Posts in category: Top Stories

The President of Ghana, Nana Akuffo Addo, has praised the leadership of The Church of Pentecost for its outstanding work in combating the Covid -19 Pandemic.

“I hope I am forgiven for singling out The Church of Pentecost in the fight against the Covid-19 Pandemic. The church has demonstrated exceptional love for the country, and this has helped us get this far,” President Akuffo Addo said yesterday during his 28th televised address on measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

PentecostNews brings you some of the efforts made by The Church of Pentecost’s leadership in the fight against the pandemic.

Vans For NCCE to Support Coronavirus Public Education.

It would be recalled that the Church of Pentecost, during the peak of COVID-19 in Ghana, rendered an unprecedented support to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

The Commission during the time received 12 Cinema Vans from the Church to aid in public sensitisation.

This the Commission has revealed really helped its staff in discharging their duties to the betterment of the country.

The leadership of the NCCE led by the Chairperson, Ms. Josephine Nkrumah, was on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at the General Headquarters of The Church of Pentecost at La, Accra, to convey their utmost appreciation to the Church for the support.

The cinema vans really augmented the government and the Commission’s efforts towards intensifying public awareness creation when the pandemic broke out.

The vehicles were at the time also fueled by the Church throughout the period.

In appreciation, the Commission therefore presented a citation to the Church for its commitment to aiding in the fight against Coronavirus in Ghana.

The citation read: “For God and country, The Church of Pentecost lived these Christian values and supported the NCCE to reach out to the many citizens who were uninformed about the realities of COVID-19”.

Facility as isolation center for COVID-19 treatment.

The Church of Pentecost also handed over its multi-purpose facility, the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), to the Government of Ghana to be used as an isolation centre for persons infected with the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) undergoing treatment free of charge.

This follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Thursday, April 23, 2020, between the church and the Ministry of National Security on behalf of the Government of Ghana.

The move was part of the church’s efforts in assisting the government to contain, curb the spread and eradicate the Coronavirus as well as promote the recovery of persons who have tested positive for the viral disease.

The church provided 1,300 beds at some selected blocks of the convention centre, where the infected persons were housed.

In addition, the facility accommodated over 300 health personnel who attended to the patients.

The Pentecost Convention Centre is a Christian conference centre situated on a 250-acre land at Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa in the Central Region of Ghana.

The ultra-modern edifice with residential facilities offers sufficient auditoriums, conference centres, accommodation and a floor area to accommodate several thousands of guests at a time.

The venue is suitable for major camp meetings, church general meetings and trade exhibition. PCC has four auditoriums with 5,000, 3,000, 500 and 200 seating capacities respectively.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Atimatim District in the New Tafo Area of The Church of Pentecost has joined members of the Muslim Community and some churches to clean up the Atimatim community in the Ashanti Region.

The exercise, which took place last Saturday as part of the Environmental Care Campaign of the church, was highly patronized by the members of the community.

Nana Adubofour Kwaw II, Otumfuo Gyaasehene, donated rakes, brooms, and shovels to support the exercise. He also provided 50 boxes of bottled water to the church.

Speaking to the participants before the exercise, Pastor Manasseh Mintah, Atimatim District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, expressed his utmost gratitude to the Muslim community, sister churches, and the community members for participating in the clean-up exercise.

According to him, the Environmental Care Campaign as part of Vision 2023 of The Church of Pentecost, has led to the district organising monthly clean-up exercises in the community. This, he believed, will help curb the illegal disposal of waste and bring a long-lasting solution to the sanitation issues in the area.

Pastor Mintah commended Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, and the Executive Council for the great initiative.

“As you know, cleanliness is next to godliness. All believers should ensure that they play a key role in hygiene in order to win unbelievers over, hence possessing their spheres for Christ,” he said.

He further called on all and sundry to be concerned citizens and not just spectators, especially with the development of the Atimatim community.

He added: “The commitment has been high from the ministries, particularly the Women’s Ministry. Together, the leaders have shown true leadership and must be commended.”

Abdul Majeed, Imam of the Atimatim Central Mosque and representative of the Muslim community, thanked The Church of Pentecost for pursuing the Environmental Care Campaign agenda, and added that “its implementation every month will help in the eradication of filth in the community and protect the society from needless diseases.”

He urged members of the Muslim community to fully involve themselves in communal labour, since it ends up benefitting them.

