Posts in category: Church News

A two-day seminar is being held for newly appointed Area Heads of The Church of Pentecost to orient them about their new role.

The event, which is part of a series of scheduled orientation seminars for all new appointees of the church, is being chaired by the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, with support from the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, and the International Missions Director-elect, Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe.

Welcoming participants to the meeting at the Pentecost Pensions House, Gbawe, on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, Apostle Nyamekye said that the seminar was to help the new Area Heads familiarise themselves with their responsibilities to enable them excel in their new mandate.

In an exhortation titled “When You Have Become A King” based on 1 Samuel 8 and Deuteronomy 17:14-20, the Chairman stressed three pitfalls that the new appointees must avoid at all costs to excel in their new role. He enlisted them as personal glory/pride (acquiring a great number of horses), promiscuousness (taking many wives) and the love of money (accumulating large gold and silver).

Apostle Nyamekye advised them to commit themselves to the study of the word of God, saying that “The word of God gives life and teaches us how we can revere the Lord.”

He also urged them to be humble and not lord their new positions over the members and other subordinates. “Remember that you were taken from [your subordinates], so do not talk down on any pastor or member, rather look to build them up,” he advised.

Topics treated at the event include “Highlights of Vision 2023,” by Apostle Eric Nyamekye, “The Supervisory Role of the Area Head” presented by Apostle ANY Kumi-Larbi, “Financial Policies of the Church” presented by the Finance and Administration Director (FAD), Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko, “Audit, Monitoring and Evaluation Issues,” presented by the Audit, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at the headquarters, Elder Firang Boakye, and “Conditions of Service of Staff,” which was presented by the Human Resource Manager at the headquarters, Elder Samuel Mantey, among others.

SOURCE: PENTECOST NEWS

The Agormanya Area of The Church of Pentecost has dedicated its new Area mission house to the glory of the Lord. 

The GH₵ 1,146,231.21 edifice was dedicated by Apostle Samuel Osei Asante, Koforidua Area Head and Chairman of the Eastern Regional Coordinating Committee of the church, on behalf of Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on August 17, 2021. He was assisted by Apostle James Gabriel Quardson, the then Agormanya Area Head. 

The memorable service brought together church members, community leaders in the Area, the Area pastorate, and past heads of the Area. 

In a brief exhortation, Pastor A. E. K. Ekuban, the Area Head for Suhum, called on church leaders to see projects as part of the work of the ministry. Speaking on the topic, “A fine place to stay” (2 Kings 6:1-3), he narrated how the sons of the prophets sought permission from Prophet Elisha to expand their territory for them to have a fine place to stay since they were becoming many and the place of gathering was becoming too small.  

Pastor Ekuban told Christians, especially church leaders to value projects as part of their calling. He explained that after winning souls, a fine place must be prepared to house the souls for them to be taught the word of God. 

He called on church leaders to put up quality buildings that would stand the test of time. He further advised members of the church to also plan their personal projects as well, saying, “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” 

He concluded by admonishing the gathering to practice a proper maintenance culture of all projects. 

Pastor Theodore Ashia, the Area secretary who gave a brief background of the project, said that the need to put up a new mission house for the Area Head became necessary after Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, the immediate past Chairman of the church, and the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, visited the Area a couple of years ago. They recommended to the then Area Head, Apostle A. K. Miah, about the need to construct a modern edifice for the Area to suit the exigencies of the times.  

A plot of land was acquired in 2008 at a cost of GH₵4,000 by the then Area Head, Apostle S. R. Odoom (now retired), with support from the then Area Deacon, Elder Joshua Tetteh. Documentation for the new building began immediately after Apostle Joseph Assabil took over the administration of the Area. 

Apostle Jacob Narh Affum (now retired) took over from Apostle Assabil and continued with the project and laid the foundation stone on 23^rd July, 2017.  

In 2017, when Apostle James Gabriel Quardson, the immediate past Area Head, took over the leadership of the Area, he earnestly pursued the project till its completion and dedication. 

