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Salem Assembly Women’s Ministry Donates To Nsawam Female Prison

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Inmates of the Nsawam Female Prison were elated by a donation made by the Women’s Ministry of Salem Assembly in the New Achimota District of The Church of Pentecost last Saturday.

The gesture was part of the ministry’s activities marking the recently-held National Women’s Week Celebration.

The items, which included Bibles (English and Twi), toiletries, sanitary pads, assorted drinks, washing powder, bags of rice, gallons of oil, gari, packs of bottled water and bags of sachet water, were presented to the prison by Mrs. Eunice Kissi Agyekum (Wife of the District Pastor) and Deaconess Mary Paddy (District Women’s Ministry Leader)

Receiving the donation on behalf of the inmates, Mr. Frank Nana Ankomah, the Officer-in-Charge of the prison, expressed gratitude to the leadership and members of The Church of Pentecost for their generosity and continuous support to the prisons service.

Other members of the delegation were Elder Isaac Quansah (Presiding Elder, Salem Assembly), Elder Michael Darko (Youth Ministry Leader, Salem Assembly), Deacon Ernest Donkor (Evangelism Ministry Leader, Salem Assembly), Deaconess Dorothy Nsiah (Women’s Ministry Leader, Salem Assembly) and Deaconess Paulina Quansah (Wife of the Presiding Elder).

The inmates were very thrilled by the visit and commended the Church for their concern for welfare of prisoners.

Report by Deacon Stephen Nana Opoku

The Church of Pentecost Leadership Meets Honest Taxi Driver

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The Leadership of The Church of Pentecost has met with Kwesi Ackon, the honest taxi driver and member of the church, who returned the huge money he found in his car to its owner. 

The General Secretary of the church, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on behalf of the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on Thursday, May 12, 2022, met Kwesi Ackon, the man of the moment, together with his wife, Francisca and his social media influencer, Roberta Maanaa Quaye aka Empress Baako Pe, a midwife by profession who has become Kwesi’s manager.

Present at the meeting were the Finance and Administration Director of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko; the La Area Head of the church, Apostle John Osei Amaniampong, and Pastor Bright Kojo Addae, the Kokomlemle District Pastor of the church, where Kwesi Ackon and his wife fellowship.

The General Secretary congratulated the taxi driver for living the Christian virtues of honesty and integrity. He encouraged him to maintain his integrity. He was so glad that there were people of integrity in society who continue to live Christlike life in the midst of a corrupt world.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi said that the church will soon announce some good package for the taxi driver as a way of motivating him to do more and also encourage others to do same.

“What you have done is not just for The Church of Pentecost but for the entire Christiandom. We are gratified that you have lived by the Word of God,” the General Secretary stated.

The La Area Head of the Church, Apostle John Osei Amaniampong, on behalf of the Area, donated GHS 5,000.00 to the taxi driver, while the Kokomlemle District of the church also added GHS 1,000.00 to it.

The church’s ultimate reward for Kwesi Ackon will be announced by the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in the coming days.

The news of Kwesi Ackon, a taxi driver, went viral early this week after he returned an amount of GHS 8,400.00 he found at the back of his car to the owner. He picked the trader, an old fishmonger, from the Mallam Atta Market in Accra to her residence at Teshie on Easter Saturday.

The old woman who had no hope of retrieving the said money wept profusely and invoked the blessings of God upon Kwesi Ackon when he voluntarily traced her at her residence on Easter Sunday to return the money to her. This act by the taxi driver which was captured on video went viral courtesy of Empress One and subsequently caught the attention of the Vice President of the Republic, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who donated GHS20,000.00 to him. Several other persons who were touched by the gesture by the taxi driver have since donated several amounts to him.

PENTECOST NEWS.

sasas

Adankwame District Donates Motor Tricycle To Dambai Lakeside District

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The Adankwame District in the Suame Area of The Church of Pentecost has donated a brand-new motor tricycle to Dambai Lakeside District in Nkwanta Area. 

The motor tricycle, worth GH¢ 13,400.00, was presented to Pastor John Nyarko Akyirem (the Dambai Lakeside District Minister) at a brief ceremony on May 6, 2022. Among those present at the event were the Dambai Lakeside District Executive Committee members.

Receiving the tricycle, Pastor Akyirem expressed profound gratitude to God for meeting the district’s urgent need through the Adankwame District.

He also thanked Pastor Kamal Kwakye (Adankwame District Minister), the District Executive Committee, and the entire membership of the Adankwame District for their kind gesture and prayed for open heavens for the district. 

He also promised to use the tricycle for its intended purpose and adopt a very high maintenance culture.

Report by Overseer Albert Adu-Gyamfi (Nkwanta Area Media Pastor)

Faith Or Doubt? Gleanings From The “Doubting Thomas”

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Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16, New International Version)

Thomas Didymus, was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Although all of the Gospels mention Thomas (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15), it’s only the Gospel of John that records any of Thomas’ words. Three places in the Gospel of John was he referred to as Thomas Didymus (John 11:16, 20:24, 21:2). His two names are actually one and the same. Thomas comes from the Hebrew (or Aramaic) and means “the twin”. Didymus is from the Greek and means “the twin.” He is thus widely believed to be born a twin. Although he is popularly known as “the doubting Thomas”, nowhere in scripture was he referred to as such; He was tagged as such in one moment of weakness. He was unfortunate to suffer the curse of the “bad news syndrome”, whereby bad news sells more than the good ones. Although He was involved in other exceptional moments that revealed some mysteries about our Lord Jesus Christ and his relationship with God the father, these ones are easily forgotten. Labels are difficult to change once they are engraved on a person, especially when it is negative. In her article, “The dangers of labelling people”, Gurimran Virk states that labelling is very dangerous. According to her, it has the possibility of creating stereotypes, hearsay, bias, fears, stigma and the inability to separate a person from the label itself. This is what happened to Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Thomas is seen as one who did not hold grudges nor did he nurse wound feelings. Time and again did he oppose letting Jesus expose himself to danger, but when the Master would decide to take such risks, always was it Thomas who rallied the apostles to go with him. In one such occurrence, the disciples wanted to stop Jesus from going to Judea (John 11:6-7), an expedition which they thought might end his life due to previous experiences they had there. His decision to go back to Judea did not make sense to them since the Jews wanted to stone him two days ago (John 8:59; 10:31; 10:39). Even when Jesus explained the situation to them, they were determined not to go back there, citing logical flaws in the arguments of Jesus. According to their logic, and rightly so, if Lazarus was asleep, he will surely wake up, by himself. And if he is dead, there is no reason to go there again for there is nothing that can be done for him again (John 11:11-15). The disciples were not only protecting the life of Jesus, but theirs as well. They feared that whatever might happen to Jesus will have a ripple effect on them as well. This action was borne out of lack of faith in Jesus and in his mission. Thomas Didymus, however, refused to let his fears take over him. He had surrendered his life totally to the Rabbi. He wanted to be with Jesus, in life and in death, and as though he was their leader, he rallied them, saying, “Come on, comrades, let’s go and die with him.” This is a declaration of faith, just like Paul declared in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”. This is a declaration which should guide our walk as Christians. We should live for Christ, following him all the way, even through perils, believing that whatever the outcome, our lives will be preserved. As Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 10:23, our lives aren’t ours. Anyone who is in Christ has been crucified with Christ and thus their lives are not theirs anymore, but Christ’s (Galatians 2:20). 

