Posts in category: Moving With Chairman

Ministers and their wives of The Church of Pentecost in the Greater Accra Region have been admonished to pursue excellence in their ministerial endeavours and build a solid church that would become agent of transformation.

 Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, made the call when addressing The Church of Pentecost ministers and their wives from 13 administrative areas of the church in the Greater Accra Region at the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Atomic, Accra on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.

“Everything matters when you are leading a church in a cosmopolitan place – your church location, ushering and protocol system, sound system, among others. Let’s look for excellence as far as worship is concerned because we are in a serious competition here in Accra,” he charged the ministers and their wives.

He cited several scriptures including Colossians 1:27-29, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, 1 Corinthians 9:17-22, and encouraged the ministers and their wives to work for God and the church from their hearts in line with the policies of the church.  

Apostle Nyamekye further charged them to pray and receive more grace and fresh anointing from God to grow the church in all facets such as membership growth, spiritual growth and financial growth.

“When you are in the city, you need fresh anointing because here the dynamics are different. You can’t make a difference if you are comfortable with the status quo. This calls for hard work since ministry is about hard work,” he said.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost took the ministers and their wives through some dynamics in the city such as polarization, religious diversity, commercialization of almost everything, high population, among others, which come with their attendant challenges.

According to him, because Accra is the seat of the church, whatever ministers in the city do has rippling effects on the entire church.

“Let us, therefore, take the spiritual life of our churches in the city seriously. We want our churches in Accra to be on fire. If the fire is burning here, it will have a ripple effect on the rest of the churches outside the capital,” he noted.

Touching on some of the downsides of the ministry in Accra, the Chairman advised them to be cautious of the following since it can adversely affect their ministry: materialism, unbridled pursuit for educational laurels at the expense of the church, the quest for promotion and position which leads to backbiting in order to please leadership, fast life, and many others.

Treating the subject, “Pastor To Pastor” with readings from John chapter 15, Matthew 13:31-32, Philippians 2:25, 2 Samuel 10:9-12, Colossians 4:10, Apostle Nyamekye called on ministers of the church and their wives to do the work of ministry in unity by collaborating the effort of like-minded ministers to push the work of God forward.  

“There is no single church or denomination that can meet the challenges in the current generation. Value other churches because we are all working together in the Kingdom. See one another as a brother and co-partners in ministry,” he advised.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye disclosed the following as some of the things that leadership expects from ministers of the church: obedience and respect for one another, understanding the work that they are doing, showing courage in dealing with issues in the church, being people of high integrity, hardworking, truthful in all matters, disciplined, faithful, and being people of high moral uprightness.

As part of the two-day annual orientation which ends on September 15, 2021, the Chairman formally welcomed ministers who have been transferred into the region this year and further exposed them to the working environment in the region.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has called on ministers of the gospel and church leaders to be focused and always strive to organise an excellent and spirit-filled church services that will transform the lives of their members.

According to him, church is a serious business and that it is the church that has solutions to the world’s challenges.

“If we claim to be the light and salt of the world, then we must take the church seriously and organise church services in such a way that the members will always feel the presence of God,” he stated.

Apostle Nyamekye was speaking at the maiden orientation for Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) ministers and wives, executive committee members and presiding elders at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region, on Friday September 10, 2021.

Speaking on the topic, “PIWC As A Worship Centre,” the Chairman thanked the resident pastors and their executives for taking the church to higher heights. He, however, said that there is more room for improvement, saying, “the PIWCs should be able to lead the possessing the nations’ agenda. You should be able to go out there and possess every sphere of society with kingdom values and principles. Let us challenge ourselves until we make a greater impact and possess the whole land.”

Explaining the PIWC concept, he pointed out that it was established in the church’s quest to build a kind of a church where people will feel free to worship God.

“We need to put a premium on the fact that it is a worship centre. People should come to the PIWCs to have an encounter with God. It is in the church that we show the way to God,” he said, adding, “Let us not only place a premium on appearance but the spiritual life of the church. We need to go deep. If we don’t go deep then we cannot go high, because we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers of darkness.”

Quoting from 2 Corinthians 10:7; John 7:24, Micah 4:1-4, Genesis 12:1-3, Exodus 19:4-6, among several other scriptures, the Chairman said that the church is both organisation and an organism.

“As an organisation, the church needs good leaders who will position us strategically into the world and conspicuously place us at places where the church will be effective. But as an organism, we need leaders who can preserve the spiritual life of the church at all times,” he stressed.

Using Abraham and Israel as case studies to signify the essence of the church, Apostle Nyamekye said God intentionally called out the people of Israel through Abraham so that through him all people on earth will be blessed.

