Andoe District Retires 10 Gallant Officers

Andoe District Retires 10 Gallant Officers

The Andoe District in the Assin Foso Area of The Church of Pentecost has organised a retirement service for 10 officers who have served the church meritoriously for various years.

The service took place recently at the  Andoe Central Assembly auditorium under the leadership of the District Minister, Pastor Daniel Kwame Darko.

The retired officers and their number of years of service are as follows: Elder Williams A. Baragbor, 43 years; Elder John Gyasi, 41 years; Elder Emmanuel Tetteh Kwaw, 38 years, and Elder George Sarpong Amoah, 36 years.

The rest were Deaconess Mary Antobam, 52 years; Deaconess Grace Afedzie, 46 years; Deaconess Paulina Dede, 36 years; Deaconess Comfort Sackey, 36 years; Deaconess Georgina  Ofori, 35 years, and Deaconess Victoria Dede, 34 years.

Speaking on the topic, “Faith to Possess the Nations,”  with Bible texts from Romans 10:17; 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 13:13, the Assin Nsuta District Minister, Pastor Freeman K. Ofori-Siaw, noted that faith is something man has not seen yet believes that it exists.

He added that it is through faith that believers are saved, because faith is the purchasing power for buying spiritual things. Through faith, he said, believers overcome all challenges that come their way.

“Whoever comes to the Lord to serve Him must believe that He exists and He is the ultimate and master rewarder. Without faith, no servant can go far with the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly,” he stressed.

Pastor Daniel Kwame Darko applauded the retirees for their selfless and dedicated services to God and humanity. He challenged the youth to follow in the footsteps of the retirees to enable them also serve their generations without grumbling.

“Today, you are celebrating your leaders for their hard work which has brought the church to this level. What are you doing to help expand the Kingdom of God to enable others celebrate you when you also retire from active service when your time comes?” he quizzed.

Each of the retirees was given a certificate of service signed by the Assin Foso Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Frederick Kwaku Andoh. They also received some handsome packages.

Report by Godwin Ayivor, Assin Andoe District Reporter.

Pledge Allegiance To God, Church - Christian Leaders Told

Pledge Allegiance To God, Church – Christian Leaders Told

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has advised Christian leaders to be loyal to God and the Church.

The Chairman said this in a homily he delivered when he met elders in the La and Teshie Nungua areas of the Church at the PIWC-Kokomlemle Dome, last Tuesday.

In his exhortation, Apostle Nyamekye commended the elders of The Church of Pentecost, who are unpaid officers, for their selfless and sacrificial service that has greatly contributed to the sustenance and growth of the Church.

With Acts 14:21-23; Titus 1:5 and Acts 20:17 as scriptural references, Apostle Nyamekye further highlighted the importance of elders in the New Testament Church.

The Chairman drew inspiration from David’s story in 1Chronicles 11:9-11 to stress the need for ministers and elders to work closely together for maximum impact.

According to the Chairman, King David’s greatness and success could be attributed to two things; God’s presence with him and the support from his (David’s) mighty men and the people of Israel gave him.

Apostle Nyamekye also indicated that David was a man who knew how to build and maintain strong supportive teams.

He opined that “great leaders do not succeed alone, rather they succeed because they have people who support them.”

“No leader is greater than his support team; for as the leader is, so is his support team,” he added.

Apostle Nyamekye also pointed out that every member of the church possesses some graces, gifts and talents (Romans 12:6-8), for this reason, no member of the body of Christ should be taken for granted.

These graces, gifts and talents, which are both natural and spiritual, he futher noted, must be harnessed for the common good of all (1Corinthians 12:7), and not for personal interests or self-aggrandisement.

“Since every individual in the Church has a certain level of grace, gifts and talents, Church leaders must learn to respect all and see every member as part of the support team,” he advised.

Apostle Nyamekye emphasised that all elders are coworkers in the house of God and have been called to a position of trust.

He, therefore, charged ministers and officers to discharge their duties with utmost loyalty because “loyalty is the hallmark of every supporting leader.”

Using Joab and Abishai as a case study to further butress his point, the Chairman explained that although Joab and Abishai were brothers and part of King David’s warriors, the former was disloyal to David while the latter was loyal to the king.

Joab’s disloyalty was seen in how he killed two army commanders of David without his knowledge. He (Joab) again proved disloyal when he killed the King’s son, Absalom, after the king had explicitly asked him not to.