The building was not awarded to any contractor but experienced artisans in the church with the supervision of the Area Estate Committee members and the Area Deacon, Elder William Asare–Gyapong.  

The project was mainly funded by AIDF (GH₵ 255,874.03), Headquarters grants (GH₵ 100,000.00), individual donations (GH₵ 70,472.00), Graceland PIWC – Nungua (GH₵ 40,000.00), ADF/IGFS (GH₵ 649,885.18) and a GH₵ 30,000.00 donation from Apostle James & Mrs. Felicia Quardson.  

Report by Agormanya Area Media Team 

Olam-Ghana, a subsidiary of Olam International, a multinational agribusiness company, climaxed its Cocoa Managers’ Conference yesterday with a donation of GH¢20,000.00 towards The Church of Pentecost Chairman Education Foundation (COPCEF) at the Pentecost University (PU).

The Head of Cocoa Sustainability at Olam-Ghana, Mr Kennedy Ntoso, presented the donation to the university at a thanksgiving service held on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh. The event had the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye as the guest speaker.

In a brief remark after receiving the donation, the Head of the Centre for Ministerial Formation at the university, Apostle Dr. Samuel Ofori, thanked the company for giving generously towards a worthy cause. He stated that the gesture would go a long way to support students struggling to meet the financial demands of tertiary education.

Mr Ntoso revealed to PENTECOST NEWS in an interview after the event that although the donation was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility, it is also to support the well-intentioned social interventions of the church.

He was hopeful that the donation would serve as a source of encouragement to the church to continue to provide social support to the destitute and vulnerable in society in line with the “Possessing the Nations” agenda.

The Church of Pentecost Chairman Education Foundation (COPCEF) was set up in 2019 by the Chairman of the church and Vice-Chancellor of the university, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, with a primary objective to break the barrier of financial difficulties in the attainment of tertiary education. For more information on COPCEF visit: https://copcef.org/

SOURCE: PENTECOST NEWS

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the National Cathedral project, Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah has called on Christians in the country, Ghanaians in the diaspora and corporate bodies to contribute their quota to the building of the national iconic edifice.

The most touted National Cathedral project, which is to be built by the Christian community in Ghana, is expected to cost $250 Million UDS.

Speaking at the National Cathedral Fundraising Strategies launch at the Oil Dome of the Royal House Chapel International in Accra on Sunday, September 5, 2021, Apostle Opoku Onyinah, who is also the immediate past Chairman of  The Church of Pentecost and President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), said the project, which is owned by churches in Ghana, is expected to be completed in March 2024.

“It is hoped that with oneness of heart, we can achieve this to the glory of the Almighty God. Let us therefore arise and build,” he said.

Reading from Nehemiah 7:70-72, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees stated that as Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God, they must see the National Cathedral project as one of the gifts of God to Ghanaians.

According to him, the inclusion of the Bible Museum and the Biblical Garden will give the cathedral and enhanced outlook.

“The Bible Museum and the Biblical Garden will make the cathedral to become an educational and research resource centre, as well as another centre of attraction in the country,” he said, adding, “It has the potential of drawing the world to Ghana.”

With regards to the funding of the project, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah said that the government provided the land and seed money of 10 per cent of the total sum. Fortunately, he said, when the head of churches and their general secretaries met in August 2021, it was their cherished desire that the church in Ghana must own the project.

“Ownership brings responsibility. Therefore, the implication is that, we must develop strategies to raise funds to build the cathedral,” he said.

“To this end, it has been proposed that if the churches are able to mobilise at least one million Christians in the country who will faithfully commit themselves to contribute a minimum of GHS 100.00 every month for the next three years starting from September 2021, the necessary funds will be generated for the project. This is based on the premise that Christians constitute 71.2 per cent of Ghana’s population which translates into about 21.6million people.”

Apostle Prof. Onyinah continued: “Like in the days of Nehemiah, as the family heads and the people contributed to the building and restoration of the walls of Jerusalem, so also should all of us contribute to the building of this cathedral.”