“We must catch this that people will be blessed through us. If we are the children of Abraham, then all people on the earth should be blessed through us,” he stated.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has said that, next to God and His word, wisdom is the principal thing required to manage the affairs of life and the world.

Apostle Nyamekye said this last Sunday at a thanksgiving service to climax the recently-held Cocoa Managers’ Conference of Olam-Ghana at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.

Speaking on the topic: “Give Me Wisdom,” inspired by the story of King Solomon in 2 Chronicles 1:7-12,15, the Chairman explained that God was pleased with Solomon’s request for wisdom to govern his subjects rather than personal benefits such as wealth, riches, honour, the death of his enemies or for long life.

He observed that “even now when some Christians go to church, these are what they usually pray about – wealth, riches, honour, death of their enemies or long life – yet Solomon sought wisdom and in the end all the [afore-mentioned] came to him. It means that when one obtains wisdom, they would also gain all their heart’s desires.”

“So, wisdom is the highest in the rank of all mankind’s desires. It is the most important thing. Its benefits are most desirable. Nothing you desire can compare to it,” he further noted.

Reading from Proverbs 3:19, Proverbs 24:3, Proverbs 8:22-29 and Psalm 104:24, among other Bible references, Apostle Nyamekye further established that wisdom is the foundation upon which the world was built and is, therefore a requirement in any form or act of building in the world. 

“Wisdom is required in building relationships, vocations, businesses, and institutions etc. Unfortunately, people build on foundations like beauty, money, power, fame, anointing, which do not survive the test of time,” he remarked.

He said that although some people are naturally born as leaders, at some point in life, every individual in one way or the other becomes a leader and therefore ought to seek wisdom at all cost. 

The Chairman explained that wisdom is a combination of seven qualities – prudence, knowledge, discretion, counsel, sound judgment, understanding and power (Proverbs 9:1, 8:12-14) – and urged all and sundry to seek it from the Lord daily. According to him, it is only with it that they would make the most of the life they have received. However, without it, they would not effectively utilise or maximise the talents, gifts and anointing the Lord has granted them.

SOURCE: PENTECOST NEWS

A total of 92 newly trained ministers of The Church of Pentecost have been commissioned to begin their ministerial practice, after successfully going through a full year ministerial formation at the School of Theology, Missions and Leadership (STML) of the Pentecost University. 87 of the students are from Ghana, one each from Cameroon, Nigeria, and Madagascar, and two from Sierra Leone.

Speaking at the commissioning service at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, the Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who also doubles as the Chancellor of the University, congratulated the students for successfully going through the first phase of the training.

“You have been chosen at a time like this from among many of your contemporaries, to serve the Lord in full-time ministry. What a great privilege this is!

“I challenge you to work and live your life as true servants of the One who has called you and be diligent to serve His purpose both in the church and the world,” he stated.

He added: “You are being commissioned at a time when the world is looking for authentic Christianity. So, it is not many more ministers of the Gospel that the world desires; they are looking for authentic Christian leaders and ministers who will serve the purpose of God in the world; ministers who will be intentional in equipping their members and unleashing them to transform every sphere of society with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.

“Brothers, the dynamics of the world is inducing many wrong ideas, atheistic agenda, and erroneous ministerial ethics, but a pure life centered on Christ Jesus is truly transformational and infectious. Let us, therefore, strive to become the catalyst that facilitates the agenda of God in our world as we possess the nations together.”

Commending the management and staff of Pentecost University for impacting the students for the field, the Chairman entreated Area Heads, whom the new ministers will work under, to continue with the training, especially their practical and spiritual development.

“I appeal to all Area Heads to show special interest in them while they are on the field. They should share with them their experiences; guide and nurture them to become good ministers of the Gospel. I will also appeal to them to be patient with these young men as they go about their ministry and be real spiritual fathers and mentors to them. If we all support them, they will escape the pitfalls of ministry and shine as co-workers in the common vineyard of our Lord,” he said.

According to the Chairman, Vision 2023 enjoins the church “to strive to become a church whose members go to possess or take the nations by influencing every worldview, thought and behaviour with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God, thereby turning many people to Christ.”

To effectively do this, he stressed the need for the church to thoroughly equip and strengthen its ministerial training, saying, “Since our pastors and elders are at the frontline of the ministry, the Vision 2023 agenda seeks to adequately prepare them to become ‘workers who do not need to be ashamed and who correctly handle the word of truth’ (2 Tim. 2:15).

