Posts in category: Top Stories

The Social Media Ambassadors of The Church of Pentecost were given a warm reception when they fellowshipped with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) yesterday.

The visit, which is the first of many scheduled visits to the various PENSA branches of the Church nationwide, coincided with the inauguration of the PENSA-KNUST French Assembly.

The three-member delegation, led by Elder Joseph Bill Danquah (the Group President), took the congregants through the various social media platforms of the Church.

Addressing the congregants, Elder J. B. Danquah explained that The Church of Pentecost, through the “Possessing the Nations” agenda, is taking territories for Christ. According to him, one territory that has emerged of primary interest to the Church in recent years is social media. 

He further noted that the growing influence of social media in the contemporary world has caused a paradigm shift in Christian evangelism.

“There is a shift in how the Gospel is presented from the use of traditional media to the use of social media. This is because now social media is undoubtedly the place with the biggest number of people and opportunities, and we need to take over this territory for Christ,” he said.

Elder Danquah called on Church members, particularly the youth, to come on board as Social Media ambassadors to push this new agenda of the Church for maximum impact.

He bemoaned the fact that social media is now awashed with negative content, and was confident that together they could change this trend and, rather, saturate the space with the gospel of Christ.

Elder Prince Asare, a member of the delegation, showed the congregants how to access the various digital platforms of the Church, namely Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Amazon, Podcast, Website and Mobile Application, 

He urged church members to subscribe to these platforms since they are the primary audience to whom the contents posted are targeted.

“We have merged all our digital links into one (linktr.ee/thecophq) to make it easier to access the digital platforms of The Church of Pentecost. So, you can now access all the digital platforms of the Church with just a click,” he added.

The Group Secretary, Deacon Ebenezer Amoako Antwi, also urged the members to engage with the content on the Church’s platforms to give them the needed mileage so as to reach more people by reacting, commenting and sharing them.

The exercise undertaken by the Social Media Ambassadors was deemed a great success as it instantly generated over 400 new Facebook subscribers. The team plans to visit all other PENSA branches in the country to sensitise the youth on the need to become Social Media Ambassadors and to help boost the Church’s Social Media drive.

The Social Media Ambassadors, a novelty of the Media Ministry of The Church of Pentecost, seeks to boost the presence and impact of the Church on the various Social Media platforms.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The inauguration of the French Assembly of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) was greeted with rapturous applause and excitement by the over 2000 congregants gathered at the PENSA-KNUST church auditorium yesterday.

The inauguration service was officiated by the KNUST Campus Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Johnathan Ebo Quaye, with support from Pastor Thomas Ayamboya (Home and Urban Missions Pastor for the Kumasi Sector)

Speaking at the event, Pastor Ebo Quaye, an alumnus of KNUST, recounted how PENSA-KNUST started with an initial membership of 23 students and has now grown into a vibrant campus Christian group with thousands of members. He was, therefore, hopeful that the new French Assembly would also become a strong ministry on campus in some years to come.

“Today will forever remain in the annals of history and we pray that this seed we have sown today would germinate and bear fruit in Jesus’ name,’” the Campus Pastor said as he inaugurated the French Assembly.

Pastor Thomas Ayamboya, in a brief speech, said that the inauguration of the French Assembly is a great manifestation of the five-year strategic vision of The Church of Pentecost (Vision 2023) at work.

He said that language is magnetic and has the power to bring people together towards the achievement of a common goal, hence the significance of the establishment of the French Assembly.

He was, therefore, confident that the new Assembly would help minister to the spiritual needs of international students and other French-speaking people on campus.

Delivering a sermon on the topic: “Who Has the Final Say” based on John 11:1, Pastor Quaye explained that, although there are negative elements and forces that affect believers, their sole consolation is in the fact that the Sovereign God they serve always has the final say on all issues.

According to him, there is always a hidden reason why God allows His children to endure suffering. He further noted that God sometimes allows suffering on the righteous to bring glory to Himself, to build their faith, and to cause others to believe in Him because of their testimony.

Pastor Quaye, therefore, advised believers to keep holding on to their faith in the Lord and to trust that in His appointed time, He would turn things around.

“If it is not God’s time, you cannot force it, and if it is God’s time you cannot stop it,” he said.