Deaconess Cynthia Serwaa Agyemang, Atimatim D|istrict Women’s Ministry Leader of The Church of Pentecost, on her part, stated: “In the home, we [women] are in charge of the chores and sanitary conditions. Therefore, we must own the community and keep it clean always.”

She advised all females to participate in the monthly clean-up exercises in the town to help ensure a safe environment. 

Report by Owusu Dennis.   

The Mampong Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Samuel Kwabena Asare, has inaugurated a 7-member Steering Committee to team up with the Ejura Camp Prison Administration to manage the institutional programmes of the Station.

The Committee members included Elder Dr. Benedict Osei-Owusu (Chairman), Elder Dr. John Oduro Boateng (Member), Elder Barima Osei Hwedie II (Ejurahene, Member), Elder Lawyer David Vondee (Secretary), Probationary Overseer Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Thomas Apraku Debrah (Member), Pastor Vincent Cudjoe Amuzu (Member), Madam Helen Gifty Dwamena Amoah (Member), and Superintendent Dickson Owusu Ameyaw (Co-opted). The colourful event took place recently at the Prison Chapel.

The Committee apart from managing the institutional programme of the Station will also do periodic routine inspection and maintenance work at the facility, thoroughly monitor and evaluate the activities of the facility every quarter and report appropriately to the leadership of the church through the Area Head.

It will also provide the needed teaching and learning materials of the institutional programmes for their smooth running, take any initiative that will meet unforeseen exigencies that may occur from time to time, and undertake any other work that may be assigned by the leadership of the church as and when the need may be.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pastor Kwabena Asare took his scripture reading from Matthew 5:13-16 and said that the church has a dual purpose – having been called out of the world to belong to God and sent back to the world to witness and to serve.

He posited that Jesus has made the church the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As salt and light, he said that the church engages the governance structures of the nation with the values and principles of the kingdom of God. He added that it is in this direction that the church seeks to partner with government and the Prisons Administration to bring transformation to the lives of persons who are incarcerated in prison through the provision of decent accommodation, employable skills, institutional programmes, and Christian activities to make them useful to society.

The Area Head thanked the committee members for responding to the call and prayed for God’s grace upon them. He appreciated Officers at Camp Prison for their love, patriotism and commitment towards the realization of the vision.

The Committee Chairman, Elder Dr. Benedict Osei Owusu, in his response appreciated the Chairman of the church, the Executive Council and the Mampong Area Head for the confidence reposed in them. He assured that the committee will work to fulfill their role in the transformation agenda.

Elder Dr. Oduro Boateng, a member of the committee and CEO of St. Luke Hospital, Kasei donated three kente weaving equipment and accessories to support skills training at the Camp.

In attendance were some ministers and their wives of Mampong Area, Prison Officers and the inmates of the Camp.

Report by Overseer Osei Mensah.

The Kpatinga District in the Yendi Area of The Church of Pentecost has held a love feast for the inmates of the Kpatinga Witches Camp in the Northern Region.

A total of twenty-four (24) inmates and their grandchildren, benefitted from the kind gesture by the church.

Addressing the inmates in a short exhortation at the event which took place recently at the supposed witch camp, Overseer Daniel Nana Sei Mensah, Kpatinga District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, said that the gesture was part of the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda of the Vision 2023 of the church, where every sphere of the society needs to enjoy and benefit from the love of Jesus Christ.

Reading from John 4:1-42, he stated that the Samaritan woman Jesus met at the well was under the accusations of the town because she had five husbands. However, when she had an encounter with Jesus, she transformed into an evangelist and spread the gospel across.

“The situation of the inmates at the camp is similar to that of the Samaritan woman, because of how their communities have treated them, hence the need for them to encounter the love of Jesus,” he explained.

In response, Mariama Neindow, leader of the inmates, expressed her gratitude to The Church of Pentecost for feasting and dining with them. She joined her other inmates to sing and dance in joy to the glory of God.

On his part, Adam Musah, Caretaker of the Kpatinga Witches Camp, mentioned that most of the inmates had been abandoned by their families putting much pressure on the management of the camp.

He indicated that the presence of The Church of Pentecost there would bring a great change in their lives as society sees them as outcasts.

He then called on the church to their aid by adopting the camp and regularly conducting services for them.

