Posts in category: Moving With Chairman

A burial and memorial service was held on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the Fred Stephen Safo Memorial Temple in the Nshorna District of the Teshie-Nungua Area of The Church Of Pentecost in honour of the Late Pastor Robert Sowah Nii Anang.

The Chairman of The Church Of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who officiated the service, encouraged the bereaved family and well-wishers to strengthen themselves in the Lord.

“In times like this, we should be strong and not give in to death. The resurrection of Christ has strengthened us and set us free from sin and death. We are all on a journey to death. Death can only take us to the Lord and nowhere else. Let us turn to the Rock, where our help is from. Let us strengthen ourselves,” he said.

Birth, Early Life and Education

Robert Sowah Nii Anang was born in La – Accra on 3rd March 1960 to Mr. Andrews
Doku Sowah and Madam Patience Ayorkor Amega Torgbor, of the Ofro Sro We clan of La. He completed La Wireless ‘2’ Middle Mixed School in 1978 with the Middle School Leaving Certificate (MSLC) where he was appointed the Boys’ Senior School Prefect. He also pursued training in fashion design and tailoring at Quarshie Tailors, Accra, where he continued to work upon graduation.

His passion and unique love for working with children led him to participate in several certificate courses on Child Education, Child Psychology, and Child Evangelism.

He was called into full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost in 1998. His first station was Breweniase District in Hohoe Area where he served for five years.

Sermon

Speaking on the topic, “Comfort One Another With These Words,” the Odorkor Area Head of The Church Of Pentecost, Apostle Isaac Tetteh Judah, noted that in times of death, believers need to comfort themselves because death is not the end of all things.

According to him, comfort in times of death only comes when a person is a believer.

“How can you comfort yourself when you are down? In the setting of this world, it is impossible. But in Christ, we need to comfort ourselves in times of sorrow,” he noted.

The Odorkor Area Head mentioned that to humans, death is an enemy, but Christ has conquered death and freed Christians, saying, “Death brings sorrows, troubles, hopeless times; but in Christ, even in death, we have hope. God has declared those who die in Christ will be kept in Christ.”

Tributes

“The sudden news of the death of my dear husband was as shocking as it was painful. I had always thought he would live with me and for me forever. Now, death has snatched him from me. I never regretted marrying him because he was a God-fearing man and not just a church-goer.” These were the sorrowful words of the widow, Mrs Mary Sowah Anang as she took her turn to read a tribute to her husband.

The children described their father as “a champion, leader, teacher, coach, supporter and, most of all, a mentor.”

The Teshie District of The Church Of Pentecost, on their part, said Pastor Nii Anang was a man of justice and principles who always sought excellence and fairness.

A tribute read on behalf of the General Council of the Church described the Late Pastor Robert Sowah Nii Anang as an excellent child worker who was very committed to the development and nurturing of children in the Lord.

“Through this special calling, the Lord helped him to unearth hidden talents in children that has propelled most of them to extreme heights in life. The leadership of the Church found him as one of the few persons born and trained with the passion for child development,” it read.

Pastor Robert Sowah Nii Anang took ill in mid-December 2022 and was responding to treatment. He went to be with his Maker on January 9, 2023. He is survived by two daughters and a son.

Also present at the service were Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah-Agyeman (Area Head, Teshie-Nungua), Apostle Samuel Osei Asante (Executive Council Member), Apostle David Kankam Beditor (Executive Council Member), Apostle Isaac Nii Kotei Djani (Executive Council Member), Apostle Seth Fianko Larbi (National Head, Kenya), Apostle Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua (Vice Chancellor, Pentecost University), Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo (Area Head, Haatso), retired and active ministers of the Church, family and well-wishers.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, today led some National Executive Council members of GPCC to visit and commiserate with the family of late Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu.

The GPCC delegation, made up of Bishop Dr. Gordon Kisseih (First Vice Chairman), Apostle Immanuel Nii O. Tettey (General Secretary), Rt. Rev. Dr. Nana Anyani-Boadum and Bishop Dela Fiagorme, were warmly received by some family members at their residence in Accra.

Apostle Nyamekye, in his remarks, said the visit was to officially convey the condolences of the GPCC to the family and assure them of the Council’s support during this difficult period.

Christian Atsu, 31, who played for the Ghana national team, the Black Stars, was one of the victims of the massive earthquake that occurred on February 6, this year in Türkiye.

