Posts in category: Moving With Chairman

Out-going ministry directors of The Church of Pentecost and their National Executive Committee (NEC) Members have been lauded for their invaluable services to the Church.

“We want to show our appreciation to you for what you have done for the Church. You have done what you could and you need to be proud of serving the Church,” the Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, said this during a certificate presentation ceremony held in honour of the reviewed directors and their NEC members at the Headquarters at La, Accra, on Friday, October 16, 2020, ahead of the farewell and induction service scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 18, at PIWC Atomic.

The outgoing directors are Apostle Fred Tiakor (Children’s Director), who served from 2012 to 2020;  Deaconess Grace Lucy Yeboah-Asuama (Women’s Director), who served from 2012 to 2020; Apostle Emmanuel Ofei Ankra-Badu (PEMEM Director), who served from 2016 to 2020; Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko (Finance and Administration Director – FAD), who served from 2001 to 2020; Elder Amos Kevin-Annan (Deputy Youth Director), who served from 2004 to 2020, and Deaconess Margaret Osei (Deputy Women’s Director), who served from 2012 to 2020.

The reviewed NEC members from the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM) are Pastor Joseph Agbemor (2012 to 2020) and Pastor Joseph Quaicoo (2012 to 2020).

The Women’s Ministry reviewed NEC members are Mrs. Rebecca Assabil (2016 to 2020), Mrs. Mabel Darko (2015 to 2020), Deaconess Victoria Aboah (2012 to 2020), Deaconess Juliana Asare Debrah (2012 to 2020), and Deaconess Gladys Atujona (2012 to 2020).

From the Youth Ministry are Pastor Nii Okaija Sackey (2012 to 2020), Elder Makafui Nyamadi (2012 to 2020), Elder Dr. Omare Siaw (2012 to 2020), Mrs. Gifty Dansoa Appiah (2012 to 2020), and Deaconess Gina Asante (2012 to 2020).

The reviewed NEC members from the Children’s Ministry are Pastor P. G. Andoh (2012 to 2020), Elder K. Asare-Twerefour (2008 to 2020), Deaconess Rita Yedu (2004 to 2020), and Mrs. Victoria Abeo-Tetteh (2012 to 2020).

In a short exhortation based on Ecclesiastics 1:1-4, Hebrews 6:10, Mark 14:8, the Chairman said that it is gratifying to serve one’s generation. According to him, though human beings may forget generations gone by, God, who is not unjust, will always remember them.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye indicated that the reviewed directors and the NEC members will have their names imprinted in the history books of the Church and the ministries for their dedicated services.

He entreated them to keep the fellowship they have established over the years even though their terms have ended, and also support their successors with their prayers and advice for them to succeed.

Elder Amos Kevin-Annan (the out-going Deputy Youth Director) on behalf of the reviewed directors and the NEC members expressed their profound gratitude to God for endowing them with grace to serve the Church. He also thanked the leadership of the Church for the confidence reposed in them to be appointed to serve the Church in various capacities.

Present at the event were the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi; the International Missions Director, Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo; Apostle Joseph Assabil (Takoradi Area Head/Executive Council Member), and Prophet David Beditor Kankam (Ashaiman Area Head/Executive Council Member), among others.

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The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has noted that  salvation is not the preserve of particular group of people but anyone who believes the Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“An exodus continues today; an exodus from sin and death through Christ’s death and the power of His resurrection that is why the voice of Isaiah is still sounding ‘Who has believed our report?’. Anyone who believes this message shall be saved,” he stressed.

Apostle Nyamekye said this on Sunday, October 11, 2020, in a weekly televised service on Pent TV dubbed ‘Sunday Special Evening Service With The Chairman’ as part of his series on The Nature of the Flock.

In a sermon on the topic: “Who Has Believed Our Message?”, the Chairman recounted the role Jesus played in the redemption of humankind. According to him, the whole Scripture is the report of the redemption of humankind from the dominion of sin.

“Within this report is a message, the redemption story, the gospel, the truth, the death and resurrection of Christ,” he said, adding, “Within the stories of the Bible, God has set eternity within it.”

Reading from Isaiah 53:1, Apostle Nyamekye revealed that the arm of God is the power of God in action and that whoever believes this message shall benefit from the hand of God that is stretched again which, he noted, is the second exodus.

He explained that unlike the first exodus which focused only on the deliverance of the Israelites, the second exodus is for the deliverance of all nations (Isaiah 52: 10-12).

