Posts in category: Moving With Chairman

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and President of Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has emphasised that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of the world, and for that matter, all men must come to faith in Him to be saved.

Apostle Nyamekye said this in a live televised sermon on PENT TV during a Special Evening Service on Sunday, April 2, 2023.

Reading from Romans 3:25 and John 4:10, the noted theologian enlightened that Jesus is God’s gift to humanity through whom the world must be saved. He, however, cautioned that failure to accept Christ Jesus brings condemnation.

“Jesus is the supreme Saviour of the world and that He is Lord of all and Lord overall,” Chairman Nyamekye stressed, adding, “His name is supreme to any other name.”

“I want you to establish in your spirit, fix it firm in your mind and in your memory that with Jesus you are secured,” he further stated.

Giving exegises of Psalm 9:10, Apostle Nyamekye noted that having the understanding and an in-depth knowledge of the supremacy of Jesus and His name is paramount because it enables one to put their trust in Him as the name ‘Jesus’ carries tremendous power and brings salvation and deliverance (Acts 4:7-12).

“Those who have apprehended clearly and with certainty that Jesus is the supreme Saviour of the world and that He is the Lord of all and know the authority vested in the name ‘Jesus’ will put their trust in Him,” he highlighted.

He prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of the understanding and wisdom of everyone to better know Jesus and know Him for themselves, saying, “To know is deeper than to see.”

He added: “It is not enough to confess Jesus as Lord, but to know the name ‘Jesus’ as well because any individual who knows His name holds their anchors firm and secure in Him in the midst of storms.”

On how to gain knowledge about Jesus, Apostle Eric Nyamekye urged Christians to get closer to Him (Jesus), make time for Him and walk arm in arm with Him.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has been inducted into office as the new President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC).

He takes over from Reverend Prof. Paul Yaw Frimpong-Manso, who is the immediate past General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana. Apostle Dr. Aaron Ami-Narh, the President of The Apostolic Church, Ghana, was also inducted into office as the Second Vice President of GPCC.

A colourful induction service, which was held on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Kokomlemle, in Accra, brought together heads of churches and para-church organisations, the clergy, government officials, and members of various churches in Ghana.

Apostle Nyamekye, before his election into the high office, served as the Second Vice President of the Council.

Sermon

Delivering the sermon on the topic, “Unity In The Spirit,” using Ephesians 4:1-7 as his main scripture, Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, former Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and President of the GPCC, said that for the church to be able to accomplish its task, it must manifest unity.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, through the bond of peace,” he stated, urging, “Practice mutual submission if you want to preserve the unity in the Spirit. Leaders should not only bring people who will speak in their favour, but also people that can speak the truth in love, not anger.”

New President’s Response

In his response, the newly inducted GPCC President said: “Together with my Executives, we will be committed to pushing further the very objective GPCC seeks to achieve – promote good relationship, encourage effective networking among member churches and other church organisations, promote fellowship that will activate revivals, and maintain high standard Christian doctrines.”

He added: “In our advocacy, we don’t intend to react to every happening around, rather adopting research-based advocacy, the Council shall seek to influence not only national policies that will affect us in the nation but also in our way of life.”

In the same event, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, the out-gone President of the Council, was farewelled.

Gracing the occasion, which was Chaired by Right Reverend Dr Gordon Kisseih (First Vice President of GPCC and Presiding Bishop of Life International Churches), were Hon. Elizabeth Sackey (Major of Accra), Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee (Executive Director, Salt & Light Ministries), Apostle Jude Hammer (Former Director, Scripture Union), Very Rev. Dr. John Kwesi Addo Jnr (General Secretary, Bible Society of Ghana), Heads of Ecumenical bodies, Heads of Churches, National Executive Members of GPCC, among others.

Profile

Apostle Eric Kwabena Nyamekye, the 6th Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, was called into the full-time ministry in 1991. He has since served in many stations including South Africa where he was a missionary.

He is also an Advisory Committee member of the Pentecostal World Fellowship and a Global Cabinet member of Empowered 21.

He holds a Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Institute of Commercial Management-UK, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Theology from the University of Manchester, UK and a Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon.

He is currently pursuing his PhD at the South African Theological Seminary.

Brief history of GPCC

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) is the largest ecumenical body of churches in the country. It was established in 1969 by the four main Pentecostal churches: The Assemblies of God, the Christ Apostolic Church, The Apostolic Church-Ghana, and The Church of Pentecost.

