Posts in category: PENTSOS

The Church of Pentecost, Ghana’s largest Pentecostal denomination with a presence in 136 countries, has been hailed as the country’s foremost Christian organisation, providing jobs for many Ghanaians.

As of December 31, 2021, The Church of Pentecost has offered direct employment to a total of six thousand and fifty-four (6,054) Ghanaians, making it one of the highest private sector employers in the country.

The figure is very significant due to its economic impact on the many households and other dependants who might have derived a direct benefit from the people employed by the church.

Findings by Pentecost News indicate that out of the total figure, the Headquarters alone has employed 406 people, while those employed in the full-time pastoral ministry (pastors) were 1,826.

Other sectors of the church such as the Pentecost University (PU), has a total staff strength of 179. Pentecost Press Limited (PPL) has employed 56 people, while PENT TV and Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) have employed 32 and 61 persons, respectively.

Pentecost hospitals, numbering 10 (Pentecost Hosptial, Madina; Pentecost Hospital, Tarkwa; Pentecost Hospital, Ayanfuri; and the Pentecost Clinics at Enchi Kwawu, Kasapin, Yawmatwa, Kpassa, Twifu Agona, Abrafo-Odumase, and Kultamise), have together employed a total of 1, 043 workers.

“Pentecost schools, comprising 98 basic schools, two senior high schools and two vocational training institutes, have together employed a total of 2,184 workers,” the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has stated when delivering the State of the Church’s Address today at the opening sessions of the 17^th Extraordinary Council Meetings held at Gomoa-Fetteh, Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana.

On the financial and economic empowerment sector, the church, through the Pentecost Co-operative Mutual Support and Social Services Society Limited (PENCO), has created direct employment for 267 people.

The 6,054 figure excludes the number of Ghanaians employed by the various districts offices of the church.  The Church of Pentecost as at December 2021 had 1,571 districts.

The global employment impact of The Church of Pentecost runs into about 10,000 as the church currently has branches in 136 nations, where full-time ministers have been employed to man the churches there in addition to the auxiliary workers. The total number of ministers in the missions field was one thousand, two hundred and fifty-nine (1,259) in 2021.

The church runs a number of Bible colleges in its external (foreign) branches such as the Birmingham Christian College (BCC) – UK, Pentecost Biblical Seminary (PBS) – USA, and Pentecost Francophone Theological Bible School (PFTBS) – La Cote D’Ivoire, as well as various clinics and hospitals, dotted across the world, which has provided employment avenue for hundreds of people.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Church of Pentecost, under its Community Safe Water Improvement Project, continues to reach out to the underserved communities, and institutions in Ghana, without access to potable drinking water.

Through such initiatives, The Church of Pentecost, in 2021, constructed 51 boreholes within 23 Areas of the Church. The facilities are now serving over 60,000 people who previously travelled long distances in search of potable drinking water.

This was revealed by Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the church, on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, during the Opening Session of the 17^th Extraordinary Council Meetings, at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana.

He noted that the Headquarters of the church financed 15 of the water projects, while some Areas and Districts funded 34. However, two of the boreholes were funded by individuals, namely Lawyer Agyei-Gyamfi of New Achimota District of The Church of Pentecost and Elder Kwabena Boamah of Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Michel Camp.

“Cumulatively, in the past three years (2019 – 2021), the Church has provided 124 water facilities in deprived communities, institutions (schools, prisons, police stations, and health facilities), and mission houses in Ghana,” he iterated.

The afore-mentioned initiatives were spearheaded by the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS). PENTSOS is a Directorate of The Church of Pentecost, registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO), and mandated to fulfill the social/charitable mission of the Church. Its core functions include the initiation, promotion, development and management of social services and projects of the Church.

PENTECOST NEWS.

Members of The Church of Pentecost (CoP) in Ghana in 2021 benefitted from health care support of the church at an accrued amount of GH₵ 2,951,453.04.

This includes medical bills of some needy members of the church who struggled with basic medical care, while others with special medical conditions that needed immediate response and provision were not left out.