The unfortunate passing of the celebrated footballer and the devastating circumstance under which it occurred has brought much grief to the family, Ghanaians, and other football-loving fans around the world.

According to the GPCC President, the tragic passing of the footballer was one of the key reasons that compelled them to visit and offer some words of encouragement to the bereaved family.

“We all love Atsu because he dedicated his time and energy playing for Ghana, and, as ministers of the Gospel, we could not sit unconcerned, so we have come to console the family for this painful loss,” he said.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye urged the family to take solace from the fact that their late relative lived a fruitful life and has made his mark in his generation.

“Know that you gave Ghana a gem. Jesus did not live long on this earth, but He made a lasting impact, and we can say that your son Atsu has also done same,” he said.

As part of the visit, the GPCC President signed the book of condolences which has been opened at the family house of the late Ghanaian International.

The GPCC also donated packs of drinking water, assorted soft drinks and an undisclosed cash amount to the family as they prepare towards the final funeral rites of the late footballer.

In response, Mr. Robert Ali, the representative of the bereaved family, thanked the delegation for the visit, words of encouragement and the kind support.

PENTECOST NEWS.

Members of The Church of Pentecost (CoP) have been advised to stay loyal to the Church and to readily defend her in the public space.

The Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, made this avid appeal today at the Come-to-Me Assembly church auditorium when he joined members of the Nsawam District for Sunday Service to climax his weeklong visit to the Nsawam Area.

Speaking on the topic: “Loyalty,” the Chairman explained that members are the greatest treasure of The Church of Pentecost because they are God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9) and the strength base of the Church.

He said that people who join the Church as members are important because they come along with their talents, wisdom, spiritual gifts, resources, strength and other graces that all contribute to building the church of God.

“Therefore, no one should be considered useless because we are all contributing to building our great Church. We must, therefore, give deep respect to each other regardless of one’s status,” he said.

He further noted that: “People often talk about the leader because he is the face of the institution, but behind a good leader are others playing supportive roles. We are all supporting.”

Apostle Nyamekye said that as people who provide supportive leadership in the Church, one thing that is most required of members is loyalty. “At the heart of the word ‘loyal’ or ‘loyalty’ is the word ‘faithful.’ As supporting leaders of The COP, you must be faithful to God and The Church of Pentecost,” he stated.

The Chairman said that, in demonstrating their faithfulness to God and The CoP, members should be prepared to defend the Church in public, especially when its leaders are under attack.

“You may not always be pleased with our decisions as leaders but don’t join others in castigating the Church. No, defend the Church so that we do not destroy the great Church we have built together,” he advised.

Apostle Nyamekye also urged the members to demonstrate their loyalty to the Church through their commitment, sacrifice, love for others, going the extra mile, interceding for the Church in prayer and providing effective leadership whenever they are called upon to serve in any leadership position.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has said that marriage is a covenant and a three-way relationship in which the couple is accountable to God who acts as the principal witness.

According to the Chairman, God takes particular interest in everything that goes on in a marriage, therefore, Christian couples should honour Him by staying faithful to their partners and making their marital union successful.

Apostle Nyamekye made this passionate call yesterday when he addressed ministers and officers of the Medie Zone as part of the ongoing Nsawam Area Apostolisation at the Medie Central Assembly church auditorium at Medie.

Speaking on the topic: “Raising Family Altars To Strengthen The Local Church: Lessons From The Puritans” with references to Malachi 2:13-16 and Jeremiah 29:23, the Chairman explained that marriage is the oldest institution on earth.

He explained that the fact that the holy estate predates the Christian religion indicates that marriage is for all people and not just Christians, adding: “You do not necessarily have to be a Christian in order to enjoy a successful marriage.”

Apostle Nyamekye, however, noted that Christian couples, who work hard on their marriages, are at an advantage simply because the holy estate was instituted by God, their Father, and also receive support from the Holy Spirit.

He noted that marital union of a male and female (as biologically defined) forms the base for every family, and the family remains the foundation of society.

Reading Malachi 2:15, he stressed that God’s purpose for instituting marriage is to raise godly offspring. “When two Christians walk to the altar to be joined in holy matrimony, Heaven rejoices because their union is strategic and God expects godliness and godly offspring from them,” he said.

The Chairman, therefore, advised Christian parents to endeavour to raise their children in the fear of the Lord and leave them a legacy of godliness and guarantee generational blessings.