Thomas is the great example of a human being who has doubts, faces them and wins. He had a great mind; he was no carping critic. He was a logical thinker. It can be said that the reason why the others didn’t doubt was because they had seen the resurrected Christ. According to Luke 24:8ff, when the women came back from the empty tomb and after seeing the risen Christ, the disciples also doubted. Luke reported in verse 11, “But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense”. They did not believe that Jesus Christ has resurrected from the tomb just as he told them. On the same day, while Cleopas and another were on their way to Emmaus, their conversation showed that they never believed Jesus had resurrected. Jesus was quoted as referring to them as fools, because of their unbelief (Luke 24:25, KJV). They only believed when Jesus performed a sign for them to see (Luke 24:30-31, 35). In the same manner, whiles the disciples were ‘hiding’ in a room and Jesus appeared to them, they had their doubts whether he was the one, they thought it was a ghost. Jesus himself challenged them by asking them to touch him and confirm for themselves so all doubts will be removed (Luke 24:37-40). They still did not believe until he performed a sign for them (Luke 24:41-43). In effect, Apostle Thomas was thus behaving as the other disciples will, just as anyone of us would have done. The doubt of Thomas was not borne out of unbelief or resistance to accept the truth of who Jesus is or what he has done. Thomas’ only crime is to desire an honest answer; after all, his quest led him to faith when he boldly declared, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). What we learn from Thomas is that being in Jesus’ presence brought out the best in him by increasing his faith. Conversely, being away from Jesus seemed to trigger doubt. Thomas made the first public profession of Jesus as being both Lord and God. It takes great faith to declare Jesus as Lord, for many Christians are yet to discover and settle on “Who” the lord of their lives is and therefore continue to live questionable Christian lives. As Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Anim puts it, the Christian cannot seek to enjoy the benefits of salvation in Christ without having to accept the “inconvenient” challenge of His lordship over their lives.

In chapter 14 of the Gospel according to John, Thomas again showed the characteristics of a candid person. Jesus openly declared to his disciples that he was going away to prepare a place for them so they can be with him wherever he is. He continued that they (the disciples) knew where the way to where he (Jesus) was going. This was news to them. The disciples had no idea what Jesus was going on about, but none had the courage to step in and ask him any questions, bar Thomas. He opened up to Jesus in all honesty, not faking knowledge but with a heart ready to learn from the master. He confessed to Jesus Christ, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”(John 14:5, NIV). This genuineness brought out one of the most remarkable statements of Jesus, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NIV). We should thus not be afraid of asking questions. Questions, no matter how stupid they may sound can lead to new insights, revelations and breakthroughs.

Nicky Gumbel disagrees with people who regard faith as unquestioning and think that faith and doubt are opposites. According to him, faith and doubt are two sides of the same coin. Although there is no doubt that 2 + 2 = 4, it does not take any faith to believe it. On the other hand, to believe that someone loves you is open to an element of doubt. To put your faith in God is similar to loving a person. There is always the possibility of doubt. Without doubt, faith would not be faith. The Apostle therefore used that moment of questioning to build upon his faith.

Many have made the unfortunate error of defining the Apostle by his one moment of doubt. If we “refuse” to use Thomas’ moment of bravery to define him, then we should not be quick to define him with his moment of doubt, or lack of faith as we term it. We all have moments we are proud of and other moments we wish we could forget. The rest of the disciples doubted as much as he did. As Jack Wellman beautifully put it, there is no doubt that Thomas was a strong believer and a powerful missionary used by God to His Glory.

Written by P/Overseer Eric Akude (Kpetoe District)

Pastor James Orhin Agyin

When Intercession Stops

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Following the launch of the 2022 year’s theme, “Equipping the Church as an Army to Possess the Nations,” by the leadership of The Church of Pentecost, a lot has been taught, written and learnt about the ministry of intercession. To intercede is to use your influence to persuade someone in authority to forgive another person or save that person from punishment. Therefore, intercessory prayer is petitioning God to act on another’s behalf. Scripture urges all believers to intercede for others, communities, organisations, and nations.

Whiles the Christian fraternity sees it as a ministry, the business community may also view it as a serious business without which losses will be inevitable to the body of Christ. As a professional in the building industry, I would prefer to look at it as a project all believers must execute with definite timelines. The Cambridge dictionary defines a project as a piece of planned work or an activity that is finished over a period and intended to achieve a particular purpose. The project of intercession is, therefore, a well-planned activity of praying for others, institutions, and nations. Unlike all other projects, intercession continues unabated until intended purposes are achieved for new ones to be rolled onboard for the cycle to continue.

Most of us have countless testimonies about how God saved some loved ones, that church member, society or even the entire nation due to a fervent intercessory prayer mounted when the need arose. Even though it is primarily a prayer for others other than the self, I see it as an indirect prayer of society’s corporate welfare, including the self by extension. Taking the COVID-19 as an example, the fervent intercession the Christian fraternity mounted, including that of ongoing “Awurade Kasa” at the studios of PENT Tv, has gone a long way to deliver the nations from the destructive and ravaging works of the virus.

In Genesis 18:16-33, Abraham, affectionately known as the friend of God, mounted a fervent intercession for the twin city of Sodom and Gomorrah when he got the intelligence from God about its impending destruction. God hinted to Abraham about it because He expected him to do something about it by interceding for them, so he spared the entire city. If conservative estimates of the inhabitants of this twin city at the time is anything to go by, then we are looking at around 500,000 people God was about to judge owing to their wickedness. Abraham immediately approached God and began to engage Him on some attributes such as His fairness, faithfulness, mercies, love, and compassion in the light of the terms of reference given to the Angels of destruction. He asked God, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” Abraham mainly counted on God’s perfect adjudication skills when he said, “Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do, right? (Genesis 18:25b). Our intercession for family, the body of Christ and the nations must also be premised on God’s faithfulness, mercies, compassion, love and His covenant-keeping credentials instead of just complaining and weeping.