Among those present at the historic event were Mrs Joana Dwomoh Quaye (Wife of the Campus Pastor), Elder Francis Amihere (President, PENSA-KNUST), other executive members of PENSA-KNUST as well as some international and French-speaking students.

Report by PENSA-KNUST Media Team

Beginning this year, members of The Church of Pentecost worldwide will celebrate a week-long experience with the Holy Spirit dubbed: ‘Pentecost Week’ to mark the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early disciples of Jesus Christ.

As such, Monday, May 30 to Sunday, June 5, 2022, has been set aside to celebrate the power of the Holy Spirit at all local assemblies of the church worldwide.

The Day of Pentecost marks fifty days since Easter Day and brings the Easter season to an end. It is a major feast of the Church’s year when Christians recall how God’s Holy Spirit was given to the disciples after Jesus’ ascension, empowering them to begin the work of making disciples of all nations.

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, on Sunday evening [May 29, 2022] launched the week on behalf of the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, at the studios of PENT TV in Accra.

Apostle Kumi-Larbi indicated that the period, which has been dedicated to Holy Spirit baptism, infilling and gifts of the Holy Spirit, will be observed with intensive fasting and prayer. 

Taking his main scripture readings from Joel 2:28-29; John 14:16-17, 26; 16:5-15; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4, and speaking on the topic: “Experiencing Pentecost,” he explained that Pentecost is significant in both the Old and the New Testaments.

According to him, the word “Pentecost” is a Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9). The Greek word means “fifty” and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover.

Touching on Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–32) and relating it to the promise of the Holy Spirit by Christ (Acts 1:8), Apostle Kumi-Larbi asserted that Pentecost signals the beginning of the church age.

“The giving of the Holy Spirit is therefore not just a stingy, inconsequential trickle,” he said, adding, “It is a very active point of view where we learn that God will act and do something for His people.”

He stressed that God indeed fulfilled His promise to the church ten days after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, during the Jewish feast day of Pentecost, as He poured His Spirit to the disciples with evidence of speaking in tongues.

“At Pentecost, the disciples witnessed the birth of the New Testament church with the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers,” he disclosed.

He also the idea of spiritual life as generated by the Holy Spirit is certainly implicit in the sound of the wind at Pentecost.

“God’s presence and holiness are implied in the Pentecostal tongues of fire. Indeed, fire is identified with Christ Himself (Revelation 1:14; 19:12); this association naturally underlies the Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit, who would teach the disciples the things of Christ (John 16:14), he said.”

Another aspect of the Day of Pentecost, the General Secretary revealed, is the miraculous speaking in foreign tongues which enabled people from various language groups to understand the message of the early apostles.

“In addition, is the bold and incisive preaching of Peter to a Jewish audience. The effect of the sermon was powerful, as listeners were “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and instructed by Peter to “repent, and be baptized” (Acts 2:38). The narrative concludes with 3000 souls being added to the fellowship,” he stated.

This, he said, gave birth to the church in Jerusalem.

“The outpouring of the Holy Spirit ushered in a new era, the church age. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was a rare gift that was only given to a few people, and usually for specific assignments.

“At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on all believers in Christ, and He came to stay. This marked a major change in the Holy Spirit’s work,” he disclosed.

Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi stated that all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11), saying, “The Holy Spirit still works in and through believers to accomplish His will. His power leads us, convicts us, teaches us, and equips us to do His work and spread the gospel. The Holy Spirit’s powerful indwelling is an amazing gift we should never take lightly.”

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Tarkwa Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Daniel Okyere Walker, has called on Christians to speak the truth always no matter the circumstances in which they find themselves. 

Apostle Walker, who is also an Executive Council Member and the Coordinator for the Western and Western North Regional Committee of the Church, said this during a special service, dubbed “Divine Encounter,” organised by the Area Youth Ministry at the E.K. Worship Centre, Tarkwa.

Speaking on the topic: “Equipping the Church with the Belt of Truth with Ephesians 6:10-19 as his Bible reference, the Tarkwa Area urged the youth to be strong in the Lord by putting on the whole armor of God. 

“It is sometimes difficult to speak the truth because when you do, some people may see you as a betrayer,” he said.

He, however, noted that although being truthful and honest is not always easy, God requires every believer to stand for the truth at all cost.

