Posts in category: Top Stories

The Chief Executive Officer of Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, has entreated the clergy to adopt the palaces as a centre of worship in rediscovering the purpose of the church.

According to the Presbyterian Minister, often Christians see traditional leaders as idol worshippers. This impression, he said, is erroneous since chiefs can worship God and, therefore, require the word of God in leading the people.

Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong made this call on Thursday, September 15, 2022, at the All Ministers’ Conference, hosted by The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoah-Fetteh.

Speaking on the topic, “Influencing the Chieftaincy Institution with Kingdom Values and Principles,” the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong noted that the Church and the Palace have had various levels of relationships over the years.

Using the Presbyterian Church of Ghana as a case study, he revealed that there have been certain provisions of hospitality made by the Palace to missionaries. For example, Riis at Akropong, and Ramseyer at Abetifi and Kumasi, respectively.

Other forms of engagements by the chiefs were the invitation sent to missionaries to plant churches in communities, provision of lands and other resources for church infrastructure, and participation in national church programmes and activities which provide authenticity and approvals for the church in the communities as the people accept easily what their traditional leaders accept publicly and identify with.

“Some royals identify themselves as Christian Royal Families,” he said, stating that, the chieftaincy institution has contributed through the provision of security for missionaries.

He urged the church to keep seeking strategic partnerships with traditional leaders in the provision of quality education, health delivery, provision of chaplains to schools, security agencies, hospitals and the military to develop the country.

According to him, some social institutions in Ghana such as the prisons, hospitals, and schools, have been made centres of worship, conversions, and transformation.

However, over the years there have been calls made by traditional leaders for missions to be extended to the palace, but all have proved futile since churches consider the palace a ‘no-go’ area.

“Nene Martey-Korle made a request to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana during Synod at Krobo Odumasi in 1960 (60 years) to send missionaries or pastors to the Palace to assist traditional leaders to become Christians, yet we are not there,” he bemoaned.

Reading from Colossians 1:15, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong asserted that the chieftaincy institution was instituted by God. However, Christians have created a gap between the church and the palace. This, he indicated, is the reason why the thrones have been hijacked by the fetish priests in most Ghanaian communities.

Quoting Dr. K. A. Busia (one-time Prime Minister of Ghana), Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong said that the Palace is the heart of Ghanaian culture, saying, “Until Christians touch the heart of the palace, Christianity can never be deep in Ghana.”

He concluded: “If we are rediscovering what the church in Ghana needs today, we need to begin to rediscover new missions and new ministries which would truly make the thrones belong to Jesus,” he pointed out.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Convenor of the United Denominations Originating from the Light House Group of Churches (UD-OLGC), Bishop Dr. Emmanuel Louis Nterful, has challenged church leaders to be soul-winning conscious and refocus their messages by preaching the unadulterated gospel to win more lost souls for Christ.

He charged them to be intentional about preaching the gospel in season and out of season, since it is their main preoccupation on earth.

He was worried that most pastors today do not engage in active evangelism and thereby lead souls to Christ.

“In our churches, we don’t do altar calls anymore because pastors seem to be above making altar calls, but an altar call is an opportunity to tell someone that Jesus loves you,” he stated.

Bishop Dr. Nterful said this in a sermon he delivered on Thursday, September 15, 2022, at the All Ministers’ Conference hosted by The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region.

Speaking on the topic, “Do the Work of an Evangelist – A Call to all Ministers,” (Romans 10:13), he admonished church leaders to know that the work of an evangelist is a command to every born-again Christian and must be done with all the seriousness it deserves.

According to him, it is the preaching of the gospel that releases power to save lost souls.

He indicated that what the world needs now is ministers who faithfully preach the pure unadulterated gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Christian leaders who are not giving themselves to the preaching of the gospel of salvation have missed their calling,” he affirmed.

Bishop Dr. Nterful lamented that the unconcerned nature of the average preacher towards the preaching of the gospel is the reason why many people are not saved in this generation.

