Posts in category: Church News

The remains of the late Pastor Robert Odame (retired) were on Saturday, June 15, 2024, laid to rest after a memorial and burial service was held in his honour at the forecourt of Ejurahene’s Palace in Ejura, Ashanti Region.

The service which was officiated by Apostle Sylvester Arhin (Takoradi Area Head and Executive Council Member), assisted by Apostle Samuel Kwabena Asare (Mampong Area Head), was well attended by ministers and their wives within Ashanti Region, officers of the church, family members, friends and well-wishers.

Delivering a short exhortation, Pastor Emmanuel Tete Asare of Jamasi District stressed that it is better to die as a righteous person.

Referencing from Revelation 14:13, Ezekiel 33:11 and Numbers 23:10, he said that though death is inevitable and non-negotiable, the type of death can be decided or chosen.

He disclosed that there are three types of death: the physical death, spiritual death and eternal death.

“Unlike the sinner who experiences all three types of death, the righteous only experience the physical death by losing the physical body and yet receives a glorified body (1 Corinthians 5:1-3),” he said.

He added: “Since nobody arrives at a destination by chance and the greater bulk of our lives will be spent in eternity, wisdom demands that we pay attention to our eternal destination by preparing to die.”

He noted that for one to die the death of a righteous, “the person must live the life of the righteous and not just desire it like Balaam only desired it” (Numbers 23:10). He espoused the blessedness of the righteous person’s death to include rest from their labour, no more hunger or thirst, tears being wiped away and eternal reign with Christ.

He urged believers to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ (their visa to a glorious death and eternal life in heaven) even in the event of the death of a righteous man in the person of Pastor Odame just as Isaiah did (Isaiah 6:1).

 “If so, you will die, then die as righteous person,” Pastor Yeboah Asare concluded.

Commiserating with the bereaved family, Apostle Sylvester Arhin said: “Teacher Osofo, as I affectionately called Pastor Robert Kofi Odame, was the one who ushered me into leadership roles during my Sunday School days. He was a good man and a disciplined gallant soldier of the cross whose life and ministry is worthy of emulation by all.”     

Ejura Hene, Elder Nana Barima Osei Hwedie II, also paid a sorrowful and heartfelt tribute to his late brother by requesting a special song be sung in his honour.

Biography of Pastor Robert Odame

The late Pastor Robert Odame (retired) was born on August 8, 1954, at Mampong in the Ashanti Region to the late Robert Dwomoh Anto from Asaam-Ashanti and Margaret Akosua Addai of Mampong Mprafie. He was the second born of his parents.

Robert Odame had his early education at Mampong Ashanti Methodist from Primary one to six between 1961 and 1968. He continued at New Yakasi, near Enchi, from Middle School Form One to Four and completed in 1973 with the Middle School Leaving Certificate (MSLC).

After his MSLC, he attended Philips Commercial College at Kumasi-Bantama in 1974 and came out with the General Certificate of Education – Ordinary Level (GCE ‘O’ Level) in 1977.

He was invited to attend a military interview at Apremdo Military Barracks, but his father who was a military officer, did not allow him to accept the invitation.

He was later employed at the Department of Game and Wildlife at Ejura Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve as an Accounts Clerk in 1978.

Robert Odame accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour in 1972 during a convention that took place at New Yakasi, near Enchi in the Western Region and was baptised by Pastor Gyekye Ampem of blessed memory in 1972.

In 1984, Robert got married to Miss Helena Gyamfuah Ntim (now Mrs Helena Odame). The Lord blessed the marriage with three children, two females and a male.

In 1986, Robert answered the call into the full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost at Asante Mampong during the tenure of Pastor F. T. Obuobi, whilst the late Apostle A. T. Nartey was the Ashanti Regional Head. Having served in various stations, including Sankore, Effiakuma, Bohyen, Begoro, Adenta and New Dormaa as District Pastor, and retired from active service in 2019, he settled at Atwima Maakro.

On April 7, 2024, Pastor Odame, untimely responded to the inevitable call to the shock of family, friends and colleagues in ministry.

Tributes

His wife, Helena, described him as a God-fearing person who loved everyone irrespective of their age.  

His children described him as “a man of the word and prayer who helped us build our spiritual lives.”

The General Council of the Church stated: “Pastor Robert Odame was a fine minister who loved doing his Master’s bidding. He was very zealous for the Lord and ever ready to defend his faith at all costs.”