Delivering the State-of-the-Church Address during the Opening Session of the 17^th Extraordinary Council Meetings on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa, the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, stressed that to advance health care provision in deprived Ghanaian communities, the church constructed two (2) new health facilities, namely Kultamisi Pentecost Clinic, near Bawku in the Upper East Region and the Abrafo-Odumase Pentecost Clinic in the Central Region, in addition to the existing eight health facilities of the church.

The existing eight health facilities of the church are Pentecost Hosptial, Madina; Pentecost Hospital, Tarkwa; Pentecost Hospital, Ayanfuri; and the Pentecost Clinics at Enchi Kwawu, Kasapin, Yawmatwa, Kpassa, and Twifu Agona.

He mentioned that the 10 health facilities have a total staff strength of 1,043, comprising doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, anesthetists, and biomedical scientists.

“These health facilities recorded a 24.6% increase in the Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance from 176,112 in 2020 to 219,376 in 2021,” he stated.

PENTECOST NEWS.

Fifty-four youth in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district of Ghana have been trained in beekeeping and honey production by the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS).

The project is in line with the Sustainable Economic Development programme of PENTSOS, which aims at building the productive capacity of the youth and creating employment opportunities for young members in the church.

The exercise is being undertaken in partnership with Nkunim Foods, a private sector business in Ghana, which also acts as off-takers for the honey when harvested. The company supplied 62 hives to all 54 beneficiaries of the programme.

Speaking to PENTECOST NEWS during a routine monitoring exercise at Sawla yesterday, Elder Ing. Frank Adutwum, the PENTSOS Operations Coordinator, said that these community-level livelihood projects are income-generating will serve as an alternative livelihood.

“The ultimate objective of the beekeeping and honey production project is to improve on household income,” he said.

Elder Adutwum further stated that the project would also serve as a short-term measure in creating jobs for the members of the Church in deprived communities and reducing rural-urban migration.

PENTSOS and Nkunim Foods are currently embarking on a monitoring exercise to provide technical assistance to the beekeepers to enable them to harvest the honey without contamination. 

After the harvest, Nkumin Foods, as part of the arrangement, would purchase the extracted honey, thereby creating a ready market for the product.

PENTECOST NEWS

All seven students of the Pentecost Preparatory School, Sawla (PPS) who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) last year have successfully passed.

The PPS-Sawla is one of the few among the 43 Junior High Schools in the Sawla District to record a 100% pass in the final year examination.

The seven candidates are currently awaiting placement in the second-cycle institutions.

Mr Emmanuel Ekaatey, the Headmaster of the School, disclosed this in an interview with PENTECOST NEWS at Sawla.

According to him, the students were the first batch of final-year students since the school’s inception in 2007, and was, therefore, glad that they had achieved this historic feat at their first attempt.

He commended the teachers for their continuous dedication to the children and urged them to keep up the good work.

Mr. Ekaatey also thanked the leadership of the Church and the Sawla Area for the support to the school citing an ongoing classroom block project being funded by the Church through the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS).

He, however, called on benevolent members and organisations to come to the school’s aid as it is still having an infrastructure deficit.

The Area Head, Pastor David Amankwaa, commended the teachers for the wonderful achievement.

He said that, as part of ensuring a holistic ministry, the area is strategically promoting academic excellence among the indigenes. He said the recent success of PPS-Sawla is a clear indication that the vision of the area is on course and also expressed confidence that the school would chalk greater successes in future examinations.

He also hinted that the area leadership would be awarding all the candidates for excelling in the exam.

The PENTSOS Director, Elder Richard Amaning, in a telephone interview, also expressed his delight at the news and encouraged church leaders to continue to provide the needed support to the various mission schools within their jurisdictions.

“These schools should now be considered as a mission field where souls could be won for the Lord,” he said.

The Pentecost Preparatory School, Sawla currently boasts an enrolment of over 400 pupils with 17 teaching and non-teaching staff.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr. Peter K. Yeboah, has commended The Church of Pentecost for her significant contributions towards the fight of COVID-19 at the peak of the pandemic in 2019.

Dr. Yeboah was particularly impressed by the Church’s gesture of releasing the 250-acre ultramodern multipurpose facility Convention centre to the Government of Ghana as an isolation and treatment centre.