Explaining further, he indicated that the only organisation in the world that has been charged with the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the Church and that assignment entrusted into the hands of the church must be done meticulously to snatch perishing souls into the kingdom of God.

He then admonished church leaders to seize every opportunity during any gathering to make altar calls emphasizing the need for leaders of churches to be involved in evangelism activities themselves, putting aside their status.

Reading further from Acts 26:17 and Ezekiel 3:17 to end his sermon, Bishop Nterful informed church leaders that God is sending them to preach the gospel so that lost souls will hear, believe and be saved since the salvation of the lost souls depend on them.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The New Media (Social Media) has been the highest and fastest growing channel of communication for reaching many in this dispensation. However, a lot of churches have ignored this sector leaving it to the secular world to craft the messages and contents for social media savvy who are mostly young adults.

In this regard, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Citi FM and Citi TV, an Accra-based media network, Mr. Samuel Attah-Mensah, has urged church leaders to invest massively in the media in order to reach out to the youth.

According to the ace media operator, who has over two decades of experience in business development and marketing management, the rate at which social media is growing is very dangerous and injurious to the church, especially the youth, thus proper attention must be given to them.

“If you have the opportunity to target the younger people in the church, forge ahead to be sustainable,” Mr. Attah-Mensah said.

Mr. Attah-Mensah said this during a presentation on the topic, “Influencing Society through the Media for Kingdom Impact,” at the All Ministers’ Conference hosted by The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) on Thursday, September 15, 2022.

He pointed out that since the youth are the most active users of social media, pastors ought to craft their messages to suit them.

According to him, the media defined the lives of people because it was sequential in the homes.

On the breakdown of active users of social media in Ghana, the Citi FM boss mentioned that currently there are about 8.6 million social media active users in Ghana with an average spending time of three hours a day.

Recounting previous years’ engagements on social media, he outlined that in 2014 there were 2.2 million active users; 2.6 million active users in 2015; 2.9 million active users in 2016; 4.6 million active users in 2017; 5.6 million active users in 2018; 5.8 million active users in 2019; 6 million active users in 2020; and 8.2 million active users in 2021.

He added: “Averagely, 3.9% of males and 2.7% of females social media users are within 13 to 17 years, respectively; 19% males and 14% females fall within 18 to 24 years; 20% males and 15% females fall within 25 to 34 years, and 8.7% males and 5.5% females are active within 35 to 44 years.”

He, therefore, charged Christian leaders to change their ways to make themselves relevant to the youth. This, according to him, can be done when the clergy crafts their messages strategically, stating, “If you don’t have the conviction to make the difference, all of us will be lobbied together with the quacks.”

Mr. Samuel Attah-Mensah bemoaned that the church has not been able to maximise the potential that exists within the new media.

“Many organisations have invested in owning media houses but it comes with certain responsibilities. It is good to own media houses, however, the responsibility goes beyond the ownership,” he asserted.

He stated that for the church to make an impact in the media, it must start deploying young people, engaging them to make an impact on social media, collaborate with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and the media to create and craft useful programmes that are beneficial to society.

He urged pastors to develop websites, which have become the source of engagement and information for church members and the public.

The All Ministers’ Conference, the first of its kind, a non-denominational gathering of Ghanaian ministers of the gospel, is being hosted by The Church of Pentecost, under the theme: “Rediscovering And Fulfilling The Purpose of The Church.” (Ephesians 3:10, Titus 2:13-14)

PENTECOST NEWS.

The immediate past Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and former President of Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah (Rtd.), has called on ministers of the gospel to endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit of peace that exists among Christians.

According to the Ghanaian Pentecostal scholar and theologian, what the church needs is a determination to be united and to keep the bond of peace intact no matter the denominational differences.

Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah said this on Thursday, September 15, 2022, during the All Ministers’ Conference at Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), in Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa.

Speaking on the topic, “The Place of the Church in the Midst of Global Rebellion,” with scripture reference from 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.