Apostle Walker stated that truth is essential in the life of the Christian, and, therefore, every Christian must strive for it.

He expressed worry at the rate at which falsehood has become so easy in the contemporary world, to the extent that there is no fear in telling lies.

He, however, advised Christian youth not to conform to the status quo, saying: “Never tell a lie, because a lie will enslave you, it will make you a perpetual slave.”

Despite the alarming rate of falsehood in the contemporary world, Apostle Walker was hopeful that with Jesus Christ as their source of strength and a total reliance on God’s word (the truth), Christians could raise and influence a new generation of people who would stand for the truth at all times.

He stated that being strong in the Lord is important because the battle with the enemy is spiritual and not physical, hence the need for believers to draw power from God in order to win.

The “Divine Encounter” programme is an annual event of the Tarkwa Area Youth Ministry where the youth in the area sit at the feet of the Area Head to receive from him. This year’s event recorded an attendance of over 600 participants.

As part of the event, the leadership of the Area Youth Ministry gave special recognition to some youth members who had excelled in their various fields of work.

Among them were Elder Thomas Thomas, a member of the Dr. S.K. Baidoo Worship Centre and a broadcast Journalist at Dynamite FM in Tarkwa, who was adjudged the “Best Journalist of the Radio Category” at the MTN Media Awards ceremony as well as “Newscaster of the Year” and “Morning Show Host of the Year” at the Luxury Touch Radio Personality Awards held at Tarkwa.

Antoinette Buadu, a member of the J.W. Sackey Worship Centre and a teacher at Goldfields School Complex, was also acknowledged and celebrated for winning the Goldfields Best Teacher Award (Lower Division).

Present at the service were Mrs. Irene Odi Walker (Wife of Area Head), Pastor Abraham Nana Bamfo Oppong (Tarkwa Area Youth Pastor) and the area pastorate. 

Report by Tarkwa Area Media Team

The Madina Area of The Church of Pentecost has inaugurated the Chieftaincy Ministry in the Area to help provide consistent chaplaincy services to the palace.

Over 50 chiefs, queens and royals in the Area as well as some distinguished personalities graced the occasion which took place at the Oyarifa Central assembly of the church recently.

The service, which was under the theme, “Equipping the Royals as Gatekeepers to Possess the Nations” (1 Samuel 18:24-28), was chaired by the National Coordinator of the Chieftaincy Ministry, Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, assisted by Apostle Martin Seth Appiah (Madina Area Head), Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Kwasi Anim and other ministers and their wives and officers in the Area.

The historic service saw the inauguration of a 9-Member Area Executive Committee, which has Pastor Clemence Quablah Adrakpanya of Oyibi District as the Coordinator. Other Committee Members are Elder Torgbui Sidro Kokoroko III (Paramount Chief of Horvi Keta, who fellowships with Madina District, as Chairman), Elder Nii Manley Dzahaa I (Chief of Teiman, Vice Chairman), Elder Nii Christopher Okoi Boye Okanshan (Chief of Oyibi, Organiser), Lawyer Atukwei Queye (Oyarifa Worship Centre, Secretary), Elder Bright Manye (East Legon, Assistant Secretary), Nana Ohene Asante (Chief of Salem, Member), Deaconess Victoria Sah (Queen Mother of Madina, Member) and Deaconess Esther Nakei Yohi (Queen Mother of Doryumu, Member).

Speaking at the service with scripture references from 1 Samuel 16:3, 2 Kings 9:3 and 2 Kings 3:16-28, Apostle M. S. Appiah (Madina Area Head), indicated that it was God who ordained and enthroned kings, priests and prophets to be the steward of His nations.

He said that God expects them to rule with love, mercy, humility, honesty and integrity.

Highlighting some of the fundamental roles of royals in the Possessing the Nations agenda of the church, he said that kings, chiefs and queens have accountable responsibilities of defending the vulnerable, marginalised, helpless and hopeless as King David did to Mephibosheth in 2 Kings 3:16-28.

He pointed out that royals are also expected to rule with unadulterated justice without discrimination or favouritism and nepotism regardless of age, sex, and social status.

“Kings are ordained and enthroned by God to turn the hearts of people to God and also to keep the gate of the Kingdom” he added.

Apostle Martin Seth Appiah called on Christians to offer chaplaincy services in the palace by giving royals roles to play in the church and desist from demonizing the chieftaincy institution.