He then negotiated with God to implore Him to abandon the idea and spare the cities. Abraham’s first offer was for God to spare the twin city should the Angels find fifty (50) righteous people there. This was remarkable of a mighty intercessor or negotiator because offering 50 for what its worth 500,000 (representing 0.01% of the original figure or a 99.99% discount for a commodity) is a bold step. Indeed, it is equivalent to asking for the item to be given to you free of charge.

It must, therefore, be established that the project of interceding for others, institutions and nations has very little to do with their attitudes, behaviour, past or current lifestyles. It virtually tells Almighty God to intervene swiftly on behalf of others by mercy and not by merits. One would have thought Abraham would be “gentle” or “courteous” enough to increase his offer of 50 to say about 100 or better still, thank God for the 99.99% concession given for his request. Abraham remained steadfast to the project he had begun to save the entire nation from God’s judgment. In God’s presence, he proceeds to negotiate further downwards to 45 righteous people as a measure of attracting God’s mercies to the situation at hand. God obliged that request as well. He then interceded further and brought the number to 40 and, in all these instances pleading for God to contain the inconveniences he appeared to be causing Him. In the project of intercession, there is no such thing as trying to be gentle or appearing to be courteous to the situation at hand when precious lives, nations, and generations unborn are at stake.

When Abraham picked the signal that God was somehow giving him the needed attention and developing interest in the project he had set for himself, he brought the figure down to 30. Even though the Angels of destruction at this time had set off to carry out their mission because it was apparent God was in a hurry. However, any well-planned intercession we mount for others always crosses God at an intersection where His love and mercies bind Him to stop, wait, listen and consider our pleas. Abraham then asked for a further reduction of the number to 20. God did not ignore this request, even though the Angels were almost at the site for the mission to begin. In all the six (6) instances in Abraham’s intercession project from 50 to 10 righteous people, God answered him with, “The Lord said…” although it may appear that he was disturbing or wasting God’s time.

God answers the intercession we mount for nations and communities. It is never a bother to Him. It is worth noting that Abraham decided not to pre-occupy himself with the guilt, sins, LGBTQ+ happenings and corrupt deals of the people but rather remained focused on interceding for them. Can we, for a moment, re-focus our attention on God to save our dear nation from utter chaos and destruction other than dwelling on the corrupt and evil vices ongoing? Of course, there’s time to talk about the ills in our governance systems and proffer workable policies and strategies to mitigate them. However, in the mood of intercession, there must be minimal or no room for accusations.

I will, therefore, take this opportunity to thank Apostle Eric Nyamekye and his able Executive Council members for the numerous intercessory prayer interventions at all levels of the Church worldwide. Apart from the “Awurade Kasa” and others at the PENT TV studio, the nationwide inter-district prayer marathon and the current global intercession on Tuesdays have greatly relieved many individuals and households, institutions, and nations across the globe. The spiritually thick atmosphere is getting lightened by the day by God’s grace. May God continue to bless the leadership of our dear Church.

Someway somehow and quite instructive to today’s believers, Abraham dropped what I see as the bombshell and the anti-climax of the entire project when he said, “… but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” (Genesis 18:32). Then God answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”  Let us not forget that even though He appeared to be in a hurry with His Angels, this same God stopped over at Abraham’s end and told him everything about His pending judgment on the twin city. Even when the Angels had taken the lead to Sodom, He waited for Abraham and entertained a whopping 99.99% discount he tabled for discussion. God further allowed an additional 80% discount on whatever was left from 50 to 10 righteous people. Why Abraham decided to end this landmark intercession project at “10” when God was almost at the 100% discount mark in abandoning the mission of destroying the twin city baffles me. Abraham was just a step away from what Moses achieved with God in a similar scenario in Exodus 32:9-14 when He planned to kill all the Israelites and raise another nation for him to lead. After the intercession, Moses mounted on behalf of the children of Israel; scripture says, “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.”

The greatest mistake we make as believers is the practice of abandoning or the stoppage of intercession at those ungodly hours the Lord Himself had given almost all and is ever willing to finish it off wholly for His children. What made Abraham think he was boring or bothering God? Do you think God would not have agreed to a further reduction from 10 to zero to spare the entire nation? Let’s not stop what God has instructed us to do for others, institutions, and our homeland Ghana through intercession because He has a particular interest in that project. God is never tired of listening to our prayers for others, society, and the nation because it fits well into His divine scheme. Let’s, therefore, not get tired and shy of asking more for Ghana, our motherland. Genesis 18:33, “When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. Remember, Abraham decided to stop at “10” and not continue the intercession because he probably thought God had done His best for him. God, therefore, left Abraham after his last request, and the latter also returned home. Why stop interceding to return home when your toil of intercession is on the verge of bringing some individuals back on track and nations back on their feet? Concerning the Patriarchs of the Christian faith like Abraham, 1 Corinthians 10:11 has this to say, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” So, instead of criticising Abraham for not following through with the logical completion of that intercession project, let us soberly reflect and repent from the practice of abandoning the ministry of intercession when it is most needed.

We must also not dwell on our human weaknesses during the project of intercession; else, the devil takes advantage of that and robs us of our confidence as believers. Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27). Despite the perceived weakness he touted, the God of the spirits of all flesh had all the patience to wait, listen and act on his behalf. Repent from sinful lifestyles if you have been convicted of any sin but let us remain focused and continue to lift holy and tireless hands for Heaven’s attention.

Sadly, when we stop intercession abruptly, God leaves the negotiation or intercessory altar of engagement to carry out His judgment due to individuals and nations (Genesis 18:33). The Angels of destruction then arrived in Sodom, and God rained down, burning sulphur from Heaven, destroying the cities (Genesis 19:1, 24). The vegetation was equally destroyed, signifying their livelihoods and economic fortunes (Genesis 19:25). According to Genesis 19:27-28, Abraham saw the smoke and destruction from the very spot he stood to intercede for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Unfortunately, Lot’s wife became a casualty when she turned into a pillar of salt. When we stop the project of intercession, we are likely to lose some dear ones even if we are fortunate to survive the tide. Let us not wait until we gather at the altar of our churches to see with our eyes what we do not want to see for our dear nation.

It is, however, revealing to learn that even in the middle of judgement, God still allows space to give concessions anytime intercession is mounted. Just before God rained down the burning sulphur from Heaven, Lot pleaded with the Angels to let him and his family flee to the nearby town called Zoar. The Angel told him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly because I cannot do anything until you reach it” (Genesis 19:21-22).