Abishai, on the other hand, risked his life for King David, he saved the King when Ishbi-Benod wanted to kill him, and obeyed David’s orders even when they went against his personal wishes.

The Chairman advised Church leaders to cultivate Abishai’s exemplary loyalty trait while asserting that loyalty is one of the paramount virtues needed in Christian leadership.

He explained that being loyal to God and the Church requires faithfulness, sacrifice, commitment, going the extra mile, effective leadership, defending the church and interceding for the church  in prayer.

Apostle Nyamekye also admonished ministers and officers to refrain from maligning the Church and her leadership since it also an act of disloyalty.

In attendance were Apostle Alexander N.Y. Kumi-Larbi (General Secretary), Apostle Lawrence Otu Nyarko (Finance and Administration Director, CoP Headquarters), Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong Kodua (Vice Chancellor, Pentecost University), Apostle D.K. Nuekpe (La Area Head), Apostle Nkrumah Agyemang (Teshie Nungua Area Head) and Apostle Lt. Col. B.G. Kumi-Woode (Chaplain, Ghana Armed Forces) together with their spouses.

Report by Pastor Emmanuel Opoku Mensah

Palace Assembly Gets Musical Instruments

Palace Assembly Gets Musical Instruments

The Kaneshie Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante, has dedicated a set of musical instruments for the Kwashieman Palace Assembly in the Area.

Items dedicated include a set of 5-piece drums, full range speaker, mixer, keyboard, keyboard combo, 30 yards speaker cable, a set of cordless microphones, two pieces microphone stand, two pieces cord microphones, three tambourines, jack-jack cable, among others. The instruments were purchased by the Kaneshie Area.

The first palace assembly of The Church of Pentecost located at the Kwashieman Chief Palace in Accra was inaugurated on September 25, 2022.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Apostle Asante, who is also an Executive Council Member of the church, read from 1 Chronicles 15:16, where King David placed value on the role played by the Levites who were appointed to make joyful sounds with musical instruments during the unveiling of the ark of God.

Apostle Asante encouraged members of the new assembly to continue to fulfill God’s mandate in the Possessing the Nation’s agenda.

In attendance at the dedication service were Overseer Anthony Kwadwo Obeng and wife (Kaneshie Area Chieftaincy Ministry Pastor), Elder Nana Impream VIII (Kaneshie Area Chieftaincy Ministry Chairman), Nii Ahiaku VI (Kwashieman Mantse), Pastor Emmanuel Agbeko (Kwashieman District Pastor), Nananom, Clergy from the Area and royal members of the assembly.

Report by Michael Asante, Kaneshie Area.

Stay With The Church of Pentecost – Apostle Agyemang Bekoe Urges

Stay With The Church of Pentecost – Apostle Agyemang Bekoe Urges

The International Missions Director (IMD) of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, has urged staff, management, and members of the Church to stay with the Church because there is a ‘covenant’ covering all those who stay with the Church.

“God has a covenant with The Church of Pentecost and the covenant covers every member and staff of the Church automatically. If you stay with the church, you will enjoy the covering,” he stated.

Apostle Agyemang Bekoe said this on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, during this year’s Head Office Management and Staff Retreat.

Speaking on the topic, “Stay With Me,” using 1 Samuel 22:23 as his main text, the IMD said that David, even though anointed, was on the run while waiting for the appointment of God.

“There is always an intervening period between the anointing period and the appointment. The period tests your durability, patience, and endurance whether you can wait or not,” Apostle Agyemang Bekoe noted.

Running from his enemies, he said that David’s associates decided to follow him around. These people, he explained, were those who were in debt, in sorrow, and in distress.”

He added: “As we transition into 2023, for us to survive in the world, you would need a special food cooked in the presence of God.”

He further encouraged Christians to stay faithful to God without being lured by the things of the world. He, therefore, called on the members and the staff to stay and benefit from the preservation and protection of God.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Church of Pentecost Donates To Kumasi Central Prison

The Church of Pentecost Donates To Kumasi Central Prison

The Old Tafo, Bompata and Ejisu Areas of The Church of Pentecost have jointly donated food and other items worth GHC 47, 000.00 to the Kumasi Central Prison in the Ashanti region.