It was established 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 Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and President-elect of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Apostle Eric Nyamekye, was among the eminent clergy who took part in the 2nd Breakfast Prayer Meeting of the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Honourable Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.

The event was held at the Speaker’s Lounge at Parliament House on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Apostle General Sam Korankye Ankrah, General Overseer of RoyalHouse Chapel; Archbishop Charles Agyinasare of Perez Chapel International; Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh (an International Evangelist), and representatives of the clergy from other denominations were among dignitaries who graced the occasion.

Accompanying the Chairman to the meeting were Apostle Samuel Osei Asante (Area Head for Kaneshie and Executive Council member of the Church) and Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh (Director of Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Executive Council member of the Church).

In his remark, the Speaker of Parliament called on the people of Ghana to remain united in building the nation.

According to him, the resources that the nation is endowed with make it very special that resonate with the global stage.

Appreciating the presence of the eminent clergy, the Speaker noted that politicians alone cannot build this nation, so all persons should get on board, particularly the spiritual leaders of the land. Rt.

Honourable Bagbin acknowledged the fact that political leadership is an arduous task, therefore, there is the need to always bear them up in prayers and support them to succeed.

“We need both political leaders and spiritual leaders because the word of God is more powerful than anything,” he said. He added: “I believe that if only Ghanaians will change their ways, the sky will not be the limit. And if only parliamentarians will change their ways, we won’t approve laws that will indebt us.”

The Speaker called on parliamentarians to eliminate fear and be forthright with the truth and take bold decisions that will help the populace rather than a few individuals.

He was so happy to hear that Pope Francis has decreed that no Reverend Father of the Roman Catholic Church should bless LGBTQI marriages.

He seized the opportunity to charge the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to expedite action on the working of the bill and submit it to him to be laid on the floor of Parliament.

“Please, Committee members that are working on the bill, I need the report. Let the report flow, so that we can pass the law,” he declared, adding, “We may not do it the Uganda way, but will pass the law within the framework of the constitution of Ghana.

Speaker Bagbin further stressed: “What are we afraid of, if God is with us who can be against? The issue of dictating to us should not be tolerated, that someone else should come and tell us what we should do. We have enough, so if we all decide that we are going to avoid waste, we can take care of ourselves.”

He added that the voice of the people is the voice of God and as long as democracy is governance of the people, Parliament will fulfil the mandate entrusted to them by the people.

Praying for the Executive arm of the government, Apostle Eric Nyamekye quoted a scriptural passage from 1 Kings 3:6-15 where Solomon asked for wisdom from God.

He said that God is pleased with the good governance of His people so when Solomon asked for wisdom God readily gave him and blessed him with wealth. Some of the clergy present took turns to pray for peace, security, divine wisdom, and prosperity for the various sectors of the nation.

PENTECOST NEWS

The President-elect of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who also doubles as the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, chaired the media launch of the Global Crusade with Kumuyi (GCK), Ghana edition on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

The event was hosted by the Deeper Life Bible Church, Ghana, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC). Several Christian leaders drawn from various denominations attended the event, offering messages of solidarity on behalf of their denominations.

Among them were Senior Bishop James K. Saah (Christian Action Faith Ministries), Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh (Lawrence Tetteh Ministries), Most Rev. Dr. Paul K. Boafo (Presiding Bishop, Methodist Church Ghana), Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso (immediate past President of GPCC and General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana), Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee (Executive Director, Salt & Light Ministries), Rev. Dr. Stephen Yenusom Wengham (General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Ghana), Most Rev. Helena Opoku-Sarkodie (Minister-in-charge, Tema Joint Church), among others.

In his opening response, Apostle Nyamekye expressed his pleasure at the sight of believers coming together regardless of denominational barriers. He lauded the General Superintendent and founder of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor Dr. William F. Kumuyi, the convener of the ‘Global Crusade with Kumuyi’, for his crusade outreach across the African continent.

“As a genuine servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, he has over the years proven the authenticity of his ministry with tangible global impact. For several decades, he has led the gospel train both in Africa and the rest of the world,” he stated.

He added: “I have always held on the belief that no one denomination is the exclusive channel of God’s grace. We are all tributaries of the river of God carrying diverse grace. Again, the Great Commission cannot be fulfilled by only one denomination.”