Therefore, the project of intercession can never be too late for God’s intervention because apart from Him not being subject and bound by times and seasons, He is the commanding officer commanding all of Heaven’s host and forces. Believers must quickly pick the right signals when things are not moving as expected for others, institutions and nations and lift a well planned and coordinated regime of intercession for God’s intervention. In Ezekiel 22:30, God said, “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.”  He is, therefore, more interested and excited to see His children taking up the project of intercession than we can ever imagine.

Similarly, as Moses’ hand grew tired and lowered his hands in Israel’s battle with the Amalekites, Israel was losing the fight on the field (Exodus 17:8-13). Aaron and Hur then looked for a stone for Moses to sit on with their hands propped to remain steady throughout the military campaign. The staff of God Moses lifted on top of the mountain whiles Joshua and the troops fought on the ground represents the project of intercession the Lord expects believers to undertake for the Church till sunset or the end of the age. Is it not scary to learn that God’s children were suffering defeat in the hands of the enemy any moment Moses’ hands signifying intercession were dropping for whatever reasons? The Church of God, I believe, has entered the phase where believers must mass up and mount the mother of all intercession until the nations are possessed and flooded with Kingdom principles and values. Therefore, every support must be given to the “Moseses, Aarons and Hours” of our day, so the staff of intercession remains steady till every foe is vanquished.

Likewise, family life and households suffer damage anytime the “Abrahams” and the “Moseses” amongst them decide to stop at “10” or lower the flag of intercession to half-mast. In Numbers 12:1-13, God’s anger burned hot against Miriam and Aaron for speaking against Moses’ marriage life. Miriam was then struck with leprosy as a result by God. The rather swift project of intercession mounted by Moses on her behalf is what brought God’s anger down and restored her for them to live in continuous harmony as siblings. Moses cried, “Please, God, heal her!” Your guess would be as good as mine if Moses opted to stay vindictive or indifferent towards the plight of Miriam, as her sister, like some believers, are in the habit of doing.

In conclusion, when the project of intercession is grounded abruptly for whatever reasons, families, households, the Church in battle, and nations bear the brunt of it with massive and highly avoidable losses. Unlike Abraham, let us not stop at “10”. Let us make every effort to continue this all-important project at all levels until sunset when the mist would have been rolled away.

Written by Pastor James Orhin Agyin

The World Celebrates The Church of Pentecost Honest Taxi Driver

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Kwesi Ackon, a taxi driver and member of The Church of Pentecost, is being celebrated by the whole world for showing patriotism and high integrity, having returned an amount of GHS 8,400.00 he found in his taxi cab to the owner.

Ackon, 37, who fellowships at the Onyametease Assembly in the Kokomlemle District of The Church of Pentecost, is said to have picked an old lady on Easter Saturday from the Mallam Atta Market in Accra to her residence at Teshie. The old woman, a trader, unfortunately, left her apron in which the money was concealed at the back of the taxi cab.

Kwesi saw the item the following morning when he was cleaning the car. He showed it to his wife and they agreed to return it to the old woman. He traced the trader to her residence in Teshie after closing from the Easter Convention on Sunday afternoon.

Apparently, the old woman, who had been weeping throughout the whole period over the missing money, could not hold her tears when the driver returned the money intact to her. The whole community joined her to celebrate the driver amidst tears of joy. The woman donated GHS 500.00 to him as his fuel and some fishes to him in return.

The news about the patriotic gesture of Kwesi Ackon broke out when Manasseh Azure’s “The Fourth Estate” interviewed him and posted it on Facebook. Many media houses have also interviewed the illustrious member of the church.

The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, after hearing of the news, dolled out GHS 20,000.00 to him, while some individuals have also donated various amounts to him for his singular act.

Indeed, The Church of Pentecost’s ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda which aims at influencing every sphere of society with Kingdom values and principles and thereby leading many people to Jesus Christ, is on course.

PENTECOST NEWS.

51 Ministers Of The Church of Pentecost To Retire This Year

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Fifty-one ministers of  The Church of Pentecost worldwide who have served the Lord through the church are due to retire from the full-time ministry this year after attaining the church’s retirement age of 65.

This was disclosed by Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the church, during the just-ended 17th Extraordinary Council Meetings held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Goamoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region.

“After years of serving the Lord and His Church, some of our ministers will be retiring from active service this year,” Apostle Nyamekye said, while congratulating them for their dedicated services to God and man.

The 51 ministers include Prophet James Osei Amaniampong (Asokwa Area Head, who has served for 41 years), Apostle Samuel Antwi (New Tafo Area Head, 38 years), Apostle Anthony Eghan Kwasi Ekuban (Suhum Area Head, 36 years), Apostle James Nana Ofori (Mankessim Area Head, 35 years), Apostle John Osei Amaniampong (La Area Head, 33 years), Prophet Ebenezer Kofi Appiah (Dansoman Area Head, 29 years), and Apostle Osei Owusu Afriyie (United Kingdom National Head, 27 years).

Others are Apostle Joseph Kwame Assabil (Takoradi Area Head, 24 years), Apostle Dr. Samuel Ofori (STML, Pentecost University, 24 years), Apostle Augustine Sorie Kamara (Sierra Leone National Head, 24 years), Apostle Dr. James McKeown Quainoo (Canada, 23years), and Apostle James Kofi Sam (United Kingdom, 22 years).

The rest are Pastors Lovelace John Baidoo (New Town District in Ejisu Area, 40 years), George Kwadwo Boadi (Foso Town District in Assin Foso Area, 39 years), Theophilus Kofi Owusu-Boreh (Pankorono District in New Tafo Area, 38 years), Emmanuel Asane Bimpong (Akweley District in Downtown-Ofaakor Area, 37 years), Aaron Yaw Kyei (Ashaiman Lebanon District in Ashaiman Area, 37 years), William K. Ofori-Attah (Adwen-Bu District in Kaneshie Area, 36 years), Daniel K. Yankah (Asuoyeboah District in Kwadaso Area, 36 years), Emmanuel Yaw Adjei (Feyiase District in Asokwa Area, 35 years) and Sampson Barnnet Paintsil (Adiebeba District in Asokwa Area, has served for 33 years; John Mensah Yanney, of Community 1 District in Tema Area, has served for 32 years; Joseph Quaicoo, of Fiapre District in Sunyani Area, has served for 32years;

He further said that Pastors James Amaning, of Obuasi Bidieso District in Obuasi Area, has served for 30 years; George Yaw Asiedu, of Laterbiokorshie in Dansoman Area, has served for 30 years; Joseph Ocran Dadzie, of New Town District in Akim Oda Area, has served for 30 years; Enoch Nii Akrashie, of Oguaa Abura in Cape Coast Area, has served for 29 years; Charles E. Asmah, of Bohyen District in Suame Area, has served for 29 years; Raymond Hagan, of Nampansa District in Asante Bekwai Area, has served for 29 years; Moses Kenneth Abaka, of Adabraka District in La Area, has served for 28 years; and Emmanuel Dominic Annor, of Sakumono District in Teshie Nungua Area, has served for 28 years.

