flock entrusted to their care and redeem captives from bondage.

The event was attended by some Executive Council members of the Church, namely Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe (International Missions Director), Apostle Samuel Osei Asante (Koforidua Area Head), Apostle Dr. Dela Quampah (Ho Area Head), Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh (Director, Pentecost Men’s Ministry) and Prophet David Kankam Beditor (Ashaiman Area Head).

Pastor Prof. William Otoo Ellis (Chairman, PU Council), Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Anim (Pro-Vice Chancellor, PU and STML Director), Most Rev. Aboagye Mensah (Head of Research, STML), Apostle Dr. Christian Tsekpoe (Head, Department of Missions, STML), Rev. Dr. Justice Arthur (Head, Department of Theology, STML), Rev. Dr. Victor Zizer (Head, Department of Ministerial Formation, STML) and other staff of the university were also in attendance.

Also present to witness the commissioning ceremony were officers, ministers and wives within and outside the church as well as relatives and friends who had come to support the newly-commissioned ministers.

Joining the service via Zoom, Apostle Dr. Elorm Donkor, the Principal of the Birmingham Christian College, UK, and Apostle Dr Mbanyane Mhango, Principal of the Pentecost Bible Seminary, USA, also conveyed fraternal greetings and congratulatory messages to PU and the newly-commissioned ministers, respectively.

The commissioning service was formally held to recognise and affirm the call of new ministerial entrants into the full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost as they prepare to commence field-work. 

The event, however, did not mark an end of their training but the completion of the first phase of a four-year Bachelor of Theology programme designed to provide them with a grounding in Biblical and Theological Studies and associated disciplines.

PENTECOST NEWS.

Christian singles, especially women, should always look out for God-fearing persons when choosing a spouse for marriage, Mrs. Gladys Oduro, wife of the Yennyawoso District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, has advised.

Mrs. Oduro administered this piece of advice when she delivered a sermon at the climax of the New Tafo Area week celebration on Sunday, July 10, 2022, at the Yennyawoso Central Assembly auditorium. Referencing Colossians 3:18-21; Matthew 19:2-8; Malachi 2:15-16, among others, she spoke on the topic: “Causes and Effects of Divorce.”

According to her, material things, profession, and physical appearances should not be the criteria for selecting a life partner as such do not guarantee a peaceful and successful marriages.

She, therefore, charged single people to have a prescience to look beyond physical attributes of their suitors before accepting or turning down their proposals.

Mrs Oduro further noted that one reason for the institution of marriage was for couples to raise godly children. In that sense, she admonished couples not to pull apart what God has joined together because whoever divorces their spouse becomes an enemy of God as divorce defeats God’s purpose of marriage.

“God will not forgive us if we do not marry in accordance with His directives because marriage is dear to Him,” she cautioned.

Admitting to the challenges and painful nature of some happenings in marriage, Mrs. Oduro incited married couples to strive to exercise patience no matter the circumstances, stressing that “marriage is work.”

She advised the congregants against failure to obey God’s word, fantasies, unforgiveness, distant relationship, bad company, laziness and poverty as such are potential causes of divorce.

On effects of divorce, Mrs. Oduro attributed the moral decadence and social vices such as streetism, waywardness of children, drug addictions, teenage pregnancies, armed robberies, among others, to broken homes.

She, therefore, urged married and prospective couples to use means of managing marital issues to avoid incidence of broken homes for proper upbringing of their children. This, she said, could be done through prayer, God’s guidance and adequate planning, noting that all married couples living by the rules of love and submissiveness as enshrined in the scriptures can make their marital union glorious.

“Next to Christianity is good marriage,” she remarked.

She also noted that childlessness does not negate God’s original design for the family because whether or not married couples have children, God still considers them a family.

The week-long event, dubbed “Kohinta,” was held in two sessions; morning and evening. The event was organised under the general theme: “God’s Original Design For The Family” (Colossians 3:18-21) with several thematic areas exhaustively treated by various speakers.

Report by Yennyawoso District Media Team

The James Mckeown Worship Centre (JMWC) in the Dansoman Area of The Church of Pentecost has organised a special service to educate church members on personal security and other emerging threats. 

The event, dubbed “Security Sunday,” had the Deputy Commander of the Ghana Police Academy, ACP Dr. Gustav Herbert Yankson, as the resource person. 