Report By Mampong Area Media Ministry

The Agormanya Area of The Church of Pentecost organised a one-day seminar for all Presiding Elders and Local Secretaries in the Area to acquaint them with the directives outlined in the Church’s Vision 2028 document.

The event, held under the theme “Implementing Vision 2028 in the Local Assembly,” took place at the PIWC-Agormanya Auditorium on Saturday, June 9, 2024.

The Agormanya Area Head, Apostle Dr. Samuel Kojo Gakpetor, who convened the meeting, addressed participants on the importance of implementing Vision 2028 at their respective local assemblies by aligning all local activities with the vision.

According to him, the vision seeks to involve all members in ministry for the conversion and transformation of souls and society.

“Your local must be Vision 2028 compliant. The footprint of Vision 2028 must be seen in your local assembly; therefore, work with Vision 2028 as the church knows its direction through this vision,” he said.

Dr. Samuel Gakpetor urged every church leader to set targets from Vision 2028, plan monthly activities, and monitor and evaluate the set targets.

He charged Presiding Elders to plan evangelism outreaches, and effective follow-ups, and assimilate all new converts and new members into the local church.

Emphasising the role of personal and corporate discipleship, Dr. Gakpetor encouraged the gathering to train members and officers to prioritise their daily personal devotion and ensure the effective running of the Home Cell and Bible Studies as enshrined in Vision 2028.

Pastor Jacob Kwakye Frimpong, the Akuse District Pastor and Area Executive Committee Member, gave a presentation on “The Marks of Effective Church Service.”

He stated that church services at all levels must be conducted in an orderly and decent manner with the purpose of strengthening and deepening the spiritual life of the saints.

He admonished Presiding Elders and other key leaders of the service sections to prayerfully prepare and deeply study the scriptures for divine illumination so that the messages will promote the spiritual health of the church.

For organising effective church services, he highlighted the need to arrange meeting places properly, choose appropriate sermons relevant to each occasion, assign roles to members in a timely manner, and ensure language interpretation is available for those who need it.

He also emphasised the importance of starting services on time and ensuring the availability of power during outages. Pastor Kwakye Frimpong described the Ministers’ Handbook as an indispensable tool for an effective Pentecostal service.

The Agormanya Area Secretary, Pastor Eddie Sarpong, guided the gathering through a redesigned monthly report form, which will serve as a source document for reporting.

Reading from Exodus 34:1, he admonished the attendees to keep accurate records of all church activities diligently.

He emphasised the importance of being faithful to the church’s statistics, which are essential for decision-making.

The program, attended by 196 persons comprising the Pastorate, Presiding Elders, and Secretaries of various local assemblies in the area, highlighted the significance of accurate record-keeping for decision-making within the church, among other important topics.

Report by Agormanya Area Media Team

The Schools Outreach Ministry (SOM) of the Doblo Gonno District of The Church of Pentecost organised a Subject Briefings event on Saturday, June 8, 2024, for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates in the Doblo Gonno community and its environs to adequately prepare them for the forthcoming exams.

The seminar saw an impressive assemblage of 191 candidates from nine different schools. These eager students gathered at the Central Assembly, where they were guided through essential subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.

The facilitators, all experienced West African Examination Council (WAEC) examiners, shared valuable tips to help candidates avoid common errors often encountered in the exam hall. Spanning from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm, the seminar was buoyed by the magnanimous support of the various church ministries.

The Youth and Children’s Ministries sponsored the event, providing free pens and rulers. Concurrently, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM) supplied bags of water to keep everyone hydrated.

The seminar culminated in an edifying sermonette by the District Minister, Pastor Kwabena Darko-Mensah, who expounded on the theme “Combating Fear,” based on 2 Timothy 1:7. Pastor Darko-Mensah’s stirring message, coupled with an invigorating prayer session, sought to embolden the candidates, instilling in them the confidence to surmount any trepidations regarding their exams.

The event proved to be a dual-faceted success, offering both intellectual enrichment and spiritual upliftment. Notably, it resulted in the spiritual conversion of 14 individuals, including a Muslim attendee.

The distinguished facilitators for the seminar were Deaconess Alberta Oppong, who covered Social Studies, Elder Collins Kobia, who tackled Mathematics, Mr. Tettey, who instructed on English Language, and Mr. Sadick Mohammed, who handled Science.

Report by Doblo Gonno District Media Team