Apostle Nyamekye further urged Christian leaders to break down denominational barriers that do not support the propagation of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

He called on all Christian denominations to support the upcoming crusade to make it successful.

Delivering his address, the special guest speaker for the launch, Most Rev. Dr. Paul K. Boafo, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, encouraged Christians to put away all denominational differences and unite as one people, saying, “Come as a Christian child of God and together when we pray to God, He will answer us.”

He further urged churches to also join in the publicity of the crusade through their various church social media platforms and services.

“I appeal to all media personnel to create space for the team to come and sell the gospel while informing the public to be part of this crusade.”

Launching the GCK-GH crusade, the National Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Ghana, Rev Edward Kwaku Duodu, stressed: “In every country and city that GCK has been held, it has been made possible by close collaboration with the body of Christ. Involvement of the whole Christian body is crucial to the success of the crusade because its focus goes beyond denominational lines.”

Also present were Hon. Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo (MP, Shai Osudoku) and Dr. Isaac Owusu Mensah (Director of Research at the Presidency) who represented the Chief of Staff. The Global Crusade with Kumuyi, Ghana edition, a three-in-one event, is scheduled to be held from April 20-25, 2023, at Independence Square.

As part of the main crusade, a Ministers’ & Professionals Conference and Impact Academy Seminar will be held alongside.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has said that moral uprightness should be the hallmark of every elder of The Church of Pentecost.

According to him, moral uprightness is not just a prerequisite for calling people into the office of Eldership in the Church, and thus, elders are to maintain the same standards as officers of the Church.

Apostle Nyamekye said this yesterday when he gave a presentation on the topic “The Presiding Elder” at the ongoing Global Elders’ Retreat at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.

Reading from 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus chapter 1, the Chairman emphasised the biblical criteria for calling persons as elders of the Church – these include living above reproach, being faithful to one’s spouse, being temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money and one who is able to manage his own family and home.

He further noted that an Elder of the Church must be capable and a trustworthy person. He must also be one with spiritual capacity and wisdom, he added

The Chairman said that every person who has been called into this noble office of the Church must therefore meet the requirement set in the scriptures as the qualification for elders.

He, therefore, advised elders to continue to uphold these high standards especially after their calling has now been confirmed.

Apostle Nyamekye also advised ministers and officers to follow due process and do due diligence before calling people into the Eldership office.

“It is, therefore, important that when we are selecting people to occupy church positions, we should prayerfully look out for good fellows who are able to teach, are trustworthy, wise and have a spiritual capacity. By combining these qualities, the elder would not only be a wise well-behaved person but a spirit-filled person,” he advised.

The Chairman also noted that elders represent wisdom (they give sound judgement and good counsel), leadership (they serve as leaders in the Church and society), tradition (they are custodians of the doctrines and practices) and example (they model moral character for the followers). 

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Chairman of The Church Of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye officially opened the first-ever retreat for Elders of the Church worldwide yesterday, at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh.

In his welcome address, the Chairman acknowledged the contributions made by the officers in the building of the Church.

“One of the strengths of The Church Of Pentecost has been our lay leaders, especially presiding elders. They remain the running force in building the local church. They are key to our success stories,” he noted.

Apostle Nyamekye encouraged church leaders, especially elders, to continue to work in love.

Explaining the rationale for the retreat, the Chairman noted that the event is aimed at helping elders to deepen their relationship with the Lord.

He further noted that the retreat would among other objectives, offer opportunity for intentional efforts in strengthening the local church by mobilising the grassroots in the “Possessing the Nations” agenda.

According to him, repositioning means taking sincere retrospective look of one’s self adding; “Repositioning in our context means to rebrand and revamp. It is to take over available space. Repositioning is an indication of thirst and hunger for excellence. It is a desire to achieve a goal to which Christ has called the church. Striving for and desiring and better future. Reposition is for maximum impact,” he said.

He further stated: “It was originally designed for presiding elders but extended it to all elders with understanding that all elders are potential presiding elders. Elders play a major leadership role in driving the church’s agenda at the local level. This retreat offers the opportunity to renew our commitment to this understanding.”

The retreat has in attendance the General Secretary of the Church, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, the International Missions Director (IMD), Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, some members of the Executive Council, ministers of the Church, and officers.

PENTECOST NEWS

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.