“Not all kings perform rituals and worship idols. Any king ordained by God would value his position in the Lord, serve God wholeheartedly and rule his people with the fear of God,” he said, adding, “David was a king accredited by God and he never even thought of worshipping idols irrespective of his weakness. King David never got tired of worshipping and praising God. So, let us give our royals the opportunity to serve the Lord God Almighty.”

Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, who doubles as the Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM) and Executive Council Member of the Church, applauded the Madina Area head and his team for mobilizing royals in the Area. He encouraged royals to be fearless in their ruling because God Almighty would continue to be with them and sustain their lives.

In a brief response, the Chairman of the Area Chieftaincy Ministry thanked God for touching the heart of the leadership of the Church to bring royals on board to possess the nations for Christ holistically.

In an interview, Nana Agyeiwa Abredu Chamebofia, Abrempong Hemaa of Banda in the B/A who fellowships with Oyarifa Worship Centre, in commending the leadership of the church for establishing the new ministry, called for an extension of the Royal Conference across the borders of Ghana to benefit many more royals outside the country.

The Chieftaincy Ministry of The Church of Pentecost was established as part of the Church’s Vision 2023 to mobilise, educate, empower or equip and involve royals to participate fully in the Possessing the Nations agenda of the church.

Report by Joshua Asamoah Darko, Madina.

It was a moment of joy when the Adankwame District in the Suame Area of The Church of Pentecost received a donation of a Kia Grand Bird bus, worth GHS 310,000.00, from Mr Kwame Amankwah and his wife, both non-members of the Church.

Pastor Kamal Kwakye, the Adankwame District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, had been burdened with the challenge of his church members trekking or commuting long distances to attend district and area programmes. With the district not in a financial position to acquire a bus to meet this challenge, Pastor Kwakye kept seeking the Lord’s intervention until his request was miraculously met. However, what was more surprising and inspiring was the means through which the Lord answered his prayers.

It all happened on Thursday, December 30, last year, during the district’s prayer programme, dubbed “Emergency Prayers.” During the prayer session, the Pastor received a word of wisdom (revelatory knowledge) that his request for a bus would be met through two people present at the meeting.

As he shared this with the congregation, Mr. Kwame Amankwah and his wife stepped forward. According to the couple, the Lord had long laid it on their heart to purchase a bus for a church, but they were yet to decide on the beneficiary church. So, what the Pastor said confirmed what the Lord had already laid on their heart. The couple, therefore, pledged to acquire the bus for the district.

Three months later, Pastor Kamal Kwakye received a phone call from the couple informing him of their readiness to buy the bus. To the glory of God, they kept their promise and presented the bus to the district on March 21, 2022. 

The bus was officially received and dedicated to the Lord by the Suame Area Head, Apostle John Obeng Kesse, on April 28, 2022 after the Area’s prayer programme, dubbed “Jericho Hour” held at Abrepo.  

Apostle Obeng Kesse thanked the couple for their generosity and pronounced the Lord’s blessings on them. He also advised the Adankwame District to adopt a good maintenance culture so as to prolong the lifespan of the vehicle.

Pastor Kwakye, overwhelmed by the events that had transpired said: “Adankwame is the second farthest and one of the less-endowed districts in the Suame Area whose financial position would not be able to buy a bus. However, the God of Pentecost who makes all things possible did it for Adankwame District through a non-Church of Pentecost couple.”

PENTECOST NEWS

Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Kwadaso Sector of The Church of Pentecost has organised an Alumni Homecoming Summit dubbed, “Mobilizing PENSA Alumni Members for Schools Outreach Ministry.”

The event, which took place recently, was attended by333 alumni members. It was graced byApostle John Budu Kobina Tawiah (Kwadaso Area Head), Elder Professor Eric Appau Asante (Deputy Youth Director), Elder Desmond Addison (National Coordinator of the Schools Outreach Ministry), Honourable Elder Johnson Kwaku Adu (MP for Ahafo South West Constituency and former PENSA Vice President of Akrokerri College of Education), Deaconess Mrs. Millicent Pimpong (Assistant Registrar of AAMUSTED, erstwhile UEW-K, ministers in the Kwadaso Area, Youth Pastors and leaders from Kwadaso, Abuakwa, Obuasi and Ashanti Bekwai Areas.  Also present were Sector Working Committee Members, Area School Coordinators, and Districts Schools Coordinators.