“The first was for deliverance from the paws of Pharaoh and Egyptian slavery but this second one is for the deliverance from sin and death through Christ’s death and power of His resurrection. In the first exodus, they had to rush out but this second exodus, there is newness of God’s plan – no more in a hurry because God will go ahead of them and also be their rear guard,” he said.

Citing the Ethiopian Eunuch, an African, who was saved and baptized immediately after believing the report in Isaiah 53:7-8, the Chairman said that in this second exodus there is no barrier or impediment to the salvation of those who believe in the gospel.

He noted that the message in the report was prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 52:7; 53:1-12) which talks about the Messiah’s exaltation, humiliation and exaltation and those prophecies have been perfectly fulfilled by the Lord Jesus with much reference being made to it in the New Testament.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye also took viewers through many instances in the Bible (Jeremiah 23:5; Isaiah 11:3-16; Zechariah 3:8-10, 6:12, 15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 11:17-19; Philippians 2:5-10) where Jesus Christ is described as ‘Branch’ which strayed and swayed to save mankind from their sins.

“All of us have strayed but He was punished as if He has strayed too. We strayed form the path of God and He had to stray to redeem us. It is on this scripture that the prophets called Him as Branch. He strayed to bring us in. He came to seek and save that which was lost. He swayed to graft us in.

We, who were far off, because of Christ who went out of His way have been brought near through the cross. We have been adopted into the family of God. Branches were broken off so that we could be grafted in.

Who has believed our report and upon whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. If you believe this report you will be saved. Every portion of this report is true and authentic,” he stated.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye has advised ministers and officers of the church not to only preoccupy themselves with discharging their responsibilities as church leaders but ensure that they do not drift away from the faith. 

According to him, Heaven remains the ultimate goal of every Christian, as a result, they ought to go about their duties as church leaders while consciously ensuring that their souls remain saved. 

Apostle Nyamekye gave this admonition during his meeting with Officers in the Dansoman Area on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, at the PIWC-Dansoman church auditorium in Accra.

The Chairman read Hebrews 3:12-15, among other scriptures, to reecho the need for Christians, particularly church leaders, to regularly examine themselves to see if they are still in the faith. 

This, according to him, would enable them to hold fast to the gospel they have received, lest they drift away from the faith.

Apostle Nyamekye indicated that the “drifting process” is not instant, but gradual, hence, church leaders may seem to be going about their duties as usual, and yet, be oblivious of the fact they are slowly moving away from the faith.

He, therefore, urged them to be careful about the people they associate with, even in the church, so that they are not negatively influenced by them.

Apostle Nyamekye further noted that one key thing that could cause them to stumble is a disease of the heart known as bitterness. He described bitterness as the seeds of resentment lodging in the human heart.

Expounding on the topic: “Bitterness,” the Chairman explained that the human being is tripartite and complex in nature, in that “he is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body.”

He added that what people usually see is the body; however, the spirit and soul of the human being is not invisible, and this is what the Bible usually refers to as the inner man (the soul or spirit) or the heart.

Apostle Nyamekye indicated that God is, therefore, interested in the state of the inner man or the heart because out of him flows all the issues of life.

He read Matthew 12:35, to reiterate that it is the inner man who dictates the actions of an individual that is why they must always be concerned about the state of the heart.

“A good man out of the good stored up in him will bring out good fruit and a bad man out of the evil stored up in him will bring up evil fruit, “he emphasized.

Explaining how bitterness gets into the heart, the Chairman said that no one consciously stores up evil in their heart, however, as they engage others and the things around them they unconsciously take in new things within. 

He, therefore, cautioned them to consciously guard the heart because evil can make its way into it and cause them to perpetrate evil. On the other hand, when they allow the goodness of the love of God into their hearts, they become the good people that God has destined them to be.

He also advised persons nursing bitter emotions, to rid themselves of such negative emotions because it could lead to far-reaching consequences.

“When one is filled with bitterness, he or she is like one infected with HIV or COVID-19. This is because once you contract it, it becomes a problem for yourself and it begins to destroy you. But it does not end there. You also become a carrier of the virus which makes it possible for you to transfer it to other persons,” he explained.

Apostle Nyamekye revealed that bitter people tend to keep mental records of the wrong done to them, have sharp and hurtful tongues and are very vengeful or unforgiving. He added that nursing bitterness could also lead to insomnia (inability to sleep) and other diseases such as ulcer and high blood pressure. He also added that bitterness dries up one’s anointing and causes them to lose their faith in God.