Present were Mrs. Judith Naa Ode Mensah, Kpatinga District Minister’s wife, Deacon Addai Marfo, Kpatinga District Financial Secretary, Deaconess Jennifer Notob, Kpatinga District Women’s Ministry Leader, Sister Comfort Adwoa Farbia, Kpatinga Central Assembly Women’s Ministry Leader, and Sister Diana Pakindam, Kpatinga Women’s Ministry Executive Member.

The Kpatinga Witches Camp is among the dominant six witch camps in the Northern Region of Ghana. The rest are in Bonyasi, Gambaga, Gnani, Kukuo, and Naabuli.

Report by Overseer Daniel Nana Sei Mensah.

An Accra-based couple, Elder Patrick Kwame and Mrs. Gifty Danso, of the Abeka District of The Church of Pentecost, has constructed a state-of-the-art palace for the Akim Asene community in the Eastern Region.

The magnificent palace, which was constructed at the total cost of GHS 2.1million, was commissioned last month and handed over to the chiefs and people of Asene.

Elder Danso, CEO of MEMPHIS Metropolitan Construction Limited, and his wife alone footed the entire cost of the project.

The grand commissioning ceremony was attended by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asene-Manso-Akroso Constituency, Honourable George Kwame Aboagye; the Clergy from various denominations in the area, including Pastor William Kwasi Kyere of the Akim Asene District of The Church of Pentecost, Nana Karikari Apau Frimpong II (Chief of Akim Asene), Ohemaa Akua Asantewaa II (Kotokuhemaa), Nana Otoobuor Djan Kwasi II (Aburihene), Obrempong Sintim Poku III (Akim Mansohene and Kotoku Benkumhene), Nana Afia Kesiwaa I (Asenehemaa), as well as the residents of the community.

Sod-cutting for the project was performed on July 15, 2017, by Pastor Aaron Teye-Kwesi, the then District Minister for Asene District of The Church of Pentecost, with actual construction starting on April 16, 2018.

A committee headed by Nana Amoa Daadom, the Gyaasehene of Akim Asene, was set up to take charge of the building project. Nana Amoa Daadom is also a member of The Church of Pentecost in Akim Asene.

Elder Patrick Danso and his wife, Mrs. Deaconess Gifty Agyare Danso, are both natives of Akim Asene.

According to Elder Danso, he decided to construct the palace in honour of his late grandmother, Madam Elizabeth Ganson, and her mother-in-law, Nana Afua Boadua I, the late Queenmother of Akim Asene.

The Akim Asene old palace, located in the Kotoku Traditional Area, was constructed by Nana Poakwa, the late chief of Akim Asene, some 300 years ago.

The building became weak since it was a mud house and had been there for a long time.

The District Assembly and a few other generous people used to help with the repairs of the old palace.

Elder Frank Kwasi Nkansah, a former presiding elder of Asene central assembly of The Church of Pentecost, also used to donate blocks to repair the old palace. He was one of the notable persons who supported the construction of the new palace.

Despite the regular repairs, the structure became unsafe for use. As a result, the chief and his elders decided to construct a new structure. When Elder Danso and his wife were consulted, they took over the entire project till its completion.

Report by Pastor Williams Kwasi Kyere, Asene District.

The Yennyawoso District of The Church of Pentecost in the New Tafo Area has capped off this year’s Environmental Care Campaign Week with a massive clean-up exercise at Sofo Abodwese, a suburb of Kumasi, to give the place a face-lift.

The exercise, which took place on Saturday, March 19, 2022, was part of activities earmarked for the National Environmental Care Campaign Week observed by the Church. 

Environmental Care Campaign which is part of the Vision 2023 of the Church enjoins members of the church to have a sense of responsibility to keep the environment safe as they tend to transform every sphere of society with the principles and values of the Kingdom of God.

The week featured sensitization and education on environmental and sanitation issues from Wednesday, 16 to Friday, March 18, 2022, at the Redemption Assembly auditorium. 

The various speakers bemoaned how human activities and their negative effects have marred the environment and humanity. They underscored the need for Ghanaians to be responsible citizens by protecting and keeping the environment clean to stay safe and healthy.

To maintain a clean environment and good sanitation, members were admonished not to make cleanliness a “one day act” but a habit.

Led by the District Minister, Pastor Charles Oduro, the exercise was highly patronized by the church members. 