The kind gesture, which took place on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, was in pursuit of the five-year strategic vision of the Church (Vision 2023) to “Possess the Nations” by influencing every sphere of life with principles and values of the kingdom of God.

Presenting the items, which included 10 bags of rice, 2 bags of maize, 17 bags of gari, 7 boxes of carbolic soap, 120 tubers of yam, 16 pieces of salt, 16 boxes of bar soap, packs of toilet roll, among others, the Old Tafo Area Head, Apostle Yeboah Nsaful, said that the physical aspect of God’s work is to support the needy and the have-nots in the society.

He noted that the kind gesture being shown to the needy by Christian organisations, especially in this festive season, is geared towards demonstrating the love of God and extoling Christ Jesus to draw all men unto Himself.

“What we are seeing is in fulfilment of our corporate social responsibility to the government and Ghanaians. The work at the prisons requires money, and government alone cannot shoulder everything, hence the donation to complement government’s effort,” Apostle Yeboah Nsaful further expressed.

He added that “from time to time, we will mobilise items and donate them to the prisons and other places which need the help of the Church.”

Rev. Superintendent Stella Ama Katso, the Regional Prisons Chaplain, on behalf of the Ashanti Regional Commander of the Prisons Service, thanked The Church of Pentecost for the wonderful gesture.

She further appealed to other faith-based organisations, individuals and other corporate bodies to come to their aid.

“I say a very big thank you to The Church of Pentecost for visiting us today. This will go a long way to put smiles on the face of our brothers.

“Your presence means a lot to them and at least they have hope that someone cares and prays for them. We are also calling upon other churches to emulate The Church of Pentecost and donate to us in this festive season,” she stressed.

Present at the brief presentation ceremony were a section of ministers and wives, the Old Tafo Area Prisons Ministry leadership, and other officers of the Church.

Report by Dennis Owusu & Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

Agormanya Area Holds Consultative Meeting With Chiefs, Queen Mothers

Agormanya Area Holds Consultative Meeting With Chiefs, Queen Mothers

The Agorrmanya Area of The Church of Pentecost organised a consultative meeting with the chiefs and queen mothers within the Akwamu and Dorfo traditional areas last Sunday to identify challenges confronting their respective communities and proper strategies to solve them.

The event, dubbed “Royals Consultative Meeting,” took place at the Mckeown Temple in the Akrade District.

The meeting was chaired by the Agormanya Area Head of the Church, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, with assistance from Pastor Jacob Kwakye Frimpong (Area Chieftaincy Ministry Coordinator) and Nana Kwaku Budu Akomea (Area Chieftaincy Committee Chairman).

Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, in his opening remarks, refuted the misconceptions about the Chieftaincy institution as an ‘unchristian” venture, advocating that: “Chieftaincy ought to be understood as a divine call to leadership.”

“This means that the opportunity to serve as a chief should be seen as a God-given opportunity one has received to provide leadership and serve his or her people,” he stressed.

He indicated that most of the time, chiefs and queen mothers strive without success to bring massive infrastructural projects like schools, health facilities, etc, to their communities.

Apostle Gakpetor further noted that, although such developmental projects are important, they are very capital intensive and, therefore, demand the support of government and other organisations to be undertaken.

“However, there are also several challenges within our communities, which could be easily attended to by the chiefs and queen mothers even as they wait on the government for support for bigger developmental projects. This is why the consultative meeting has been convened,” Apostle Gakpetor noted. 

Speaking on the topic “Boldness to Confront Challenges” with reference to 1 Samuel 17:32;45-46, Pastor Jacob Kwakye Frimpong called on the chiefs to tackle the challenges in their communities with boldness.

He encouraged them never to ignore the problems faced by their community folks, but do whatever it takes to overcome them or minimise the impact on their subjects.

Pastor Kwakye Frimpong again encouraged them to draw on God’s strength and grace to confront the challenges that come their way.

Some of the challenges of the communities identified from the discussions were moral, environmental, health, educational, economic, and security issues as well as the apathy of community members towards communal labour and development.

From the deliberations, it became apparent that the identified challenges have both spiritual and character dimensions.

It was, therefore, agreed that the traditional rulers should partner with the Church, ministers, and other Christian leaders in their communities to periodically hold prayer sessions to intercede for the communities.

Again, they were encouraged to collaborate with the Church and ministers in their communities to use the available media platforms (i.e. information centres) and community durbars to organise systematic and extensive teachings on character formation and morality to benefit the community folks.

