Posts in category: Moving With Chairman

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.

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