Dr. Yankson revealed in his presentation that the main aim of the activities of terrorist groups was to cause fear and panic in the populace. 

According to him, these groups attack places of high occupancy, making the church a prime target. 

He enumerated some actions the church must undertake to improve security in and around its premises. 

He further stated that the church must procure and install CCTV cameras, designate and adequately train its security team to detect suspicious characters early and educate members on what to do during terrorist attacks. 

He also charged members not to delay to report strange people with strange characters in the church to the leadership.

Concerning personal security, ACP Dr. Yankson advised members to be moderate in showing off their possessions and locations on social media, be very observant with people in and around their environment, and inform close family members of their movements. 

He also encouraged parents to desist from sharing pictures of their children, the schools they attend and their routines on social media.

“This may give kidnappers and other potential criminals easy access to information to profile your children to harm them,” he said.

On his part, the Resident Minister, Overseer Dr. Perez Sepenu, indicated that due to the rising trends of terrorist attacks on big gathering points in neighbouring countries and churches in other jurisdictions, it was crucial to sensitise church members on how to detect early activities of terrorists.

He, therefore, stated that “Security Sunday” is a sensitisation programme to empower members to become security conscious and draw the attention of appropriate authorities when necessary. 

“The church exists not only to cater for the spiritual needs of members but also the physical needs of its members, and this sensitisation talk is one of the ways to meet the security needs of the members through knowledge empowerment,” he added.

Present at the event were Dr (Mrs) Naa Akushia Sepenu (Wife of the Resident Minister), members of the District Executive Committee, officers and members of JMWC.

Report by JMWC Media

Participants of the maiden “Singles’ Outing”, organised by the A-Lang Worship Centre of The Church of Pentecost, had the time of their lives at the Aqua Safari Resort, an eco-friendly luxury recreational facility located in the heart of Ada in the Greater-Accra Region of Ghana,

The event, a brainchild of the Resident Minister, Apostle Dr. Christian Tsekpoe, aimed at equipping young men and women in the Church on how to make productive use of single life whilst dealing with its associated challenges.

The church delegation of 24 people was led to the resort on Saturday, July 2, 2022 by the resident minister, his wife, Mrs. Olivia Tsekpoe, and Elder Isaac Danful, the Presiding Elder for the English Assembly,

After enjoying the serene and natural ambience, various indigenous and exotic tree species, beautiful landscape, ponds and aquariums, the team settled at the summer hut, where they held open discussions with the resident minister and his wife.

Apostle Dr. and Mrs. Tsekpoe, both seasoned relationship counsellors and co-authors of the book “The Power of Vows,” shared with the audience some practical life lessons to help them prepare adequately towards marriage.

Mrs Tsekpoe, in her presentation, stressed that single life is a period of self-development and empowerment through education, Christian fellowship, character formation and holistic living.

She advised the youth to have a personal encounter with God, saying: “You should be able to discern the Lord’s voice and know how to commune with Him at a personal level.” 

Quoting Proverb 20:6: “A man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” Mrs Tsekpoe urged single women to make it a habit of praying for their future husbands by using the scripture as a guide.

“Pray towards your marriage and ask God to give you a faithful and godly man as a husband,” she advised.

Dr. Christian Tsekpoe, on his part, also urged single men to pray earnestly towards their marriages using Proverbs 19:14: “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord,” as a guide.

The Resident Minister advised single people to always be on the lookout for genuine God-fearing and teachable persons when choosing a life partner.

“If the person lacks one of these qualities, you should not be in a relationship with them or even think of marrying them,” he cautioned.

He also advised Christian singles not to rush into marriage but wait on the Lord for His appointed time. He buttressed this assertion with a statement by Niall James Horan, an Irish singer, that “being single does not mean you are weak. It means you are strong enough to wait for what you deserve.”

“As singles, we should also know that marriage is meant to fulfill a mandate and not for the temporary gratification of the flesh or human desires. Marriage is for better and for worse, so as Christian singles, we ought to take our time and, with the help of God, choose the right person. We should, therefore, not be desperate to get married,” he stressed.

As part of the event, participants were treated to a variety of local and international dishes. They also engaged in various games and activities, including football, horse riding, bow and arrow, cycling and Segway riding. 

The singles’ outing was, indeed, a great success. Not only did the participants leave the resort with great lessons and fun pictures, but also beautiful memories that would stay with them forever.

Report by Grace Danful