The traditional rulers were also encouraged to engage the clergy within in their various communities to help address the developmental challenges.

On the other hand, the ministers were advised not to overlook the challenges within their host communities, but to see them as opportunities for ministry and strive to address them.

Apostle Gakpetor noted that the new interventions introduced under the five-year strategic vision of The Church of Pentecost (Vision 2023) such as the Environmental Care Campaign, the Home and Urban Mission (HUM), and the Counselling Ministry must be diligently employed to arrest the identified challenges.

The Agormanya Area Head also proposed a roadmap and action plan for the traditional leaders to adopt and work with for six months, after which another meeting will be convened to assess progress made.

On behalf of all the royals present, Nene Tetteh Amoako IV, the Chief of Natriku in the Osudoku Traditional Area, expressed heartfelt appreciation to God and the Church for the meeting and pledged to work hard to effectively implement the proffered solutions.

The colourful event had in attendance Mrs. Grace Gakpetor (Wife of the Area Head), Mrs. Cynthia Kwakye Frimpong (Wife of the Area Chieftaincy Ministry Coordinator), and a cross-section of ministers and wives in the Area.

Also present were committee members of the Chieftaincy Ministry at the Area and district levels.

In all, 23 chiefs and queen mothers participated in the consultative meeting.

Report by Agormanya Area Chieftaincy Ministry.

Ziope District Organises Royals & Clergy Seminar

Ziope District Organises Royals & Clergy Seminar

The Ziope District of The Church of Pentecost in the Ho Area has organised a seminar for all ministers and royals in the district.

The event, which was supported by the Ziope Local Council of Churches and the Ziope Traditional Council, took place at the Ziope Central Assembly Auditorium on Saturday, December 3, 2022. It was under the theme, “Leadership cohesion is paramount for peaceful co-existence and community development.”

The Co-ordinator for the Ho Area Chieftaincy Ministry, Pastor Philip Tamakloe, who represented the Area Head, Apostle Dr Dela Quampah, in his keynote address, stressed the importance of collaboration between traditional authorities and the Church in developing communities.

He called on leaders at all levels of society to unite so that the people they lead will follow their example. He stated that conflict among opinion leaders in communities does not promote development.

The Acting President of the Ziope Traditional Council, Torgbi Awadada Zizaze V, on his part, expressed appreciation to the local council of churches for the wonderful initiative.

He shared some of his experiences and lessons learnt at the National Royals Conference held at the Pentecost Convention Centre this year. 

The Ziope District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Overseer Pennywise Vivor, led discussions on the way forward for Chieftaincy Ministry in the area, in which they agreed to begin chaplaincy in the various palaces. They also agreed on various developmental projects and activities which will be jointly organised by the Local Council of Churches and the Ziope Traditional Council.

The Zikpuitor of the paramount chief, Zikpuitor Frank Gasese, also took the royal process, educating them on the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts.’

Other royals present were Mamaga Norkuawuwo V (Paramount queen), and other subchiefs and queens in the Ziope Traditional Area.

The event was also attended by the clergy from the Catholic Church, the Evangelical Royal Generation Church, Healing Jesus Mission International, Global Evangelical Church and the Messengers Voice. Others included the Assemblies of God Church, Favour Embassy, Pentecostal Ministry and the Christian Assembly. 

Report by Overseer Eric Sitsofe Akude

Wudoaba District Constructs Community Information Centren

Wudoaba District Constructs Community Information Centre

The Wudoaba District in the Aflao Area of The Church of Pentecost has constructed an information centre for the Wudoaba community and its environs.

The centre, worth GH¢15,000.00, has been constructed for public announcement purposes and for the propagation of the gospel message of Christ.

“The project is also the Church’s contribution to the developmental needs of the Wudoaba community and its environs,” Pastor Godfred Tsatsu, the District Minister, further stated.

The facility, which has been fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, was dedicated by the Aflao Area Head, Apostle Michael Agyen Brefo, at a brief ceremony last Sunday.

Speaking at the ceremony, Apostle Agyen Brefo commended the leadership of the Wudoaba District for embarking on the community transformation project which is in line with the five-year strategic vision of The Church of Pentecost, dubbed “Vision 2023: Possessing the Nations.”