“It is for this reason that the Vision has made provision to enroll all our current ministers-in-training to our BA Theology programme and to also run certificate and diploma courses in Christian Ministry for our elders. These trainings will enhance the work of our ministers and elders and equip them to do more for the Lord.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Apostle Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, charged the new ministers to contribute their quota to possess the nations for Christ.

He indicated that the commissioning ceremony was not a completion of their training, thus not a graduation ceremony since they are all enrolled in the four-year BA Theology programme and they would be back to complete other sessions before their final graduation in 2025.

“You have worked hard in your preliminary training at our School of Theology, Mission and Leadership. Besides the core theological education we have provided you, as part of your ministerial formation, we have had moments of waiting on God together, praying and fasting to receive clarity in the purpose of God for your lives. We have also explored your contributions to the realisation of the Possessing the Nations agenda.

“We are confident that these spiritual exercises will not go waste, instead as you get revealed through today’s commissioning, you will indeed become heaven’s gift to humankind; ministers with high spiritual receptivity; those who impersonate the Gospel; throw themselves to the salvation of many; those broken by God in their closest and ministers who do not only teach or talk about prayer but their congregation is prayerful because the congregation has encountered a minister who prays,” he charged them.

The Kasoa Area Head of the church, Apostle Ekow Badu Wood, in a sermon on the topic, “The Selfless Minister” based on Genesis 3:6, Luke 9:23, among other scriptures, said that ministry is service to God, mankind, and denial of self, saying, “If you combine these three your story will be nice.”

The ceremony which was attended by the Chairman of the University Council, Pastor Prof. Williams Otoo Ellis, and the immediate past Chairman of the Church, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, also attracted some members of the Executive Council, Ministry Directors, and senior members of the University community.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has tasked the newly created Pent Media Board to use the media to advance the course of the Kingdom business.

According to him, looking at the indispensable role of the media in modern society, the Church, since the launch of Vision 2023, has doubled its efforts in the use of media to advance its course.

“As a Church, we have come to recognise that the critical role the media plays in propagating the gospel, discipling members of the church, and transforming society cannot be overemphasised,” he said.

The Chairman was speaking at the Headquarters on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, during the orientation for the yet-to-be inaugurated Pent Media Board.

The Board, which will be inaugurated in September this year, is chaired by Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, Cape Coast Area Head and Executive Council Member. Other members of the board are: Elder Dr. Adom Adu-Amoah, Pastor Kwasi Asante Annor (Secretary), Pastor Dr. Felix Dela Klutse, Pastor Paul Odai Laryea, and Elder Charles O. Frimpong.

The rest are: Elder Matthew Nkansah, Elder Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, Elder Lawyer Peter Adaliwe Kaba, Elder Isaac Boamah Darko, Elder Philip Osei Bonsu, Deaconess Efua Garbrah-Sarfo, and Ms Akua Boakyewa Yiadom.

The Pentecost Media Centre, an entity limited by guarantee, which the board will oversee, shall be the media subsidiary of the Church.

Apostle Nyamekye stated: “With the Vision 2023 objective of strengthening and realigning the Church’s institutions and structures, a key component has been to effectively synchronise the activities of all the media outlets (TV, Radio and Publications) to be on the cutting edge, professionally driven and adequately resourced to leverage on existing and emerging technologies so as to create, develop, package, upload and disseminate top-notched life-transforming content for the Church and public, on the various media platforms.

“For this objective to be effectively realised, Vision 2023 proposed the setting up of Pentecost Media Centre to hold the distinct media departments namely, Media Ministry Publications and PENT TV which used to be a company on its own.

“We believe that this reorganisation will consolidate the gains already made in the media landscape, strengthen The Church of Pentecost brand, and enhance our media presence.”

The mandate of the board includes guiding the unit heads to develop a strategic vision, mission, and goals for the  Pentecost Media Centre; ensure that the Media Centre has adequate human and material resources to carry out its mandate; develop policies for recruiting, supervising, evaluating, and compensating the human resources of the Media Centre, and see to the development and implementation of policies to protect the assets of the Media Centre, including storage and retrieval of messages and publications.

The Chairman of the board, Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, expressed the committee’s appreciation to the Chairman of the Church for the confidence reposed in them.

Present at the event were the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi; the Fiance and Administration Director (FAD), Apostle Lawrence Otu-Larbi, Ministry Directors, among others.

PENTECOST NEWS

All is set for The Church of Pentecost to plant and nurture one million (1 million) trees across the country as part of the church’s Environmental Care Campaign.

The Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on Thursday, May 27, 2021, ceremoniously planted some trees at the General Headquarters of the church at La in Accra to officially mark the beginning of the national exercise.