“For us as CHAG, this singular act meant much more. By giving out the Pentecost Convention Centre pro bono (for free), with no strings attached, the Church traded off income that could have been used to sustain the Church. Again, the Church defied certain risks; including the possible stigma of the centre being tagged as a ‘Covid centre’ post-pandemic,” he stated.

He further stated: “By your contributions to the covid response actions, you gave meaning to the government’s response to the pandemic. Indeed, you demonstrated real Christian love, commitment, equity, service and integrity for the sake of God, country and humanity consistent with the PENTSOS core values.

“You changed the narrative and you contributed very significantly to Ghana’s acclaimed success at managing the pandemic,” he added.

He indicated that CHAG also benefited from the church’s benevolence since the humanitarian act also cemented church-state partnership in health. 

“It reinforced the power of CHAG to sit at the policy table; we were, thus, recognised as partners and contributors and this gave us relevance, and for this, we are very grateful,” he said.

Dr. Peter Yeboah said this when he delivered a brief remark at the dedication ceremony for the Pentecost Hospital-Tarkwa on Wednesday, February 9, 2022.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Yendi Area of The Church of Pentecost, under the leadership of Apostle Emmanuel Kojo Aidoo, has initiated a training programme for farmers of the Area.

The first phase of the training series which took place from 18^th to 19^th January 2022 at Saboba and Yendi respectively, saw about 200 farmers in the Yendi, Saboba and Makayili zones of the Area benefiting from it.

The Tatale, Senyai and Bimbilla zones would be covered in the coming month.

The first phase has focused on poultry and piggery productions with professionals from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as the resource persons.

The second phase is expected to focus on yam production which is the major staple in the area.

In his opening remarks, Apostle Aidoo was hopeful that the training would equip the members, majority of whom are farmers to enhance their production methods ultimately leading them to be financially stable.

Report by Overseer Martin Ossom Boafo, Saboba District.

It was all joy when the Wa Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Daniel Nii Tetteh Tackie, commissioned and handed over three boreholes with hand pumps to the Yorkonteng, Metii and Gurungu communities in the Upper West Region.

The boreholes, which were fully funded by the Church’s Headquarters, through her social services wing, Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), was constructed to provide access to potable drinking water.

Before the commissioning of the boreholes, residents of the Yorkonteng community, numbering about 800, were without potable water and, therefore, resorted to unclean water from water bodies, which they shared with other animals. Moved by the plight of the people, the Church offered to construct boreholes for the community and two other surrounding communities namely Metii and Gurungu, faced with the same challenge

The commissioning service, held recently, had in attendance Pastor Prince E. Y. Dzramedo (Gurungu District Minister), Hon. Vida Dorothy (Wa West District Chief Executive), Hon. Manan (Assembly Member, Gurungu Electoral Area), Unit Committee Members, Chiefs and opinion leaders.

Dedicating the facilities, Apostle Tackie advised the community members to take good care of the boreholes so that they would prolong their lifespan and serve them for a long time.

Hon. Dorothy was full of praise for the Church for meeting this dire challenge of the people, saying that “water is life!”

She applauded The Church of Pentecost for investing in various social interventions citing the establishment of schools, hospitals, correctional facilities and water facilities across the length and breadth of the country. 

She also praised the Church for her evangelistic efforts and also encouraged them to continue to do more to bring more persons into the saving knowledge of Christ.

Hon. Manan, on his part, thanked the Church for extending such a kind gesture to the communities within his jurisdiction. He prayed for God’s continuing providence for the Church and encouraged other organisations to emulate the Church’s efforts.

Speaking to PENTECOST NEWS, Pastor Dzramedo said that the Church discovered the small community in 2018 and established an assembly after an evangelism outreach. He said the challenge came to their notice after they established the assembly there.

Subsequently, the District prayed for a divine intervention and informed the then Area Head, Apostle Robert Kwabena Andoh about the situation. He, in turn, informed the PENTSOS Directorate for assistance.

The PENTSOS Director, Elder Richard Amaning, and a team of experts visited the community to assess the situation and came to their aid.

PENTECOST NEWS