The exercise, which started early in the morning, focused on clearing all solid waste in the street, drains as well as desilting choked gutters.

Report by Yennyawoso District Media Team.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Pentecost University (University A+), Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, has revealed that one of the easiest ways by which the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda could be achieved is when parents strive to possess their homes.

According to Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, if parents are able to influence their children with Kingdom values and principles, we are not only going to possess the nations of today, but it will help to possess the future as well.

“When we talk about ‘Possessing the Nations,’ the nations here are not only referring to nations like Togo, Benin, Canada and the other nations we know, but our homes can also be our nations because the people in each home come together to form a nation. Therefore, if we are able to possess the home, we can eventually possess all the nations,” he said.

He added: “A person’s nation can be his home, so he must be intentional about raising the children with the Kingdom values and principles.”

The University A+ VC was addressing ministerial students of the School of Theology, Mission and Leadership (STML) of the Pentecost University as well as some ministers’ wives of The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoah Fetteh, recently.

Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua stressed that if parents possess their homes and families, their children will grow and know God and live their lives according to the principles of God.

He spoke against parents who shirk their parental responsibilities to teachers as some leave home very early for work and come back very late, making it difficult to give proper training to their children.

“As parents, we cannot delegate our responsibilities to teachers, not at all,” he cautioned.

Giving tips on how parents can engage their children religiously, he asked parents to hold morning devotions with their children, teach them how to pray, read the Bible, and meditate on it to have in-depth knowledge about God.

“If we train our children and possess their minds, when they grow, they will take their stance,” he noted, adding, “Let us pump the mind of God into families and children and we will be victorious.”

Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua was teaching about the importance of Vision 2023 and how various stakeholders can play their roles to ensure the realization of the vision.

Quoting Obadiah 1:21, the VC also touched on some spheres of society such as government and politics, chieftaincy, business and economy, education and science, culture, media and entertainment, and many more, defining the sphere of society as the domain of influence – a place where decisions are taken.

Report by Alex Nana Owusu Nkrumah.

Educational intervention rolled out by Pentecost University in Afram Plains in the Eastern Region has yielded enormous benefits for the beneficiary communities.

The intervention, which was in the form of teaching support and missionary work, was in collaboration with the Afram Plains Area of The Church of Pentecost, and the Education Directorates of the Afram Plains North and South Districts. 

To this end, the University sent some of its most brilliant, disciplined and people-centered students to teach in schools in the area during the first semester vacation. The education directorates in the beneficiary districts in turn posted the students to the schools that really needed the services of teachers. Some of the beneficiary communities and schools include Ntonaboma, Adorkope, Kpatalidzakope, Mafi Abiw Kope, Zikpo Nyuinyui, Abomasarefo among others.

Before the students embarked on the mission, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Apostle Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, at a brief ceremony said the project is aimed at supporting education in rural communities with teaching services, and also exposes the students to rural life and realities of challenges that they are being prepared to solve.

The VC added that the project is also part of The Church of Pentecost’s vision to equip the Church to possess the nations for Christ.

“Through this, young people are being exposed to real-life missions’ activities and interventions that are required to glorify the name of Christ Jesus…” the VC stressed.

Briefing the Management of the University upon return from the field, the students said they were warmly received by the leadership of The Church of Pentecost in the area as well as the education directors and the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Afram Plains North.

Meanwhile, the Afram Plains North District Director of Education, Solomon Akuruko Azubila, has commended the University for the initiative, describing the intervention as timely for the schools in the area.

The students also briefed the University on their missionary work, including home and schools’ outreaches. According to them, 48 persons converted to Christianity within the period, out of which 12 were baptised in water.

In sharing their personal experiences, the students said they were touched and humbled by the exposure. They also expressed concerns about the state of education and development in the area.

James Jabon, who was posted to Amankwahkrom JHS, was sad about the lack of teachers in the school. “It breaks my heart that the school that I posted to had only one teacher, and I find such a situation jeopardizing to the future of the pupils,” he said.

Mr. Jabon called on the media to focus on places like that to draw government’s attention to the plight of the people.

On her part, Abigail Adjabeng, who was posted to New Kyeiase R/C Primary School, felt like going back to the village to teach the children. According to her, though her stay was short, she could feel that her departure created a huge vacuum in the school since they did not have adequate teachers.

She called on the authorities to pay attention to education in rural communities.

Report by David Kyetong Guun.