The Chairman of the church, also noted that Pastors Emmanuel Assah-Awuku, of Breman Asikuma District in Agona Swedru Area, has served for 28 years; Michael Badu, of Mile 3 District in New Tafo Area, has served for 28 years; Joseph Kwame Boansi, of Nsawam District in Nsawam Area, has served for 28 years; Sam Oppong Asare-Duah, of Nkontwima District in Suame Area, has served for 27 years; Joseph Kingsford Danquah, of Akoon District in Tarkwa Area, has served for 26 years; Jacob Coffie Agbesi, of Kibi District in Suhum Area, has served for 25 years; James Kwame Yingar, of Iron City District in Kasoa Area, has served for 25 years;

He, then pointed out that Pastors Samuel Asamoah-Gyarko, of Bogoso District in Bogoso Area, has served for 24 years; Daniel Yaw Dzah, of Nsukwao District in Effiduase Area, has served for 24 years; Felix Odum-Boateng, of Chapel Square District in Agona Swedru Area, has served for 24 years; William-Wlberforce Adranyi, of Bechem District in Sunyani Area, has served for 24 years; Solomon Kofi Edusah, of Wassa Ateiku District in Twifo Praso Area, has served for 23 years; Jones Gyimah-Adjekum, in Kadadwen District of Dunkwa Area, has served for 23 years; Franklin Agbovi-Hushie, Ola (Cape Coast), 22 years; James Rockson Forson, Ofaakor (Downtown), 22 years; Charles Amoah, Belgium, 20 years; James Kwesi Hagan, Nigeria, 19 years; Michael Kofi Ntanu, Australia,  16 years;  Dr. Robert Nana Baah, United States of America, 12 years as a Bi-Vocational Minister; and Joseph Wabwile, Kenya, has served for 9 years as a Bi-Vocational Minister.

“Beloved, these gallant soldiers of the cross have meritoriously served the Lord and the Church. This will be their last official participation in our Council Meetings as councillors. I will, therefore, kindly request that we honour and appreciate them with a standing ovation,” he stated.

He added: “Dear retiring ministers, I pray that the Lord God Almighty before whom you have walked and served, bless and grant you a restful retirement when the time is due.”

Retirement services for District Pastors is on July 31, 2022, while retirement services for Area Heads is scheduled to August 21, 2022.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Church of Pentecost Records More Miracles

by with No Comment Church NewsTestimoniesTop Stories

Over the years, The Church of Pentecost has been noted for manifesting the great power of God through diverse signs and wonders.


For instance, in 2021, the church recorded many miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit, resulting in the dead being raised to life, the blind eyes opening, the paralysed walking, cancerous cells being healed, and childless couples being blessed with children after many years of marriage, among many other miracles worth testifying about.


This was revealed by Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, during the just-ended 17th Extraordinary Council Meetings which took place at the Pentecost Convention Center (PCC), Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region.


Among the spectacular events experienced in various assemblies of the church last year was the case of Victoria Quaynin, a 17-year-old teenager at Twifo Kyebi District in the Dunkwa Area of the church, who on February 23, 2021, was declared dead at the Oponso Health Centre, came back to life through intercession by the church.


According to Apostle Nyamekye, the girl whose family could not come to terms with her sudden death rushed her body to the District Minister’s residence (mission house), and after an hour and 15 minutes of intensive prayer by the District Pastor and his team, the dead girl came back to life to the glory of God.
The Chairman also disclosed that on December 31, 2021, one Anthony Anku from Kpelema Assembly in the Kparekpare District within the Nkwanta Area of the church, was found lifeless in his room and later declared dead by medics at the Kparekpare Health Centre.


However, the District Minister of the church, Probationary Overseer Amos Affedzie, together with some elders of the church, went to the facility and together with the father of the deceased, prayed for the dead brother.
“After praying for about 20 minutes, the young man suddenly came back to life to the glory of God,” he stated.


About childbirth, the Chairman of the church mentioned that Mrs. Charity Ampah of Abakrampa District in the Cape Coast Area of the church, had her womb removed after a surgical operation some years ago, and was also diagnosed with Hepatitis B in 2021.
“She presented her case during one of the church’s monthly prayers; she was prayed for and directed to go back for the Hepatitis B test again. The second result came out negative to the utmost surprise of the medical officials,” he pointed out.
He added: “To the glory of God, Mrs. Ampah who had no hopes of conceiving, conceived, and has delivered a baby boy.”


Apostle Nyamekye again disclosed that in Sweden, a child of a Burundian immigrant family who are non-members of the church was seriously sick and put on a life support machine. When the condition became worse and doctors had come to their wits’ end, the father sent a message to a friend in the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Stockholm about the situation.


“The church instantly interceded intensely, and thereafter visited the family to pray with them and the child received instant healing and subsequently discharged from the hospital,” he said.
Although the testimonies around the world were many, Apostle Eric Nyamekye reiterated that God was still in the miracle business and glorifying His name through the church.


PENTECOST NEWS.

Yennyawoso District Children’s Ministry Organises Fun Games

by with No Comment Church NewsTop Stories

The Children’s Ministry of Yennyawoso District in the New Tafo Area of The Church of Pentecost, has organised fun games for the children in the district to exercise their bodies and fraternize among themselves.

The event, which took place on Monday, May 2, 2022 [May Day], at Kings International School Park in Kumasi, saw the children from the seven local assemblies within the district engaging in various sports disciplines such as soccer, sack race, lime and spoon race, among others.

The soccer game, which was at the centre of attraction was won by the Redemption Assembly as they thrashed Grace Assembly, the defending champions, 3-0 at the grand finale.

Exercise books were also distributed to those who performed exceptionally in other disciplines.

The most interesting spectacle was when seven persons surrendered their lives to Christ Jesus at the end of the games.

In a brief address after the games, the District Children’s Ministry Leader, Elder Kingsley Appau, on behalf of the District Executive Members, thanked the Almighty God for guiding them through the event and expressed his appreciation to all the children and their teachers for an impressive turnout.

He also congratulated Redemption Assembly for winning the ultimate prize and wished the other teams better luck next time.