In overcoming bitterness, Apostle Eric Nyamekye stated some five (5) facts of life that every Christian must internalize. He noted that: “to avoid becoming bitter you must accept the fact that not everyone would like or love you, not everyone would understand you, disappointment is a fact of life, the world is not fair, and bad things happen to good people.” 

The Chairman concluded his message with an advice to Christians to desist from expressing their bitter emotions angrily. He said that expressing bitterness would not make them meet the standard of righteousness that God expects of them. He also advised them against repressing (suppressing) their bitter emotions, because people who do so tend to be hypocrites and live a life of duplicity. Instead, he urged them to always confess their bitter emotions to God, and if possible, to the offender for an amicable resolution.

The meeting with Officers is part of the Chairman’s three-day visit to the Dansoman Area. It is also the Chairman’s first visit to the Area since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March this year.

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The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, met officers in the Downtown Ofaakor Area on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, to start his three-day visit to the Area.

The meeting, which took place at the Downtown Central church auditorium, was the Chairman’s first official visit to the Area since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Apostle Nyamekye took the opportunity to commend the officers for their hard work and sacrifices in maintaining fellowship within the church even in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He, however, cautioned that as church leaders it is important that they regularly examine themselves to see if they are still in the faith. He said that it is not enough to go about their duties as officers but what is most important is that they remain in the faith.

He, therefore, urged them to show value for the salvation they have received in Christ Jesus and must be prepared to hold on to it till the end at all cost.

Speaking on the topic: “Bitterness,” Apostle Eric Nyamekye explained that the human being is a tripartite being made up of a spirit, soul and body.

“The human being is a spirit who has a soul and lives in a body. The heart is the combination of the soul and the spirit. The Bible describes that as the inner man, the man on the inside,” he said.

He said that bitterness is a seed of resentment in the human heart. However, people do not consciously store up evil, but when they keep offences within them, it grows and causes harm to them and those around them.

According to the Chairman, a lot of Christians have backslidden due to offences inflicted on them in church which they did not let go.

He said that God expects believers to have a pure heart because it is only those who are pure in heart that would see God (Matthew 5:8).

Referring to the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis Chapter 4, Apostle Nyamekye said that God saw the bitterness in Cain’s heart and forewarned him to master it, unfortunately, he did not heed to his warnings and ended up killing his own brother in cold blood.

He said that whenever people are embittered, they give room to the devil to water the bitter seeds to cause havoc to themselves and those around them.

Reading Matthew 12:35 and 15:18-20, the Chairman asserted that a good man is known from what flows out from within them and that translates into his/her actions. “You will not see it from the kind of attire she/he is wearing, rather by the state of his/her heart. What this implies is that the stores of the heart determine our actions and ultimately defines us,” he said.

The Chairman indicated that people who are consumed by bitterness are unforgiving and keep mental records of wrongs, saying, “Some even go to the extent of writing them down in a diary for record-keeping purposes. They tend to have very poisonous and sharp tongues due to the pent-up resentments they keep within. Hence, anytime they open their mouths to speak, they spew all forms of vituperations and invectives, sometimes, without even noticing it themselves.”

He also noted that bitterness weakens the individual spiritually and causes their anointing to run dry.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye, therefore, urged church leaders and Christians in general, to rid themselves of any bitterness they may be nursing within in and to guard the heart against the malady of bitterness (Proverbs 4:23) so that they would not lose their position in Christ.

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The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has said that authority is given to leaders, particularly church leaders, to build others up and not for tearing them down.

According to him, people are not placed in positions of authority to lord themselves or undermine those under them, but to exert special influence over their subordinates and inspire them towards the realisation of permanent beneficial goals that fulfil real needs.

The Chairman said this on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, during an orientation programme for newly appointed/called Apostles, Ministry Directors and Area Heads at the Pentecost Pension Guesthouse, Gbawe.

Speaking on the topic: “Power and Authority,” Apostle Nyamekye explained that although power and authority are sometimes used interchangeably, they are both distinct in meaning.

He noted that whereas “Authority is the mandate to perform, Power is the ability to perform or cause effect.” Another difference he pointed out was that whilst authority is given, power is generated by the individual.

Expounding more on the former, he explained that authority is given by a higher authority (Numbers 27:20), and for this reason, the leader to which the authority has been given is always accountable to the source of his or her authority. He, therefore, emphasised that authority is measured (Ezra 7:24) and could be taken away when not effectively exercised (Daniel 4:31).

The Chairman further noted that since authority is conferred, people are always curious to find out or question its source. He cited an instance in Luke 8:1-8 when Jesus Christ was questioned by His hearers on whose authority He was teaching.