To raise godly offspring, Apostle Nyamekye stressed the need for Christian couples to have a Puritan view of marriage and family life. He revealed that the Puritans saw family life as a calling and regarded the family as a Church and a seminary.

“They saw the family as a household involving every individual living in the house, and not just the spouse and children. To them, God is the father of every member of the household, so they are all brothers and sisters in the Lord,” he explained.

Apostle Nyamekye said that one surest way for parents to raise children in the fear of the Lord is to raise family altars (home worship) in their homes. To hold effective family devotions, the Chairman advised Christians to schedule a convenient time suitable to all family members, teach (rather than preach) the word of God, and to endeavour to hold meetings consistently.

He also advised Church leaders to make quality time for their spouses and children and to help build their spiritual life.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has advised ministers and wives of the Church to make conscious effort to develop a positive attitude as it has a great bearing on the impact of their ministry.

“Your attitude would either draw people closer or repel them. It would cause people to either love you or hate you. So, as a minister of the Gospel, your attitude is everything,” he said.

Apostle Nyamekye gave this admonition when he met with ministers and wives of the Nsawam Area today at the Palm Assembly church auditorium at Adoagyiri as part of the Area’s ongoing Ministers and Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation).

Speaking on the topic: “Repositioning Your Ministry,” the newly-elected President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), defined attitude as an individual’s (or a leader’s) response to happenings around them.

“Attitude is your manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., towards a person or thing. It could be positive or negative. A negative attitude is threatening while a positive attitude is mostly relaxed,” he explained.

The Chairman further explained that underlining a good or positive attitude is the principle of respect for all, seeing value in everyone, stressing that: “Greater love for others drives positive attitude.”

Apostle Nyamekye said that, since the work of ministry is all about working with people, a positive attitude is needed by the minister to enable him relate well with officers and members of the Church and effectively minister to them.

The Chairman posited that a minister who lacks a good attitude would struggle to lead and impact his members because a negative attitude tests the patience and tolerance of many.

He, therefore, emphasised that although it takes much effort and sacrifice to develop a positive attitude, it is a quality every minister should strive to possess in order to make a meaningful impact in the lives of his members and have a fruitful ministry.

In addition to having a positive attitude, the GPCC President also advised the ministers to acquire skills and a good character so as to be effective leaders and shepherds of God’s people.

Making reference to Psalm 78:71-72 to buttress his assertion, Apostle Nyamekye said that David is considered a great king because he possessed skills and had an integrious heart.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has urged the Government of Ghana (GoG) to expedite action on the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) to help resolve the economic challenges facing the country.

The Council, in a communique issued on February 3, 2023 following its recently-held national conferences at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, expressed concern about the dire economic challenges confronting the nation which has resulted in very high levels of inflation and currency depreciation.

“This is adversely impacting the poor the most, wiping incomes and wealth and pushing most Ghanaians into extreme poverty and hardship without any clear social safety nets,” it bemoaned.

The Council, among other requests, has called on the government to continue with the present productive engagements for a more amicable arrangement with respect to the DDEP to help solve the prevailing challenges.

“The GPCC acknowledges that globally economies are in turmoil and facing various degrees of socio-economic challenges. The Council particularly recognises and appreciates the efforts of the Government to contain the situation In Ghana. These recognisable efforts include the recent staff level agreement (SLA) reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in December 2022. 

“We [therefore] urge the Government to do everything possible to ensure the IMF programme goes to the Board to help rescue the situation and reset the economy,” the communique said.

The communique further states that: “Whatever form the DDEP takes, Government should ensure that the financial sector, which is a key pillar of growth for the economy, is not destroyed in the process of the debt exchange programme.”

The Council has also appealed to the GoG to, as a matter of urgency, downsize government machinery and cut down on expenditure in order to build confidence among the citizenry about its commitment in solving the economic problems. 

“From the Council’s perspective, it is important that the Government demonstrates a strong sense of burden-sharing to encourage key bond holders to fully accept the DDEP voluntarily,” it read.

The Council has also urged the Government to work with the relevant law enforcement agencies to retrieve all COVID-19 funds that the Auditor General’s 2021 Report cited as being unaccounted for or misapplied and also collaborate with other stakeholders and support calls to organise a non- partisan national consultative forum to dispassionately discuss and gather ideas for addressing the prevailing socio-economic and environmental challenges.