Report by Yennyawoso District Media Team

A Relook At Sports Betting: A Wake-Up Call To Faith Communities And The Government Of Ghana

by with No Comment ArticlesChurch NewsTop Stories

In recent times, both traditional and social media in Ghana, have been rife with the hostile effects of sports betting. After careful personal research and reflection on the recent news items which are becoming rampant by the day, there is the need to speak out, having worked closely with the youth for a couple of years.

At the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), it has been reported that some students had to defer their courses for non-payment of school fees, and one of the reasons cited by the school management was that, quite a number of the students used their monies for other ventures such as sports betting. Even though, the Students Representative Council of KNUST expressed a different opinion, at least a defaulting student confessed on national television to buttress what has been alluded by the management of KNUST. Also, it is reported of the death of the 76-year-old retired educationist who doubles as the Gyasehene of Dawuriso in the Asante Akyem North District who committed suicide after losing GH₵ 120,000.00 on AFCON bet. Then, Nana Nhyira Agyapong an employee of an Accra-based electronics company was arrested for allegedly spending a whooping GH¢ 1,079,728 of the companies’ money on sports betting.  It is high time leadership of faith communities and the government rise to speak into the subject. 

In the quest to become rich overnight, the trends of materialism, secularism, and libertinism have led to the influx of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lottery among the Ghanaian youth. Betting and gambling seem to have always been a part of human development. Gambling is perhaps as old as mankind and has been universally practiced in different forms such as gaming, betting, chariot racing, and wagering. The attitude of society and faith communities towards betting and gambling has varied across time and geography.  There are indications that the spread of sports betting, gaming, lottery, and gambling is destroying and having a great impact on the youth in Ghana. Christian youths are not left out of this menace.  Africa to a large extent is seen to be very religious, and the faith communities seem to be opposed to gambling, foreign invasion appears to be washing out the strong adherence of the religious beliefs among the youth gradually. Some youth, therefore, give the impression which demonstrates a misconception about sports betting, gaming, and gambling. These trends have affected church attendance among the youth, especially during the evenings when the matches are being telecasted. The issue looks more threatening to this generation because patrons of sports betting and gaming argue that, there is no biblical passage that explicitly speaks to forbid the act. Yet many conservative Christians frown at gambling, sports betting, and lotteries of any kind. The revolution of internet technology has opened new dimensions of betting and gambling and has also created a global market for it. Online betting which represents a new frontier in the spread of gambling appears to have greatly increased the number of persons betting regularly. The manner of playing games has also undergone a drastic change in recent years. Again, the trend has even become worse as some Christians gamble and stake lotteries for charitable purposes and some men of God also give lotto numbers and predict the outcome of football matches for individuals to stake. One can therefore argue that the issues of sports betting, gaming, and gambling can now be viewed as a major theological concern and therefore, faith communities and the government can become more relevant and effective partners in fostering appropriate responses to sports betting, gaming and gambling.  

Whilst we must humbly agree with the contention of proponents, patrons, and promoters of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lotteries, that no portion (or passage) of scripture overtly speaks to or forbids gambling, the important question remains, “how can Christians carefully and systematically respond to the debate of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lotteries in the light of scripture?” It is because of this that this article has been written to establish how sports betting, gaming, and gambling is affecting the youth in our generation and also how we can respond to it through the lens of scripture as the Bible is our authoritative tool for moral standards. This paper is written primarily to caution people especially the youth about the dangers of sports betting, gaming, gambling, and lottery and also to provide a biblical response to those who already know the dangers but are looking for biblical information to defend it and to help them overcome it. In this paper we shall be looking at some local and international research findings in relation to sports betting, gaming, and gambling, the effects/dangers of sports betting and gaming among the youth, a biblical case against sports betting and gaming, and conclude with measures that the church needs to take to minimize the impact of the trend.

THE SPORTS BETTING, GAMING, AND GAMBLING DEBATE

The debate on sports betting, gaming, lottery, and gambling is becoming more intense as faith communities and other national bodies are getting involved. The gambling industry is booming in the African continent and other parts of the world, with new online casinos and betting centres emerging every day. Besides the lottery and casinos, one type of gambling that has taken the African continent by storm is sports betting. In Africa, sports betting has been rising in acceptance over the past few years. For example, sports betting has been gaining ground over the past decade contributing 37 billion to the gambling industry with no sign of slowing down.  In recent years more than five betting companies have set up their terminals in Ghana. These terminals are expected to create jobs for the people to help resolve the unemployment crises and to further improve Ghana’s economic situation. The influx of these betting companies created the need for the establishment of the Gaming Commission Act 2006, (Act 721). So now, the emergence of these sports betting and gambling industries have urged the government to regulate the processes with the Gaming Commission.

Patrons and promoters of these betting centres maintain that their operation in the country has come to solve the unemployment problem in the country and also help the government to generate some funds.

Again, approximately 90% of the 400 people who were interviewed during this research, indicated that they can make some money through sports betting. They indicated that it is a quick way to get money. According to McGowan, one constant refrain used by state officials to legalize and also to justify their involvement and entering into the sports betting, gambling, and lottery business was its ability to obtain revenue for state operations without the imposition of either new taxes or tax increases.  McGowan continued to say that, in 1975 New Jersey legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City as a means to revitalize that city as a tourist attraction and, of course, to raise revenue to support various benefits for the elderly throughout New Jersey. A similar view by Koven and Lyons postulated that, in countries where sports betting is legalized, betting taxes fund government projects. According to the Rockefeller Institute, revenue from gaming in those states where the activity is legalized has increased steadily over the last decade, rising as high as over $1.5 billion per year. The institute also contended that sports betting constitutes a means of boosting tourism. As such, not legitimizing sports betting only diverts the potential tax revenue to either illegal gambling operations or other countries where it is legal.  Most of the respondents interviewed contend that sports betting has some economic benefits and also it has come to solve the unemployment problem in the country since those who are employed to man these gaming centres have got jobs to do and the state is also able to obtain some economic benefits through the payment of taxes by the operators and also the money that people get when they win a bet.

Taking the economic benefits of sports betting into consideration, legalized forms of betting and gambling are often promoted as good economic policy. Proponents are of the view that such forms of gambling are painless ways of increasing billions of Ghana Cedis in state revenue. What advocates seem to forget is that, generally, the cost of management, advertising, and promotions is approximately sixty pesewas of each Cedi generated, while direct taxation of the citizens costs only about a pesewa on the Cedi, so for every Ghana Cedi raised by taxes, ninety-nine pesewas go to the state. Again, legalized gambling adversely affects a state economy. Money that could have been invested or loaned and recycled through the economy is risked in the legalized betting scheme. Once more, legalized betting and gambling syphons billions of Cedis from the economy. More money is staked on sports betting and other legalized gambling than is spent on elementary and secondary education.

