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The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has panegyrized the outgoing Finance and Administration Director (FAD) of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko, describing him as an institutional memory of the Church.

“When you come to the Head Office, FAD [Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko] is institutional memory. Having served as a Deputy Accounts Manager for the Pentecost Press Limited for seven years, an Internal Auditor at the Headquarters for one year, and Finance and Administration Director (FAD) for 19 years, he knows everything about the church, especially the finance and administrative policies. To work at one place for 27 years and rise through the ranks to the top is no mean achievement,” the General Secretary said this in a sermon he delivered at the farewell service held on Sunday, November 8, 2020, in honour of Pastor Dr Darko and his family at the D. K. Arnan Worship Centre in Teshie.

Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko has been transferred from the Headquarters to the Twereboa  District in the Dansoman Area after serving as the financial controller of the Church for 19 good years, serving under three Chairmen of the Church, namely Apostles Dr Michael Ntumy, Prof. Opoku Onyinah, and currently Eric Nyamekye. He also worked with three General Secretaries – Apostles Albert Amoah, Dr Alfred Koduah and Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, while working with four International Missions Directors, namely Apostles Prof. Opoku Onyinah, B. K. Arthur (of blessed memory), Dr S. K. Baidoo (of blessed memory), and Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo.

The send-off service which was officiated by the General Secretary, assisted by the International Missions Director (IMD), Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo, and the Teshie-Nungua Area Head, Apostle Dr Alfred Koduah, was graced by Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah (former Chairman), Apostle Ridgwell Ato Addison (former General Secretary), Elder Prof. Stephen Owusu Kwankye (Finance Board Chairman), Mrs. Mary Nyamekye (wife of the Chairman), and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lodzokuku and Deputy Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, among others.

Speaking at the service on the topic, “What Do You Want To Be Remembered For” taken from Proverbs 22: 1, 1 Samuel 16:7c, Apostle Alexander Nana Kumi-Larbi noted that anyone who occupies a position and leaves the scene will be remembered by the impact they make in the lives of the people.

“When you leave a community or die, some people will remember you by the imprint you have left in their lives, hearts, and minds. People shape their perceptions of you through your interactions with them. Sometimes, the way you affect others is based on things that you may never be aware of,” he said.

According to him, how one’s legacy or life’s story is remembered can be up to them, saying, “It’s made up of a combination of your successes, failures, contributions, words, actions, or inactions, and other ways you have made a lasting impression on others.

“Your successes are measured by others based on the external things they place the greatest value on. Sometimes it has nothing to do with what you consider a success or failure in life.

“For example, the simplest act of kindness on your part might have changed someone’s life for the better without you ever knowing.”

Quoting from Romans 16:1-16, he said that Apostle Paul remembered and eulogized some 29 persons who played vital roles in his ministry.

The General Secretary further read from Luke 7:1-5 stated that sharing one’s time, talent, and treasure, are some of the ways to live a life of significance and make an impact on others.

The former Chairman, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah, touted the indispensable roles that Pastor Dr Darko played at the Headquarters which consolidated the financial gains of the church. He noted that Pastor Dr Darko did not use his privileged position to manipulate the finances of the church for his personal gains, but rather managed it with all faithfulness and diligence.

The MP for Lodzokuku who also doubles as the Deputy Minister of Health, Hon, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, who described himself as an associate member of The Church of Pentecost due to the unique relationship he has developed with the church over the years, extolled the personality of Pastor Dr. Darko, describing him as a knowledgeable man of God with impeccable integrity.

The MP, who presented some PPEs to the church, commended The Church of Pentecost for being one of the most COVID-19 compliant churches in the country. He advised the members to continue to observe the safety protocols since the disease is still around.

Various testimonies were read to acknowledge the impact Pastor Dr Darko and his wife Mabel have made in the district, Teshie-Nungua, and The Church of Pentecost as a whole.

PENTECOST NEWS.

