Posts in category: Top Stories

The Teshie Nungua Area of The Church Of Pentecost has made a donation of USD 35,000 to external missions of the church to support various projects.

The cheque was presented to the International Missions Office at the Headquarters of the church, Accra on March 3, 2023.

According to the Area Secretary, Pastor Joseph Asumadu Burchie, during the end-of-year Executive Retreat of the Area, leadership of the Area decided to make donations to both internal and external missions of the church.

“Through the Area Head, Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah-Agyeman, the Area decided to donate an amount of USD35,000 to the following external missions of the Church – PENSA International (USD10,000), Equatorial Guinea (USD10,000), Uganda (USD5,000), Trinidad & Tobago (USD5,000) and Ethiopia (USD5,000),” he said.

The International Missions Director of The Church Of Pentecost, Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, on behalf of the nations, thanked the Teshie-Nungua Area for their enormous contribution. He was happy the Lord placed it in the heart of the Area to support the external missions of the church.

“The work is big, and there is a need for more helpers,” he said, adding, “This will therefore go a long way to help missions. May God bless everyone who contributed to this great feat.”

Present at the presentation ceremony were Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah-Agyeman (Area Head, Teshie-Nungua), Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko (Finance and Administration Director, CoP HQ), Pastor Gideon Kofi Boadu-Yirenkyi (Personal Assistant to the IMD), Pastor Joseph Asumadu Burchie (Teshie-Nungua Area Secretary) and Pastor Isaac Osei (Teshie-Nungua Area Missions Board Chairman).

PENTECOST NEWS.

Pastor Enoch Narh Tawiah, a member of the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee (NDLDC) of The Church of Pentecost, has admonished Christian leaders should employ the Bible as the ultimate resource material for discipling others.

He gave this advice during the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee (NDLDC) End of Year Meeting and Equipping the Disciple Maker (EDM) Training held at Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh.

Presenting a paper on the topic: “Managing the Disciple Making Tools, Disciple Making Skills,” the Pentecost University lecturer said that that the ultimate goal of discipleship is to help others become like Christ.

He further noted that in discipling, the messages given to the disciple must be godly, presented in a godly manner and with a godly motive.

“When interpreting the Bible during discussions, Christian leaders need to ask the following questions: who, what, when, where, why and how,” he said.

He, therefore, urged Church leaders to endeavour to create a suitable environment where others can learn the word of God.

To make discipleship groups effective, Pastor Tawiah advised Church leaders to create a healthy and a relational atmosphere before meetings begin or end, adding, “there must be an accountability where a forum is created for people to bring feedback on living the principles of the kingdom of God.”

He also urged the participants to be specific with the time duration and schedules of their meetings.

According to him, mentorship is a priority for Church leaders when discipling their followers or members and it must be done within small groups so that the mentor would to give adequate attention to each mentee.

“When those we mentor are given the right attention, their issues would be heard without prejudice, self-righteousness and condemnation, rather with a heart of compassion towards their divine purposes,” he explained.

Pastor Tawiah enlisted relationships, dynamic or growth, trust, enabling or assistance, maximising the grace of God, equipping and service, as the elements that facilitates the mentoring process.

In mentoring and discipling others, he advised Church leaders to always exemplify the Christlike traits in all their dealings bearing in mind that they are also disciples of Christ.

“A mentor must be Christ-centred, relational, opened and transparent, trustworthy and facilitate processes,” he further stated.

 Report by Pastor Benjamin Elijah Baidoo

The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Travelling Secretary of the Sunyani Sector of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Joseph Owusu Boateng, has said that the basis of Christian discipleship is to strive to be like Christ.

According to Pastor Owusu Boateng, who doubles as an Executive Member of the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee (NDLDC), discipleship is not only instructional but also relational and mentorship.

“Disciple-making has no end; it helps people to go beyond cultural and ethnic boundaries, which call for diligence, faithfulness, availability and humility,” he said.

He said this at the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee (NDLDC) End of Year Meeting and Equipping the Disciple Maker (EDM) Training held at Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh.

He iterated that discipleship is biblical, life-changing and an ongoing relationship which affects every sphere of life. He, however, explained that discipleship involves the head, heart and hands.

Pastor Owusu Boateng further said that one critical area of discipleship is family discipleship. He said that most of the time is spent in the home, therefore, Christians must give much attention to family devotions.

“Focus on family devotions where there is engagement, exploration, empathy, encouragement and support to members through prayers,” he stated.

He admonished members to utilize strategic times of the day in training their children, saying, “just as Jesus spent time and energy investing in the twelve disciples, leaders must carefully choose faithful, available and teachable people to mentor.”

“I believe if the discipleship enterprise is taken seriously, we would surely raise people to become like Christ,” he concluded.

Report by Pastor Benjamin Elijah Baidoo

Pastor Charles Oduro, the Yennyawoso District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, has charged members and officers of the Church to unite in everything they do as the growth of the Church pivots around unity.

According to him, since God is not the author of confusion, He cannot be present in the absence of unity and oneness.

“The Church cannot grow without unity because God cannot live where there is polarisation and anarchy, for He is not a God of disorder. Therefore, we have to come together, and with one accord, we can move the Church forward,” he said.