Other debates against sports betting have been based on religious and social grounds. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission (1999) has reported that, despite the contributions to growth, dreadful potential negative consequences did however exist in encouraging the practice. Sports betting, the Commission added, can become a compulsive habit, one that negatively affects the financial standing of gambling addicts. These individuals usually lose their ability to save and run into huge debts. The Commission put forward that the analysis of economic benefit derived from sports betting was poorly developed and incomplete. This analysis, the Commission continued, did not consider the social costs that must be considered in assessing the net benefits of sports betting. Such costs can justifiably be viewed from both individual and societal perspectives. The Commission listed the following as negative behaviors associated with sports betting: family abuse, suicide, truancy, poor academic performance, money laundering, alcohol and drug use, with poverty a frequent product of one or more of such behaviors. From the societal point of view, gambling leads to neighborhood crime, and increases both prostitution among women and high school dropout rates. Countries that are faced with these consequences would have their economic progress obstructed because education is a significant factor in poverty alleviation in an economy.

David Neff and Thomas Giles in their book “Feeding the Monster called More, Christianity Today” iterated that, the USA government spent 286 billion dollars on gambling as against 213 billion dollars spent on elementary and secondary education in 1990.

Dangers/ Effects of Sports Betting and Gambling Among the Youth

From the research that we conducted in Takoradi, it was revealed that sports betting with its attendant effects affect the youth in these areas: Economically, Socially, and Religiously. 

From the research findings, we discovered that many drinking spots, restaurants, shops, bars, and hotels in Takoradi have received permits from the Municipal Assembly for these sports betting companies to operate. The youth flock to these betting centres in their numbers to throw their monies on their teams and international sports stars. The research found out that youth between the ages of 12 to 25 years were the major people who patronize these centres. The youth do not only risk becoming problem gamblers but also may neglect their books by spending most of their man-hours at the betting terminals. In another study conducted by the Daily Searchlight on the effects of sports betting on the youth in Ghana, they reported that on a visit to many sports betting centres, they found a gathering of Ghanaian and foreign youth between the ages of 18 and 35 mostly doing sports betting spending time and money to win football pools. The reporter said “This is definitely taking all the time of the youth from everything; schooling, practicing a trade and learning. An elderly patron at a betting centre at Abeka Lapaz in Accra said, betting is a form of gambling that leads the youth to all kinds of juvenile vices and crimes,”.  This reporter went to seek the opinion of the Gaming Commissions on this social canker but could not get any official position on the sheer numbers of gaming centres in the country yet. Officials intimated that so long as the Ghanaian public has not kicked against the activities of sports bettors, there is currently no problem. A source close to the Commission assured the nation that if the activities of the centres flout the gaming laws, the Commission would not hesitate to pull the plugs on these centres.

The social impact of sports betting and gambling among the youth is mostly hidden from patrons and those who normally patronize it. But later the cost is seen in the shattered lives of individuals and their families. A study in The Journal of Social Issues revealed that as gambling and its related games of chances increase there is also an increase in the “proportion of divorce and separation, disagreement about money matters with one’s spouse, lack of understanding between marital partners, and more reported problems among children of gamblers.  The above findings are in agreement with the report by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. The commission enumerated the following to be the social impact of sports betting on the youth: family abuse, suicide, truancy, poor academic performance, money laundering, alcohol, and drug use, with poverty a frequent product of one or more of such behaviours. 

From our research conducted in Takoradi, we found out that, 12% of the 400 respondents were school dropouts. They left school because they wanted to make money. 28% also acknowledged that it has really affected their academic performance and their concentration during lectures. 

When it comes to suicidal tendencies, it was realized that 68% of the persons contacted have attempted suicide before. Out of that, one student self-confessed that, he lost his best friend because of sports betting. The above affirms the research conducted by the UK Gambling Charity, GambleAware. From their research, it was revealed that “problem gamblers were six times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or try to take away their own life and could be fifteen times more likely to do so”.  They added that some of the risk factors that might be linked to suicidal thoughts are depression, substance abuse, and financial problems.

Furthermore, a 16-year-old boy by the name Kwaku Appiah of the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School form two student, committed suicide by hanging himself because of sports betting.  A news report by Lizbeth Brown on 19th August 2021, showed a level 400 final year student of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology who committed suicide after losing a bet.  The deceased identified as Fredrick Asamoah Frimpong was found hanging in his room by his parents. A post that was circulating on the various social media platforms specified that Fredrick was in debt to the tune of 200,000 Ghana cedis and decided to use the money he had to bet so he can defray the debt. He had 60,000 Ghana cedis on him and he staked the bet with all the money with the hope of winning to enable him pay his debt. He apparently committed suicide as the game did not go in his favour.

From January to March 2022, we have witnessed the death and arrest of some people all due to sports betting. Few instances are cited in this article. On January 13, we heard of the death of the 76-year-old retired educationist who doubles as the Gyasehene of Dawuriso in the Asante Akyem North District which was attributed to the fact that he committed suicide after losing GH₵ 120,000.00 on AFCON bet. Again, Nana Nhyira Agyapong an employee of an Accra-based electronics company was arrested for allegedly spending GH¢ 1,079,728 of the company’s money on sports betting.  

A 27-year-old man identified as Daniel Ayuba Mark committed suicide on 26th February 2022 after an amount of N1.5 million was withdrawn from his sports betting account by some unknown scammers.

Tom Fleming in his article, ‘The Human cost of Gambling Addiction’ stated that, UK recorded between 250 and 650 gambling-related suicides each year; a minimum of one every working day.  He added that, these gambling-related suicides accounts for between 4 and 11% of UK’s overall suicides.  In his article entitled, betting “Blood on their hand: How 500 people – mostly young men – kill themselves every year after getting hooked on gambling by ruthlessly greedy betting giants, Ian Birrel re-counted how 500 people lost their lives in UK within a year all due to sports betting.

Italy, USA, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and other countries have all had their share in the suicidal cases caused by sports betting, gaming and gambling. In 2017, Abdi Latif Dahir a news reporter in Kenya reported of the rise in betting addictions in Knya leaving young people bankrupt and suicidal. 

In their book “When You Gamble – You Risk More Than Your Money”, Bordon Cole and Sidney Margolis concluded “there is no doubt of the destructive effect of gambling on the family life.  In another news from Graphic online reported by Jemima Achivors, a 31-year-old manager of Star Oil Company, Hohoe branch was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for stealing 139,118 Ghana cedis and spending same on betting. 