In his welcome address, the PENSA Travelling Secretary for Kwadaso Sector, Pastor Isaac Donkoh, charged all alumni members to return to their alma maters to evangelise them.

He indicated that through their commitment to the activities of Schools Outreach Ministry, the Church will take over that space for Christ, saying, “We either win them for Christ or lose them for the devil.”

The Youth Director, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, who joined via zoom, in his address, stated: “The schools have become a one-stop gathering point for young people and a strategic short-cut where they could be possessed in their numbers for Christ.”

In an address, Apostle John Budu Kobina Tawiah, Kwadaso Area Head, encouraged PENSA alumni members, ministers, teachers, students and all members of the church to embrace the Schools Outreach Ministry (SOM) so as to win souls for the Lord.

He added that, just as Nehemiah saw the need to mobilise the Israelites to re-build the walls of Jerusalem, so also PENSA alumni members must take the lead role to mobilise their members as squads for SOM. He, therefore, urged them to support SOM programmes in their local assemblies.

The main speaker, Elder Professor Eric Appau Asante, Deputy Youth Director, commended PENSA Kwadaso Sector for the initiative to advance the cause of the Schools Outreach Ministry. He intimated that the school is a place where sophisticated worldly views and philosophies that disable the faith of young people could be found, hence the responsibility of PENSA alumni members to engage young students with the true unadulterated word of God.

“Reaching out to the lost souls in schools should not only be an activity but a core value for all alumni members,” he posited.

Elder Desmond Addison, National Coordinator for Schools Outreach Ministry and Area Deacon for Obuasi, on his part, noted that the key focus of the ministry is to ensure that every pupil/student hears the gospel of salvation preached to them in clear terms. To achieve this, he listed some practical steps that could be followed; developing simple salvation messages (audio and videos), developing simple Gospel games workbooks, and planning evangelistic outreaches to schools, amongst others.

A former President for PENSA Korle Bu, Elder Dr. Solomon Obiri Yeboah, implored all alumni members to join hands to support campus ministry with their rich expertise and financial resources.

The Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South West, Hon. Johnson Kwaku Adu, applauded the leadership of the Church for the Schools Outreach Ministry concept.  He opined that the Possessing the Nations agenda is a collective effort and so all alumni members are to come on board to help achieve the Vision 2023 of the Church.

The summit ended gloriously amidst songs of joy, renewal of strength and determination to support SOM on all fronts to take over the schools for Christ.

Report by PENSA Kwadaso Sector Media Team.

The Buduburam Top District Women’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost has donated some assorted and relief items to the inmates of the Awutu Bereku Prisons.

The items were bottled and bagged water, bread, gari, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, among others.

In a brief address at the event, Pastor Daniel K. Bentum, the Buduburam Top District Minister, said that the gesture is in fulfilment of Jesus’ command to Christians to visit those who are prisons (Matthew 25:26), and is also in line with the Church’s five-year strategic plan, dubbed ‘Vision 2023.”

“We must endeavour to reach the less privilege and the vulnerable in the society,” he stated.

He further indicated that irrespective of their sinful past, God still loves them and is ever ready to transform their lives for the better if they accept Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour.

On her part, the District Women’s Ministry Leader, Deaconess Paulina Entsiwah, stated that the ministry decided to assist the prison because it was concerned about the wellbeing of the convicts.

According to her, they recognised the need to assist the less fortunate members in the society. Hence, the decision to support Awutu Bereku Prison.

“As Christians, we firmly feel that it is our obligation to support our fellow inmates; Christ wants us to accomplish this, and we are here in response to this command,” she said.

She noted that supporting the destitute in society should be viewed as one of the primary responsibilities of Christians, stressing that “both the spiritual and physical needs of individuals are essential to Christian life.”

Deaconess Entsiwah also expressed gratitude to the Buduburam Top District Pastor, and his wife, Mrs. Patricia Bentum, for their support for the ministry.

The Officer-in-Charge of the prison praised the Women’s Ministry for their generosity, thanked them for their continued support of the convicts, and assured them that the items would be put to good use.

Report by Francis Abban, Buduburam