On its part, the Council reaffirmed its willingness to support the process in remedying the said challenges by availing its platforms to support consultative initiatives aimed at addressing the prevailing national problems to engender consensus building, unity and peace.

Among other commitments, the Council would increase admonition to Reverend Ministers of the Gospel to live modestly and above reproach.

“We would also intensify teachings to church members, especially those in public service, to show the way by imbibing the principles of integrity in the fight against corruption and being mindful of the fact that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people,” it further stated.

The communique was presented to the Information Minister, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, last Monday by a delegation led by the President of the Council, Apostle Eric Nyamekye.

Find the full communique below:

Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost worldwide, has been elected President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC).

The respected clergyman was elected to the high office on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at the 2023 Conference of Heads of Churches and Organisations underway at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa.

Apostle Nyamekye replaces Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso, who has ended his tenure as the President of the biggest ecumenical body in Ghana.

At the same event, Bishop Dr Gordon Kisseih of the Miracle Life Gospel Church was elected the 1^st Vice President, while the President of the Apostolic Church – Ghana, Apostle Dr Aaron Ami-Narh, was elected the 2^nd Vice President of the ecumenical body.

The Apostle Nyamekye-led new national executives will be sworn into office at a later date.

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) is a faith-based organisation and the umbrella body of over 250 Pentecostal and Charismatic Christian church denominations and para-church organisations in Ghana. It was established in 1969 but registered and recognised as a legal entity in 1971 to pursue the unity of the body of Christ, to propagate the gospel and to meet the spiritual and socio-economic needs of its members and Ghanaians in general.

PENTECOST NEWS.

“The Church of Pentecost (CoP) should be our greatest treasure in life as ministers of this great Church. We need to love her dearly and cherish her in our hearts. This is why everyone in the Church should be respected and deeply loved.”

These were the words of the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, to ministers of the church, during the closing ceremony of the 2023 Global Ministers and Wives’ Conference on Friday, January 28, 2023, held at Pentecost Convention Centre, (PCC), Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa.

Delivering a sermon on the topic, “Loyalty,” Apostle Nyamekye said that the people purchased by the blood of Christ are God’s possession.

“If these people are God’s special possession, then they should be our greatest treasure. For it is in their talents, gifts, and treasury that we would find the strength of the Lord,” he said.

Reading from 1 Chronicles 11:9, Apostle Nyamekye iterated that David became powerful because the Lord was with him. He, however, said that David did not succeed alone but had support from his team.

“Great leaders do not succeed alone, behind them is a great team that support them. People talk of the leader because he is the face of the institution but behind a good leader is a team supporting his mandate,” he stated.

He disclosed that one way of showing loyalty to the church is to have a strong love for the church. He admonished the clergy to keep faith in the church that brought them into full-time ministry.

Explaining the pattern of the local church in the New Testament, he pointed out that Apostle Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:21 won many people who became disciples of Christ. In the same vein, he said, in establishing the local church, elders are appointed to take care of the church.

“The elders are appointed as leaders of the local church; we need to respect and close the gap between the clergy and the officers,” he said.

The Chairman called on ministers to avoid despising members who do not have certain skills or talents. This, he noted, is because not all can preach, rather some can teach, serve, and give to help make the church great.

“The common good of The Church of Pentecost is that everyone is useful to the church of God. All of us together, that is the officers and pastors are co-workers in the Lord’s vineyard. One thing we need to fulfill this is to be loyal to the trust and task,” he noted.

He further admonished members of the church not to draw away from the Church when the battle become tough: stating, “Even when the leaders make mistakes, it is imperative for members and ministers to cover their shamefulness for the sake of the church.”

“Don’t you know that we represent the church and when you destroy us, you destroy the church?” he quizzed, adding, “Anyone who destroys the church of God will face the full wrath of God.”

He advised the leaders to uphold the policies of the church which, according to him, are the ligaments that hold the church firmly to stand. He said that if a minister drifts away from the policies of the church, he is breaking the ligaments of the church.

He explained that loyalty to the church means commitment, faithfulness, sacrifice, love going the extra mile, intercessory prayers, effective leadership, and defense.

“Loyalty is to make the body of The Church of Pentecost better. Therefore, we need to be careful of our attitude to the body of the church, so we do not send the members that make up the body away. Cherish it,” Apostle Nyamekye concluded.

PENTECOST NEWS