He said the Board of Trustees had worked out some strategies to achieve the aforementioned goals by selecting 50 key church denominations to provide some expected number of people to contribute a minimum of GHS 100.00 a month for one year, starting from September 2021. This, according to him, could generate GHS100million ($16.67million) every month or GHS 1.2 billion, which is about $200million a year.

He added: “Other churches have been identified to give a certain number of people to contribute.

He encouraged all Ghanaians to contribute GHS 100.00 a month for the next three years. He disclosed that all churches in Ghana will be expected to set one week in a year dubbed: ‘National Cathedral Week’ for prayers and to raise funds to support the project. He further directed all churches in the country to launch the fundraising at their levels on September 19, 2021, to engender enthusiasm and participation of their members. Fundraising services will be launched in all regional capitals across the country in the coming days, he added.

According to Apostle Prof. Onyinah, contributors to the fund can pay to the MoMo short code *979# or various bank accounts provided by the Secretariat. Individuals and families, as well as corporate bodies, who contribute will have their names electronically generated and some embossed on the walls of the Cathedral, he disclosed.

In his welcome address, the Apostle General of the Royal House Chapel International, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah, called on the Christian community to own the project. He indicated that President Akufo-Addo does not own the National Cathedral, and that he [the President] is just the vision bearer.

“The National Cathedral project is not owned by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The Bible teaches us the model of how temples are built. For instance, when you read 2 Chronicles chapter 2 you realise that to build the temple, God places the vision in the heart of King David, and in our case the President. King David shared the vision of building God’s temple with his son Solomon. Solomon in our case would be the Board of Trustees whom the President shared his vision with to make sure that the the dream God placed in his heart is materialized and done according to plan,” he stated.

On his part, the Executive Secretary to the Cathedral Secretariat, Dr. Paul Opoku-Mensah, said the construction of the Cathedral was first announced by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, in his presidential address on March 6, 2017 where he informed Ghanaians about his intention to build the National Cathedral which would address a critical missing link in our national architecture where the State will have the opportunity to have formal religious activities including state burials, presidential inaugural services, among others.

Some of the features of the cathedral are a 5000 auditorium but expandable to 20,000 during national events, chapels which can be rented to churches, prayer rooms, crept where leaders of society and national figures can be buried, among others.

SOURCE: PENTECOST NEWS

The National Blood Service (NBS) in Ghana is experiencing shortfalls in its bloodstock. This unfortunate development has been attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the reluctance of many Ghanaians to make voluntary blood donations.

To help address the aforementioned situation, James McKeown Worship Centre (JMWC) in the Dansoman Area of The Church of Pentecost in collaboration with the National Blood Service (NBS), has organised a blood donation exercise to help stock the National Blood Bank and also help save lives of patients. 

“If we donate blood, we help people and save lives, including ours, because you don’t know when you or your loved one would be in need of blood,” he said. 

The exercise was part of the weeklong National Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS) celebration under the theme “Re-Branding the Social Ministry to Drive the Possessing the Nations Agenda of the Church.”

The exercise took place on Sunday August 29, 2021, at the church premises. The event saw about 71 members of the JMWC donating pints of blood to support the noble cause.

Speaking to PENTECOST NEWS on the sidelines of the event, the Resident Minister of JMWC, Pastor Dr Perez Sepenu, said both him and his wife, Dr. Naa Akushia Sepenu, both practicing specialists at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KATH), underscored the need for blood donation exercises. 

He said blood saves lives, adding that one of the leading causes of death amongst pregnant women was Hemorrhage, a condition where a woman bleeds uncontrollably during, before, during or after delivery.

“Therefore, blood donation goes to help such patients whose condition can only be managed by blood and blood products as part of their treatment,” Dr Sepenu stated.

He also noted that the blood donation exercise is in line with the Church’s “Possessing the Nations” agenda (Vision 2023).

Mr. Jonas Belko, the National Blood Bank Coordinator, commended JMWC for supporting the exercise and encouraged other churches and corporate bodies to emulate the good example.

As part of the event, all the donors were given packs of milo, tins of milk and other souvenirs such as T-shirts, keyholders and books, as tokens of appreciation.

