Posts in category: Moving With Chairman

A meeting of the leadership of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana (N&MC) was held on March 24, 2020, to strategise towards combating the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The meeting, which was convened by the Governing Board of the N&MC, was to encourage nurses and midwives, who form about 70% of Ghana’s health workforce, as they brave the odds to confront the Coronavirus pandemic.

The event was attended by the three principal officers of The Church of Pentecost, namely Apostle Eric Nyamekye (Chairman), Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi (General Secretary) and Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo (International Missions Director). Also present was the then Deputy Health Minister, Hon. Alex Kodwo Abban.

Addressing the health workers on the topic: “What To Do & What Not To Do In Times Like These As Frontliners,” Apostle Nyamekye said that the rate of the spread of COVID-19 is a cause for concern for all, especially for health officials who are at the frontlines. “This is perhaps the greatest medical challenge of our lifetime, and in critical times like these our hope comes from above,” he said.

Referring to the story of Gideon in Judges chapter 6, the Chairman explained how the Israelites were handed over to the Midianites by the Lord due to their disobedience. The Israelites, therefore, hid in caves because of fear. After several years of oppression, the people of Israel cried unto the Lord and He decided to go to their rescue through a young man called Gideon.

Apostle Nyamekye called on health professionals to glean some lessons from what ensued when Gideon received an angelic visitation. According to him, in such devastating times, some people cannot help but question the existence of God and whether He is still with them.

He pointed out that, when the angel urged Gideon to advance and lead the Israelites to battle against the Midianites, he was hesitant, because he felt inadequate being the least in a family that belonged to the weakest clan of Manasseh. The Chairman, therefore, advised that, as frontliners, health workers should desist from complaining about the inadequate resources they may have and rather focus on doing the best with the little they have, trusting that the Lord will go with them and supply their needs.

Touching on what to do as frontliners, the Chairman advised health professionals to adopt the strategy of Joab, when the Israelites went out in battle against the Arameans and the Ammonites as recorded at 2 Samuel 10:9-13.

He explained that when Joab, the commander of the Israeli troops, realised that they were surrounded by the Ammonites on each side of the battle, he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans, whilst he put the rest under the command of his brother, Abishai, and deployed them against the Ammonites.

“Joab then said to Abishai, ‘If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight,’” he stated.

Apostle Nyamekye urged the health workers to employ the same tactic by collaborating and standing bravely together in the fight against the pandemic. He, therefore, called on all health professionals to gird their loins and be prepared to provide the needed medical support whenever they are called upon.

He assured them that, although they may be at the frontlines, the church is solidly backing them in prayers.

The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Shani Copper-Zubida, on March 10^th, 2020, paid a courtesy call on the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, at the Headquarters at La in Accra.

The meeting was part of the Ambassador’s official visits to key Christian denominations in the country to establish relations with them and explore possible areas of collaboration.

Ambassador Copper-Zubida was received at the Head Office by the Chairman, the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw-Kumi-Larbi and the International Missions Director (IMD), Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo. Also present were the Personal Assistant to the Chairman, Pastor Benedict Eghan, and the Director of Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), Elder Richard Amaning.

During the interactions, Apostle Eric Nyamekye briefed Ambassador Copper-Zubida on the church’s community transformation agenda; dubbed “Vision 2023”, which forms part of her strategic vision for the next five years.

Among other social interventions, the Chairman mentioned the construction of correctional facilities by the church to decongest overcrowded prisons in Ghana and provide formal education as well as skills training for prison inmates. “These correctional facilities would serve as a place where prison inmates are reformed and reintegrated into society as responsible citizens, and not a place to harden them. So, we will seek to work on their hearts (share the gospel message of Christ with them), minds (provide them with formal education) and hands (give them skills training),” he said.

On possible areas of collaboration between the Israeli Embassy and the CoP, Apostle Nyamekye shared with Ambassador Copper-Zubida the church’s plan to establish irrigational facilities in the northern part of the country. This, he said, would provide people living in the northern regions, who are predominantly farmers, favourable conditions for farming throughout the year.

“The church has over 290,000 members in the northern part of the country. We are confident that constructing these irrigational facilities will promote agriculture in the north and empower them to have sustainable livelihoods,” he said.

Although Israel has only 20% arable land; that is, the geography of the country is not naturally conducive for farming, the country has emerged as a major exporter of fresh farm produce and a world-leader in agricultural technologies such as irrigation farming.

The Chairman, therefore, appealed to the Israeli Ambassador to partner with the church to ensure that the irrigation project becomes a reality.

Ambassador Copper-Zubida, on her part, commended the church for the laudable initiative and pledged her country’s support to the project by making available rich expertise in irrigation farming to the church in order to ensure the success of the project.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on April 27, 2020, paid a visit to frontline health workers and COVID-19 patients receiving treatment at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) at Gomoa Fetteh.

This was after the Church handed over the multipurpose facility to the Government of Ghana on April 23, 2020, to be used as an isolation and treatment centre for persons who have been exposed to the deadly virus.

Ministering to the patients, medical personnel, and other attendants at the facility via an on-site Public Address (PA) system, Apostle Nyamekye encouraged them to keep trusting in God for total healing from the viral disease. He indicated that, another name for the Convention Centre is ‘Yesu Krom’ (The City of Jesus), therefore, they should expect a miraculous touch of God during their stay at the facility.

He further revealed that some ministers of the church have been assigned to the Centre to hold daily prayer sessions with the health personnel attending to the patients. Also, Audio Bible and spiritually-edifying tunes are played daily through the PA systems at the Centre to facilitate the healing process of the patients.

Apostle Eric Nyamekye was accompanied by Apostle David Tettey Tekper (Executive Council Member and Achimota Area Head) and Apostle Samuel Nana Yaw Agyei (Centre Manager), among others.