The corrosive effects of gambling attack both the white-collar and blue-collar families with equal vigour.  The impact on crime is also significant. It appears that the crime rate in gambling and sports betting communities nearly doubles the national average. Researchers calculated that for every dollar the state received from the gambling industry, it cost the state at least three dollars in increased social cost for criminal justice and social welfare.

THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THE SPORTS DEBATE

Whilst we must humbly agree with the contention of proponents, patrons and promoters of sports betting, gaming, gambling and lotteries, that no portion (or passage) of scripture overtly speaks to or forbids gambling, we can derive a number of principles from scripture.

First of all, the Bible, emphasizes the sovereignty of God (Matt. 10:29-30) and also the Lord being the shepherd of his people and the great provider of all who trust in him (Psalm 23:1-6). Sports betting and Gambling, however, is based on chance. Again, the Bible admonishes people to work creatively and for the benefit of others (Eph. 5:28; 2 Thess. 3:10), while sports betting fosters a something-for-nothing attitude.

The Bible condemns materialism (Matt. 6:24-26) and encourages godliness with contentment (1 Tim. 6:6; Hebrews 13:5) because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses (Luke 12:15) while sports betting promotes materialism. Once more, sports betting and gambling breeds covetousness, whereas the Bible admonishes people not to covet (Ex. 20:17) because covetousness is part of the list of sins that defiles a man (Mark 7:22). Thus: it is idolatry (Colo. 3:5) that shouldn’t be named among Christians (Eph. 5:3). Coveting, greed and selfishness are the base emotions that drives individuals to enter into sports betting and gambling. Christians should be concerned about sports betting and gambling if for no other reason than the effect it has on the “weaker brother” and how it will affect the compulsive gambler.

Secondly, sports betting destroys the work ethic. Two biblical passages deal with the work ethic. In Colossians 3:23-24, Apostle Paul wrote “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”. And in 2 Thessalonians 3:7,10, the Apostle again stated, “For you, yourself know how you ought to follow our example…. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat’

Third, sports betting and gambling destroys families. Sports betting and gambling are a major cause of family neglect. Many of the social cost associated with gambling come from a get-rich-quick mindset. As some people get caught up in the sports betting and gambling frenzy, they begin to neglect their families. Money spent on sports betting, gambling and lotteries are not risk capital but income that should be spent on family needs. According to 1 Timothy 5:8 a person who refuses to care for his family is worse than an unbeliever. Parents must provide for their children (2 Cor. 12:14) and eat the bread of their labours (2 Thess. 3:12). Legalized gambling causes people to neglect their God given responsibilities to take care of their families and many of those families then end up on welfare.

Fourth, those who get rich through unjust means are like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, when their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end, they will prove to be fools (Jer. 17:11). While the bible admonishes acquiring riches little by little, sports betting and gambling preaches getting rich overnight (Proverbs 13:11)

Various Positions of Christian Groups on Sports Betting

From the research conducted, it was revealed that, the church was divided when it comes to the issue of betting, lottery and gambling. Some faith communities don’t see anything wrong with it. They are of the view that it is a means to make wealth and also have a share in the national cake. To this end, some men of God predict the outcome of football matches and others give lotto numbers for their congregants to stake. Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, the Head, and founder of Glorious Wave Church International shared a video in advance confidently predicting win for Brazil in the Copa America finals as well as a victory for England in the 2021 Euro finals which he claimed the prophecies were inspired by the Holy Spirit. All these prophecies failed and he attributed the failure to the fact that many Ghanaians depended upon his prophecy to stake a bet. He said they should shift the blame on those who bet on football matches. Bishop Daniel Obinim, leader and founder of the International God’s Way Church has also been distributing lotto numbers to his congregation during church service. According to him, there is unequivocally nothing wrong with one opting to stake a lotto in a bid to make money. In one of his pre-recorded videos, the man of God stated emphatically that lottery is not a sin and dared any pastor who can prove to him that lottery was a sin. He added that, the lotto numbers were given to him by God and till God stops giving him the numbers he will also not stop given out the numbers.

The second school of thought, holds an ambivalent position about the debate. They are of the view that one can stake a lottery or bet and use the outcome for charitable purposes. Reverend Father Andrew Campbell, the Parish Priest of the Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra expressed worry about the rate at which the youth were participating in sports betting. According to him, betting is a bad lifestyle and therefore its patrons should channel their money into necessities such as food and accommodation he said this in an interview on Thursday, 5 December 2019 on Class91.3Fm. When he was asked about his view of his participation on ‘Who Wants to Be Rich’, he said that he donated all the 25, 000 Ghana cedis to the Lepers association. This confirms his ambivalent position on the issue at stake.

The third group are also of the view that, though there is no passage of scripture that speaks against betting, lottery and gambling, there are portions of scripture that when studied very well will prove that betting is wrong. This group does not support the idea of betting in any kind.

Against this backdrop, the writer has proposed the following suggestions to the church and the state to help minimize the trend and also help the youths who have been caught in the web of sports betting, gaming and gambling.

Suggested Actions the Church Can Put in Place to Minimize the Trend

First of all, the church should come together to fight this menace. Faith communities must come together as a unified body with one voice and also one understanding and interpretation to scripture so that they can solve this challenge. Without this the church can in no way fight this threat.  The clergy since they hold positions of trust must desist from predicting matches and also giving out lotto numbers in the name of it being inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, the church should continue to preach and teach the unadulterated gospel which has power to save and transform lives. Since these betting companies have not ceased advertising and pushing their products on the various air waves and media space, the church should also spread the gospel message by engaging people both physically and digitally using the digital space.

The church should also come out boldly to let the general public know the consequences of this repulsive practice. 

The church should continue to teach and to preach that godliness with contentment is a great gain (1 Timothy 6:6) and espouse the youth to know that hard work pays (Proverbs 22:29) but like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay, when their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end, they will prove to be fools (Jer. 17:11) so is the person who desires to be rich overnight.

Lastly, the church and other faith communities should establish rehabilitation and counselling centres to help those who are into compulsive or problem gambling. 

Conclusion

From the discussion so far, we have seen the merits and demerits of sports betting and gambling and have come to the conclusion that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. We have also seen the biblical position concerning these trends. We humbly suggest that the church and the state will come together to educate the general public and also through well-structured apologetics defend the faith. The government should also set a commission to relook at sports betting one more time and then advise leadership.

The Writer, Emmanuel Opoku Mensah is a Youth Pastor in The Church of Pentecost and he is currently the PENSA Travelling Secretary for Takoradi Sector. You may reach him through, emmanuelopokum1985@gmail.com.