The ambitious initiative of the church is in line with the Greening Ghana Project of the Government of Ghana, which aims at planting 5 million trees in June this year.

Beginning Saturday, May 29, 2021, all males in the church, under the auspices of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM), will plant 50,000 seedlings across the country. It will be followed by the Evangelism Ministry who will plant 100,000 seedlings on Saturday, June 5.

The Women’s and Children’s Ministries will together plant 500,000 seedlings on Friday, June 11, while the Youth Ministry will mobilise all young persons in the church to plant 350,000 seedlings on Saturday, June 12.

Explaining the rationale behind the project, Apostle Nyamekye indicated that tree is life and, therefore, there is the need to safeguard the forest cover of the country.

He bemoaned the indiscriminate felling down of trees and the surge in the galamsey activities (illegal mining), especially in river bodies and forest zones which is posing a serious threat to both human and aquatic lives. “By planting trees, we are giving more life to the nation because the tree is life,” he said.

He disclosed that the church’s vision to green Ghana has been given an impetus following a decision by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to mobilise Ghanaians to plant 5million trees across the country.

The Chairman was hopeful that the intention will help transform lives in Ghana as the environment gets better.

According to him, though planting one million trees is an ambitious project, with the grace of God and the numbers that the church has, it is feasible.

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on his part, thanked all stakeholders for supporting the vision of the church.

He entreated all members of the church to actively involve themselves in the exercise by planting and nurturing at least one tree.

The Coordinator for the project, Apostle Samuel Kojo Gakpetor, on behalf of the committee, thanked the leadership of the church for entrusting the project in the care of his team.

He disclosed that The Church of Pentecost is planting 20% of the 5million trees that the government intends to plant.

He encouraged members of the church and all local churches to ensure that trees are planted in the streets, schools, market places, church premises, and every available space to make the environment safe for all.

Mr. Benjamin Torgbor, an official of the Forestry Commission responsible for the project, expressed the Commission’s joy in partnering with The Church of Pentecost to make the Government’s vision a reality.

According to him, the objectives of the project among other things are to beautify the environment, protect water bodies, and mitigate climate change.

He commended the church for putting in place proper structures to ensure that the trees are nurtured and grow to realise the objectives for the project.

Mr. Torgbor disclosed that apart from The Church of Pentecost, other churches like the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and the Apostolic Church are planting 1million and 500,000 seedlings respectively, saying that the three churches are together planting 2.5million out of the 5million trees that the government plans to plant.

PENTECOST NEWS.

“That a man would lay down his life and take it back again is the greatest miracle that has ever happened in history. The natural mind just cannot take it. As a result, it is also the most attacked because its consequences are far-reaching. It is life to many and death to some. The simple truth is that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is a well-attested fact in history.”

This was contained in a sermon delivered by the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on the evening of Resurrection Sunday [April 4, 2021] as part of his weekly televised service on PENT TV dubbed ‘Sunday Special Evening Service With The Chairman’

Speaking on the topic: “The Legacy of Jesus’ Resurrection,” Apostle Nyamekye explained that the death and resurrection of Jesus divide history into two parts – it ends an era and begins another.

The Chairman observed that during the Easter celebration, little or no attention is given to the Saturday as compared to the other days, “The day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is the toughest in history. It was the difficult day between the battle of heaven and hell.” He added: “The Saturday was the real battle.”

Explaining why, the revered theologian read Matthew 27:62-66 and Acts 2:23-24 to emphasize that the chief priests, the Pharisees and the forces of hell determined to keep Jesus in the grave and prevent Him from rising from the dead.

However, he said, God exerted incomparably great power to raise Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-28).

“So, Paul is trying to give us the impression that the raising of Christ from the dead was a really tough thing to the extent that God had to exert power. God who stood in the darkness and called light out, when He had to raise Christ exerted power because forces of hell did not want Him to rise,” he said, adding, “But God raise Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand.”

Reading from Matthew 28:11-15, Apostle Nyamekye pointed out that there are so many conspiracy theories disputing the resurrection of Christ.

He mentioned some of them as “Jesus never really died, instead, He lost consciousness and regained it after being laid in a cool tomb (swoon theory); the disciples of Jesus stole His body and then lied about His resurrection; the disciples had hallucinations and dreams that they mistakenly confused with physical a resurrection; resurrection is the personal experience in the heart by faith but not an event in history and that the resurrection has already taken place already (2 Timothy 2:16-18).”

Amid all these conspiracies and myths, the Chairman was emphatic that Jesus is the resurrected Saviour.