“There is some sort of global rebellion going on in the world and this has caused many churches to decline, leading to some churches in the West closed down; church buildings sold and others demolished. However, the church in Africa which appeared to be growing is not left out from this global rebellion,” he lamented.

The President of the Ghana Bible Society and Chairman of the Board of the National Cathedral further indicated that the Bible and even Apostle Paul predicted a global rebellion. He said that Apostle Paul thought that he had done a good work in Thessalonica and had even written a letter to them about the second coming of Christ, but soon after that some people went down to destroy what he had earlier done and the church was set in confusion.

Referencing Daniel 7:8, 25; 11:36, Apostle Opoku Onyinah described the man of lawlessness as a little horn that will speak against the Most High God and oppress His saints, thereby trying to change the set times and the law, where the saints will be handed to him for a period.

Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah stated that the global rebellion in this generation started with the study of theology. According to him, as the study went on liberal theology was developed with the belief in the historicity of Jesus but did not believe in the infallibility of the Bible as they sought to understand the Bible through biblical criticism which gradually affected their faith and belief.

He added that eventually, secular humanism entered the world with the belief that human beings are capable of managing their own affairs without God, hence they do not need God in their day-to-day lives, projecting science and technology as most important.

Climaxing his sermon, Apostle Professor Onyinah indicated that for the church to survive in global rebellion, Christians must be intentional about keeping their unity in the spirit, be united to do many things together and hesitate to speak evil about other churches.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Reverend Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, has admonished church leaders to inculcate the right biblical doctrines of Christ into their members.

“If you give your congregation a wrong doctrine it will affect their way of life,” Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso stated.

The immediate past General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, made this assertion on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoah-Fetteh, in the ongoing All Ministers’ Conference, hosted by The Church of Pentecost.

Speaking on the topic, “Continuing Steadfastly In The Apostolic Doctrines,” the theologian said that there are a lot of doctrines that have been formulated in the various churches which are biblically not sound.

Illustrating a few of such, he said that a lot of people often quoted for example, “If I am lifted, I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32), when leading worship sessions. This, according to him, is out of context in terms of worship.

According to Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso, one notable scripture wrongly used was, “What is bound on earth is bound in heaven and what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18-19). This scripture, he noted, is often used for prayer meetings, saying, “This text has nothing to do with prayer; it talks about the authority of the church to forgive and discipline.”

He added: “The truth about God can never be unimportant for a mortal being. Our attitude and thinking about God are the definitions of our lives; it controls and directs our behaviours.”

Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso, who is also the Chairman of the Ghana Evangelism Committee (GEC), explained the nature of doctrines and said that doctrines are the signs which deal with believers’ knowledge of God, and his relationship with the church, stating that it is a science because it consists of relating to God with divine things that are systematically arranged (theology).

“Theologians put certain facts together with supporting texts to explain thoughts about God. These things normally define one’s practice and their life, for they live by them,” he stressed.

He further iterated that at the formation stage of a church, among the things that are formed and developed are doctrines, stressing that while they are progressing, teething challenges may surface. He, however, reiterated that all these are dealt with to make them strong.

Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso then urged the clergy to read and study more than three to five Bible translations before settling on a scriptural text as a doctrine and practices in churches.

This, he said, may be based on the cultural settings of the author. Therefore, they must not be misinterpreted and used as doctrines in churches.

“Doctrinal knowledge is a safeguard against error; it defines the pillars of the church. Some doctrines are essential, while there are a few things, they overemphasise to define their church.

“Doctrines are not built by experiences and dreams. Therefore, mysticism should not be brought to confuse anyone in the New Testament church. In fact, in the New Testament, the church is the mystery,” he emphasised.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The National Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Ghana, Pastor Edward K. Duodu, has admonished Christians to strive to live sanctified life to be fit for heaven.

According to him, sanctification gives believers the right to heaven, saying, “When you are born again, you have the right to heaven.”

Pastor Duodu said this during the maiden All Ministers’ Conference on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at the Pentecost Convention (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana.

