The Resident Minister for Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Graceland, Pastor Felix Okyere Anti, has charged ministers and wives to do well in discharging their ministerial service to the very end.
Pastor Anti, who doubles as the Administrative Secretary to the General Secretary of the Church, made the call when he delivered a sermon at the Ministers and Wives’ session of the recently-held Sawla Area 2024 Apostolisation in Sawla.
Using Colossians 4:17 as his foundational text, Pastor Felix Anti said that Apostle Paul’s caution to Achippus to finish his ministry strong indicates that one could also finish the ministry “weak.”
He explained that ministry is a call unto service and not a call to ridership or dominance but to offer special service to people. “In the real ministry sense, we are in to serve God, which is not anything to boast about,” he said.
The PIWC-Graceland Resident Minister further noted that when people are made ambassadors, they serve their countrymen in a foreign land. But in ministry, ministers have been called as ambassadors of Christ to serve humanity.
Reading from 1 Timothy 3:1-3, he stated that Apostle Paul admonished Timothy to live above reproach for the office of an overseer is a noble office. “There is nobility around the ministry, and therefore, there is a pastor who can transform many lives. Try then to be the standard of ministry and try your best to grow every day to make the needed impact,” he advised.
Pastor Anti noted that the “unleashed” minister must possess certain qualities that would help maximise their impact in the world. “We must not be mediocre ministers but be temperate and self-controlled. Be respectable and highly esteemed by your people. You must be hospitable and approachable,” he said.
Touching on the various types of ministries, Pastor Anti quoted Romans 12:3-8 to indicate that there are four kinds of ministries, namely: General Ministry, Pastoral Ministry, Ministry of Reconciliation, and Ministry of Sacrifice.
The General Ministry, he explained, is the understanding that every believer has a measure of faith relative to the grace of God and has different gifts. The unleashed minister then must teach and urge the members to identify their gifts and ensure they are working in the church, stressing that “The measure of one’s fulfilment in life is the ability to finish the ministry strong.”
The second type, which he mentioned as the pastoral ministry, is seen in Ephesians 4:11-12. The work of ministry, he stressed, is the equipping of the people, that is, the building of the members who are the body of Christ that makes them change agents to impact their world.
The third type, Ministry of Reconciliation, is the mandate given to the believer to share the good news of the redemptive work of Christ to mankind in order to reconcile the world back to God. “We have been mandated to work instead of God and must endeavour to make the needed impact and be proud of the experiences,” he said.
Making reference to 1 Peter 5:2, he emphasised the role of the unleashed minister of the flock of God who must serve from a pure heart. “Don’t be a butcher but a shepherd who will care for the flock and nurture them and present them blameless before God.”
Pastor Anti said that shepherding the flock of God is a delicate task as it involves souls and their destinies.
Ending his presentation, the Administrative Secretary touched on the ministry of sacrifice as a critical component of the unleashed minister.
“We are called to sacrifice. Christ Jesus left his glory to save us; therefore, as servants of God, we must endeavour to sacrifice and ensure that all men get saved. So, go all out and do your best to bring others into the kingdom of God. We are jars of clay unto whom God has put his Spirit,” he said.
He, however, cautioned the ministers to beware of the giant killers (Girls, Females, and Sex; Gold, Finance, and Silver; Glory, Fame, and Self) as they go all out to transform their world to finish strong.
“Remember the devil is not in a hurry to get you; check your morals, your desires, money, among others. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Always set the boundaries and draw the line of resistance while you transform your world and finish strong,” he stated.
Report by Overseer Jones Dwomoh Amankwah (Mandari District)