Pastor Oduro made this assertion in a sermon titled, “Repositioning the heart to be loyal to God and the Church” on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at the Redemption Assembly auditorium during the climax of the Yennyawoso District week celebration.

Drawing lessons from the story of Uriah in 2 Samuel Chapter 11 with emphasis on verse 11, the Yennyawoso District Minister gave an exposition on the kind of loyalty Uriah exhibited, following the profound statement he made when King David wanted to persuade him to go home and sleep with his wife to cover up for his (David’s) adulterous act.

“Though Uriah was not an Israelite, he was committed to the cause of the Israelites to the extent that he refused to go home and lie with his wife regardless of persuasion of David whilst the ark of God and the Israelites were at the battlefield. This is rare commitment and loyalty,” he said.

Like Uriah, Pastor Oduro urged the gathering to uphold the virtues of loyalty and commitment in their service to God and the Church.

The man of God also spoke against the “do and let’s see” syndrome, where a leader is left alone to their fate by their supporting teams, saying: “When everyone deserts you, it means they want your humiliation, destruction and death.”

Reading from 1 Chronicles 11:9-10; 2 Samuel 21:15-17, Pastor Oduro explained that David succeeded in his reign because the chiefs of warriors, together with all Israel, strongly supported him.

“Great leaders do not succeed alone.” he stated. He, therefore, called on the congregants to rally behind those in leadership positions in The Church of Pentecost to ensure the rapid growth of the Church.

He also urged Christians not to relent and be swollen-headed when they win victories, but to be ever ready for more battles as one victory calls for another battle.

The clergyman advised Christians not to be like Joab, King David’s army commander, who pretended to love David, but had a different mindset about him as he killed Absalom (David’s son) after he was told to protect him (2 Samuel 18:5-17).

Pastor Oduro revealed that loyalty comes with challenges such as persecution, insult, and hatred, but he encouraged Christians not to give up for things shall surely turn in their favour as Christianity involves two experiences – mountain top and valley down.

“If things are not going as expected, it means you are still in your night, but your daybreak will certainly come,” he assured, adding, “God sometimes pushes a believer into a ‘night’ just to test their faithfulness and loyalty.”

“Joseph’s brothers stripped off his coat of many colours, but they could not strip him of his destiny. No trouble is pleasant, but they prepare you for a higher height (1 Peter 5:10),” he further stated whilst urging the gathering to hold allegiance to God.

Referencing a quote by Bob Marley, a reggae artiste, who once said: “Live for yourself and you will live in vain; live for others and you will live again,” Pastor Charles Oduro admonished members and officers of The Church of Pentecost not to castigate or asperse the Church, saying, “If you slander the Church, you slander yourself.” He rather charged them to defend the Church, make the Church better and check what they wish for others as well.

The week-long event was held under the general theme: “Repositioning the Local Church For Maximum Impact In the Nations,” (Colossians 2:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20) with several thematic areas exhaustively treated by various speakers.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah 

The Walewale Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Norman Appiah-Danquah, has said that Christians should not struggle to live upright lives in a dark world because, by virtue of their belief in Christ, they have been made the light of the world.

Apostle Appiah-Danquah said this when he ministered to participants of the Walewale Zone during the recently-held Ministers and Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation).

In his presentation, the Walewale Area Head stressed that whenever there are rot, corruption and sinful activities in the midst of Christians, it is an indication of the lack of the fear of God on the part of believers.

He further stated that believers who do not live in the fear of God, do not possess enough power to dispel away darkness.

According to him, lack of the fear of God is the root of godless lives in the body of Christ. Hence, to be well-repositioned in life to carry the presence of God, His power and glory for maximum impact, officers and members of the Church must uphold godliness.

“A godless church leader that does not fear the LORD is likely to mismanage tithes and offerings,” he said. Apostle Appiah-Danquah, therefore, charged Christians, particularly Church leaders, to uphold high moral values and embrace godliness; by so doing, they would dispel darkness in the world.

“The highest status any believer can attain is to be like Christ, putting on the form of godliness that carries the expressed image of God,” he said.

The 2023 Ministers and Officers Retreat (Apostolisation) was held at three zones, namely Walewale, Nakpanduri and Gbintiri, in the Area. Other speakers at the event were Pastor Daniel Frimpong Manso (Tepa Area Head) and Pastor Victor Asante Darko (New Site District Minister).

Report by Overseer Ernest K. Akorli (Kpasenkpe District, Walewale Area)

Elder Ebenezer Tagoe, the Presiding Elder of Darkuman Central Assembly in the Darkuman District of The Church of Pentecost, and his wife, Mrs. Angelina Tagoe, have donated sound equipment to the Assembly.

The donation comprises a mixer, one pair of base speakers, a pair of mid-full range speakers, a pair of monitors, a set of amplifiers and a pair of cordless microphones.

Handing over the items, Elder Tagoe indicated that the donation was done voluntarily to support the Assembly and the advancement of the cause of Christ.

Receiving the instruments on behalf of the Assembly, the Darkuman District Minister, Pastor Philip Appoh, commended the couple for the wonderful act of service to God and the Church, saying, “this shows you love the work of God and delight in its progress.”

He further prayed for the couple and urged the members to emulate their exemplary act of sacrificial giving. 

“God is very concerned about people who have His work at heart. He, therefore, blesses them throughout their generation,” he stated.

Report by Joshua Heizel