SOURCE: THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST NEWS

Thirty-three persons who have served The Church of Pentecost in various capacities have been honoured by the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye.

They were presented with plaques, letters of appreciation and tokens in recognition of their invaluable services to the church and God.

The ceremony, which took place at the Pentecost Pension House, Gbawe in Accra, on Friday, September 3, 2021, also saw the inauguration of the newly established Pent Media Board.

The reviewed national committee/board chairmen and members include Apostle Dr. Alfred Koduah, now retired (Chairman of the Constitutional Amendment Committee), Apostle Joseph Assabil and Elder Dr. Ebenezer Nii Ayittey Tagoe (Members of the Missions Board), and Mrs. Sheila Nyaneba Hayfron (National Executive Committee Member of the Women’s Ministry).

Others are Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe (Chairman of the defunct Media Board), Pastor Kwasi Asante Annor, Pastor Dr. Felix Dela Klutse, Elder Joseph Mbrokor-Ewoal and Elder Justice Eric Kyei Baffour (all Members of the defunct Media Board).

Others are Pastor Emmanuel Danah (former Media Ministry Pastor), Pastor Isaac Annor (former Publications Officer and Member of the Literature Committee and Press Board), Elder Dr. Adom Adu-Amoah, Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Kwesi Anim, Elder Charles O. Frimpong, and Elder Dr. Gibson Annor-Antwi (Chairman and Members of the defunct Pent TV Board respectively).

The rest are Elder Matthew Nkansah, Elder Lawyer Bernard Bosumprah, Elder Lawyer Peter Adaliwe Kaba, Ms. Portia Abena Dufie and Ms. Akosua Somuah as well as Elder Gibson Annor-Antwi (all Members of the Electoral Commission).

Apostle Ekow Badu Wood, now retired (Chairman of the Press Board, Member of the Ministerial Committee and Pentecost Convention Centre Board), Mrs. Mabel Darko (Member of the Press Board), Apostle David Nyansah Hayfron (Member of the National Ministerial Committee), Pastor Henry Sowah Ako-Nai (Member of the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee), Apostle Emmanuel Kwasi Osei Ofosu, Apostle Jones Awuah Afrifa and Pastor Stephen Frimpong Koranteng, now retired (all Members of the Records, Archives, and Statistics Committee), Evangelist Shadrack Ohene-Asa Otu (former Deputy Evangelism Director) and Pastor Percy Nii Tackie-Otoo (former National Secretary of the Evangelism Ministry) were all recognized for their dedicated services to the church.

Some reviewed Area Deacons, namely Elders Samuel B. Sackey of Achimota Area, Isaac Asare of Obuasi Area and the late Jacob Nii Ashie of Yendi Area, were also appreciated for the incredible roles they have played in the church.

Meanwhile, the newly inaugurated Pent Media Board is constituted as follows: Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi (Chairman), Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko (FAD), Pastor Kwasi Asante Annor (Secretary). Other members of the board are Elder Dr. Adom Adu-Amoah, Pastor Dr. Felix Dela Klutse, Pastor Paul Odai Laryea, Elder Charles O. Frimpong, Elder Matthew Nkansah, Elder Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, Elder Lawyer Peter Adaliwe Kaba, Elder Isaac Boamah Darko, Deaconess Efua Garbrah-Sarfo, Elder Philip Osei Bonsu and Ms. Akua Boakyewa Yiadom.

Speaking at the event, Apostle Eric Nyamekye highly commended the reviewed chairmen and members of the various national committees and boards for serving with all their strength and resources. He urged them to throw their weights behind their successors so that the work of God will continue to grow.

He also congratulated members of the Pent Media Board on their appointment and charged them to bring their expertise to bear to help realise the vision of establishing the Media Centre.

The Board Chairman, Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, speaking on behalf of members of the board, thanked the leadership of the church for confidence reposed in them by selecting them to serve on the board. He pledged their preparedness to do their best to project the image of the church positively in realization of the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda.

PENTECOST NEWS.