According to the Aflao Area Head, the Church, through this vision, seeks to influence every sphere of society with values and principles of the kingdom of God. He was, therefore, confident that the information centre would contribute meaningfully to the realisation of Vision 2023.

Present at the dedication ceremony were Honourable Collins Ababio (Assembly member for Wudoaba) and the Dzodze zone pastorate within the Aflao Area.

Report by Pastor Francis Lamptey (Aflao Area Reporter)

297 Souls Won At Salaga for web

297 Souls Won At “Salaga for Christ” Crusade

A three-day gospel and healing crusade organised by the Tamale Area of The Church of Pentecost, in collaboration with Soul Partners International, at the Salaga Senior High School in the Northern Region of Ghana, recorded 297 souls to the glory of God.

The crusade, dubbed “Salaga for Christ,” was held from December 8 to 10, 2022, in morning and evening sessions.

The morning sessions focused on prayer, fasting, Holy Ghost baptism, and teachings, whilst the evening session was dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel message of Christ.

The officials of Souls Partners International, collaborated with the Health Workers Guild of the Tamale Area to organise medical screening exercises during the morning sessions.

Speaking at an evening session of the crusade, the Tamale Area Head and Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Sylvester Arhin, asserted that Jesus is the only Saviour of the world and that eternal life can be found in no one else but Him.

“The son of God manifested in the flesh to save man from the power of sin and give us eternal life,” he said.

Apostle Arhin, therefore, urged all who are yet to surrender their lives to Jesus to do so and obtain eternal life.

At the end of the crusade, 297 people accepted Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour; 156 of them underwent water baptism by immersion.

Soul Partners International is a US-based non-profit Christian organisation founded by Dr. Nathaniel Owusu, his wife, Gifty Nana Akua Owusu, and Dr. Harriet Kussi in October 2018.

The organisation partners with local churches to organise evangelism outreaches in their communities and also attend to the health needs of community members.

Report by Solomon Anderson

The Church of Pentecost Provides Kpalworgu Community With Safe Drinking Water

The Church of Pentecost Provides Kpalworgu Community With Safe Drinking Water

The Church of Pentecost, through her social services directorate, Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), has constructed a limited mechanised water system for the Kpalworgu Community in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region.

The water system, which was constructed at a total cost of GHS 50,000.00, consists of a borehole, a 10,000-litre overhead storage tank, and two standpipes connected through a pipe network to deliver water to the Kpalworgu school, CHPS Compound, and other residents of the community.

A public standpipe with three fetching taps was also constructed for the Fulani community in the Area as part of the project.

According to the PENTSOS Director, Elder Richard Amaning, the project was started in 2019 but its completion delayed as a result of power extension challenges.

He further noted that, due to the limited number of boreholes fitted with hand pumps in the community, school children, health workers and the residents relied heavily on rainwater harvesting (which is seasonal) for water supply.

The water system would, therefore, provide relief to the community people, particularly pupils and patients, he added.

The facility, which adds to the growing list of social interventions undertaken by The Church of Pentecost in the last five years, was commissioned by the Wa Area Head of the Church, Apostle Daniel Nii Tetteh Tackie, during a special ceremony held last Monday.

Apostle Tetteh Tackie, in his speech at the event, indicated that the water system is in line with the Church’s five-year strategic vision (Vision 2023), which among other objectives, is focused on championing societal transformation.

Drawing some lessons from Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand to exhort the gathering, the Church’s Coordinator for Home and Urban Missions (HUM), Apostle Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo, said that the social needs of people must be on the heart of every government and institution, stressing that: “providing water to a community is as important as bringing them the gospel.”

Apostle Kwafo further urged the community people to live together in love, and not to waste resources since “every wasteful community is a poor community.”

The Wa East District Chief Executive, Dr. S. K. Mahama, a special guest at the event, thanked the Church for the great work done and lauded  the Church’s holistic approach to ministry.

“When you attend The Church of Pentecost, the Church does not only work on your spirit, but it also cares for your soul and body,” he said.

The representative of the Kpalworgu Chief at the ceremony also conveyed the chief’s gratitude to the Church as well as teachers and health workers for their significant contributions to the development of the community.

Present at the commissioning ceremony were a cross-section of the Wa Area pastorate, staff of the PENTSOS Directorate, principal officers from the Wa East District Assembly, community elders, the Fulani Chief, Church members and community people.

PENTECOST NEWS.