The historic non-denominational conference being hosted by The Church of Pentecost is under the theme, “Rediscovering and Fulfilling the Purpose of the Church” – Ephesians 3:10, Titus 2:13-14. It is being attended by about 3,000 ministers from 468 Christian denominations across Ghana.

Speaking on the topic, “Godliness in the Endtime to Possess the Nations,” based on 1 Peter 1:14-17; Leviticus 19:2; Numbers 8:17; 2 Chronicles 7:16, among other scriptures, Pastor Duodu urged believers, especially the clergy to set themselves apart for God’s use.

He disclosed that the current generation is living in the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah era where sin is pervasive, as the devil is not resting on his oars to block believers from entering heaven. This, he noted, is because Satan was once in heaven and knows how magnificent the place is and, therefore, would not like human beings to be there.

“The devil is so wicked that he doesn’t want human beings to go to heaven. He was there before. That is why he has been working around the clock to ensure that we do not go there,” he stated.

According to him, the carriers of the Saviour must be like the Saviour himself, hence ministers of the gospel ought to be and live like Christ, saying, “If you stand on holiness, you are standing on a solid foundation. Nothing can take you away.”

Pastor Duodu was of the view that sometimes believers lose sight of heaven and indulge in sinful acts. This, he indicated, has made some believers ignorant of their salvation.

He called on Christians to always stand for the Lord and the Lord will stand for them.

Explaining the difference between salvation and sanctification, the National Overseer of the Deeper Life Bible Church said that salvation brings life and sanctification brings life abundantly; salvation brings peace but sanctification brings the peace of God.

He added that salvation brings joy but in sanctification, there is an abiding joy. “Salvation sets free outwardly but sanctification liberates the inner-person, and salvation gives the right for heaven, whiles sanctification makes people fit for heaven.”

The four-day conference which started on Tuesday will end on Friday, September 16, 2022.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The President of The Apostolic Church, Ghana, Apostle Dr. Aaron Nartey Ami-Narh, has charged the clergy to be bold in preaching the unadulterated truth which is the word of God.

Apostle Dr. Ami-Narh noted that a lot of men of God have sold the pulpit to the rich in society due to their selfish and monetary gains.

“Money has become a god of mammon in our churches, where rich persons are respected by church leaders than poor members. Some people do not deserve to preach on your pulpit; do not let money deceive you into handing over your pulpit to them,” he said.

He admonished church leaders to eschew selling the truth to the wealthy persons in society, but rather tell them the truth.

He said this on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, during the All Ministers’ Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), in Gomoa-Fetteh, near Kasoa.

Delivering a presentation on the topic, “The Church Making Impact as Salt and Light in the World,” the President of The Apostolic Church, Ghana, describing the purpose of salt and light, said that the nature of a thing is what determines how it behaves and what it can be used to do.

“That is why salt is salt and light is light. Salt cannot be light and light cannot be salt,” he said, stressing that for Christians to be able to perform a particular function of being salt and light, they must have the nature of salt and the nature of light.

Apostle Dr. Ami-Narh was worried that though believers have the needed knowledge about Christ, they are not making the needed impact because they have refused to pay the price.

On the reasons why Christians make a poor impact as salt and light of the world, he explained that repentance is what gives us the nature to be salt and light, however, this is missing in this generation.

Quoting from Acts 20:20-21, Apostle Dr. Ami-Narh iterated that Apostle Paul’s preaching was into two statements, which are repentance towards God and faith towards Jesus Christ.

He further hinted that the average church member today is very self-centered. This, he said, is the reason why God wants us to be the light because the average person in church is there to use God to get what he or she wants, and not there to worship God for who He is.

He added: “For one to repent, one must be convicted. The type of message that the Holy Spirit needs to convict people is missing from the pulpit. Without the preaching of Nathan, one could not know the extent to which King David would have stayed not convicted.

The National Executive Member of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) admonished Christian leaders to help their members to examine what is in the heart because of the desperation of wickedness within.

PENTECOST NEWS