“This was a legitimate question the people asked Jesus. They wanted to know by whose authority he was operating. Jesus knowing this responded with another question because He did not want to respond to them,” he said.

He said that the Lord Jesus has conferred on believers the authority to drive out demons, cure diseases, preach the Good News and to heal the sick (Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 9:1-2, Philippians 2:9-11) and should, therefore, exercise this authority in His name.

Apostle Nyamekye noted that people always want to test the authority of a person to prove the amount of power they carry. “Hence, authority should be able to answer questions, solve problems and meet needs. When authority fails to do these, then, it lacks power, and this creates dissatisfaction and all sorts of chaos,” he cautioned.

Buttressing this assertion, he quoted 2 Chronicles 9:1-6 and pointed out how Queen Sheba, having heard about the wisdom of Solomon, went to him to test him with hard questions in an attempt to find out whether the report she had heard about him was valid. Solomon, however, was able to answer all her queries to the extent that she became overwhelmed by his wisdom.

He, therefore, urged church leaders who have received this authority to work to generate power to affirm the calling which they have received. “A man’s physical appearance may give an impression of him but what he carries on the inside will define his or her destiny; real power is within, it is found in the inner person,” he asserted.

He reiterated that “unlike authority which can be taken away, the power generated can never be stolen or lost because it comes as a result of one’s effort.”

To generate enough power for effectiveness, the Chairman avowed requires that they wait upon the Lord and seek His knowledge through the consistent study of His word, stressing that: “Authority is earned or conferred, but you need to back it up with power to be effective.”

He also urged them to seek to learn of Jesus, drink on the Holy Ghost and feed on the Word and work hard at increasing their capacity.

He said that when church leaders undertake such spiritual exercises, streams of living water will flow from within them so that their followers who thirst for God could drink (John 7:37-38) and be happy.

PENTECOST5 NEWS

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has urged ministers and their spouses to devote themselves to fasting and praying in order to excel in their mandate.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye made this clarion call on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, during Day Two of the ongoing Global Ministers and Wives’ Retreat of the Greater-Accra West Zone of the Church at the Sampson Okyere Memorial Temple. 

Exhorting ministers and their wives on the topic: “Fasting,” the Chairman said that, like Abraham (Genesis 12:1-2), God desires to make anyone who submits to Him a blessing to others. He, however, noted that this could only come to pass if the individual avails themselves to be moulded by God as clay in the hand of the potter (Jeremiah18:1-6).

He said that the process of moulding may not always be an easy one, but one is certain that it would lead to a desirable end.

He noted that a significant part of this process is the practice of fasting and praying. He said that as ministers of the Gospel it is expedient that they spend considerable amount of time with God, so that they would always receive life to bless others.

Reading Mark 3:13 and Luke 6:12, the Chairman pointed out how Jesus, their utmost example, often spent time, praying to God, sometimes throughout the night. He urged ministers to drink deep from the spirit so that they would be able to impact those entrusted to their care.

Touching on the benefits of fasting, Apostle Eric Nyamekye used Daniel as an example of a man who regularly engaged in fasting and praying. He also shared some of his personal experiences on how fasting has been beneficial to his ministry to encourage ministers to do same to cause a great revival in the church. 

He said that every revival begins with repentance, thus, a decision to return to God or change from one’s old ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). He however, stressed that repentance must always be backed by action and not mere rhetoric.

Apostle Nyamekye said that when ministers devote themselves to fasting and prayer, they would be able to minister to the spiritual needs of their members. He said that the practice of fasting and prayer, therefore, helps the minister to grow spiritually and to be more spiritually potent.

Other benefits of fasting, according to the Chairman, were that it sharpens one’s spiritual giftings, brings breakthroughs and restoration and causes them to stay spiritually fresh (Luke 2:25-38).

Apostle Eric Nyamekye, therefore, called on church leaders to minister (serve) through fasting and praying as is recorded of Anna in the Bible (Luke 2:36-37).

Through the Global Ministers and Wives’ Retreat dubbed “GMWR”, which is being held from Monday, August 10, to Friday, August 14, 2020, the leadership of The Church of Pentecost aims to lead the charge for a great revival in the church and the world.

Present at the meeting were the General Secretary, Apostle ANY Kumi-Larbi, Apostle David Tettey Tekper (Achimota Area Head), Mrs Mary Nyamekye (Wife of the Chairman), as well as ministers and wives in the Greater-Accra West Zone comprising the Achimota, Odorkor, Kaneshie, Anyaa Ablekuma, Dansoman Areas, Kasoa and the Downtown Ofaakor Areas.

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