“Christ has indeed risen from the dead. He is the first fruit of all those who have fallen asleep. The simple truth is that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is a well-attested fact of history,” he said.

He added: “Scripture depicts the personal and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. It is supported by evidence of the empty tomb, His grave clothes, He presented Himself severally to the disciples on many occasions, and the women’s testimony and the likes.”

Substantiating the resurrection of Jesus Christ beyond any reasonable doubt, Apostle Eric Nyamekye read Luke 24:44-49 and Acts 1:8 to expatiate on what Jesus Himself said would be the real proof or legacy of His resurrection. 

According to the Chairman, the real proof or legacy of the resurrection came after the resurrection. These, he said, include the preaching in the name of Jesus for the repentance and forgiveness of sins, the disciples’ primary role as witnesses to the fulfilment of scripture in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Touching on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as timeless proof of Jesus’ resurrection, Chairman Nyamekye stated: “But for the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the story of the resurrection would have been like any other story.”

He further noted that “the rumours would have died down and the conspiracies would have prevailed. But when the day of Pentecost came, the story turned around, God trumpeted the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Buttressing his assertion, Apostle Eric Nyamekye quoted Acts 2 and explained that the coming of the Holy Spirit stresses the fact that Jesus Christ indeed resurrected.

“For as long as the Holy Spirit remains on earth, we will remember that Jesus came to die and He rose from the dead, and He gave us the Spirit when He went to be with the Father.

“Anytime people hear us speaking in tongues, what that means is that some time ago, a certain man called Jesus came on this planet earth; He died, He was buried, and on the third day, He rose again and ascended to heaven, and from there, He gave us this gift,” he reiterated.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, together with his wife, Mary are on a weeklong tour of the Ashanti Region as part of the 2021 Apostolisation programme.

This year’s Apostolisation is being held at zonal and district levels throughout the country from February 22 to 26.

As part of the tour, the Chairman addressed ministers and officers of the church in the New Tafo, Suame, and OffinsoAreas.

During an interaction with ministers and their wives of the three Areas on Tuesday morning at the Tetelestai Temple at Suame, the Chairman spoke on the topic, “On Becoming The Man Of God.”

He stated that Moses had the desire to rescue his fellow Hebrews from Egyptian slavery but unfortunately killed an Egyptian in the process and fled. Later when God wanted Moses to go back to Egypt to complete the rescue mission, he refused because he was afraid of his own shadow of the past.  

Apostle Nyamekye however said that when Moses had an encounter with God, his mindset completely changed, and was ready to go back to Egypt for the uncompleted assignment even at the expense of his life.

He explained that it is not enough to have the desire to be a man of God, but one must desire to partner with God, saying, “God’s partners see what God sees and hear what God hears; they spend adequate time with Him for orientation which brings God’s fragrance in their lives.”  

The Chairman advised church leaders to have the same mindset as Christ who gave up all that He had as being equal with God but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, as quoted from Philippians 2:7-8.

As part of his concluding remarks, Apostle Eric Nyamekye said that the difference between two ministers is how much each knows God. “Moses for example after his encounter with God became so worthy enough to admonish Joshua his successor to be strong and courageous to complete the task ahead of him,” he stated.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has underscored the need for people in leadership positions to apply wisdom in the day-to-day management of their organisations in order to produce desired results.

“We need wisdom to lead,” he stated, while speaking at the 2020 End-of-Year Management Meeting of The Church of Pentecost General Headquarters at the Sophia McKeown Temple at La in Accra, on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.

According to Apostle Nyamekye, the success or otherwise of every organisation revolves around leadership.

He indicated that wisdom is a very important ingredient in effective management since it is one of the virtues leaders critically need to lead.

Reading from Genesis 2:15 (The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it), he explained that God created man to manage the earth and everything therein.

The Chairman further charged leaders to lead with diligence, saying, “Leadership is not about showmanship or power, but about diligence.”

Diligence, he explained, is “careful hard work,” and that by wisdom and diligence, leaders succeed in building thriving organisations (Romans 12:6-9; Proverbs 22:29; Proverbs 9:1; Proverbs 8:1, 15-16).

Commending the Heads of Departments and Sectional Heads of the Headquarters for their commitment to duty which, he said, has helped build a robust church, he encouraged them to continue to work with wisdom and diligence to turn situations around.

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on his part, thanked the managers and the senior staff for supporting the top management team in running the organisation.

Present were the International Missions Director (IMD), Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo, and the Finance and Administration Director (FAD), Apostle Lawrence Otu Nyarko, among others.

PENTECOST NEWS.