An investiture ceremony was organised on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at the Pentecost University to induct the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University, Pastor Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, into office.

He takes over from Apostle Dr Daniel Walker who leaves for Tarkwa as Area Head and Chairman of the Western Regional Coordinating Committee of The Church of Pentecost after twenty years of meritorious service to the university.

Pastor Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua was born on 17th July 1979 to Mr Tweneboa Kwame Kodua and Mrs Elizabeth Kodua, both of blessed memory. Since birth, he benefitted greatly from three major things which moulded his world view: (1) the intellectual drive of his father, who served as a teacher within the Ghana Education Service; (2) the spirituality of his mother, who was a devout Christian; and (3) the training, opportunities and support offered by The Church of Pentecost through its leadership.

He completed St. Peter’s Secondary School at Nkwatia-Kwahu in 1994, and his first degree in Mechanical Engineering at the then University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in 2000.

He was employed as a Design Engineer at the Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Services (GRATIS) in Tema when he completed his national service with them.

At GRATIS, young Kodua was instrumental in a number of nationally acclaimed government and industrial engineering projects involving the design and prototyping of food-processing machines and many environmental management equipment.

After a very successful career at GRATIS, he joined Nestle (Gh) Ltd as a Mechanical Engineer in charge of preventive maintenance plans, technical stores and schedules for all production and auxiliary equipment in the factory.

Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua then attended the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering of Loughborough University in the UK where he studied and obtained his Master of Science degree in Advanced Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management, and PhD for his research in the domain of complex systems modelling, systems integration and business process improvements.

Before he finished his PhD in 2009, he was appointed Assistant Lecturer at Loughborough University and supported the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Also, he was co-opted into the HIEF3/DTI funded technology exploitation activities of the UK Centre of Excellence in Customised Assembly (CECA), where he worked closely with about 20 postdoctoral engineers alongside Ford, BAE Systems, Airbus and JCB Engineers involved in digital modelling and life cycle engineering of large scale assembly systems.

In addition to these appointments, he was a co-consultant on behalf of the University for Shenling AirConditioning Manufacturing Company, Guangdzou, China. Whilst at Loughborough, he was appointed a full-time Lecturer in the Engineering department of Leicester College, UK in 2009.

From Leicester College, Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua was appointed a Research Fellow and later promoted to Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nottingham.

In these roles, he was responsible for extending research in the domain of factories-of-the future and to support-teach modules in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), Robotics and Automation. As Work Package Leader, he led a number of European FP7 large scale integration project on factories-of-the future and became known for his development of a unified modelling language (ontology) for describing and integrating products, processes and resources.

Within the Universities of Loughborough and Nottingham, he contributed to a number of successful EPSRC and FP7 grant applications and researches. Notable among them were: (1) Unified Modelling of Complex Systems; (2) Cloud Manufacturing; (3) Evolvable Assembly Systems; (4) Plug and Produce Intelligent Multi Agent Environment based on Standard Technology.

These achievements led to his appointment as a member of the European scientific and technical board for the committee on Nature Inspired Cooperation Strategies for Optimisation (NICSO) in 2011, a field which later became predominant in Artificial Intelligent systems. Also, his research work and academic exploits led to the development of one UK spinout company, Manufacturing Systems Integration Ltd, in 2011.

From this strong academic, research and consultancy background, he received a prestigious offer of a full academic on professorial track at one of UK’s most respected Universities, the University of Warwick in 2013, where he served initially as an Assistant Professor until the completion of his probation as an Associate Professor.

Whilst at Warwick, Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua’s research and academic initiatives led to the development of new modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels; becoming an external examiner to some institutions in Europe and directly supervising and examining PhD and EngD students. He extended his horizon to include leading research activities and teaching in collaborative fields such as healthcare systems engineering, mechanical systems modelling, data mining and analytics, economics and policy formulation.

For instance, in collaboration with Tech4i2 Consult, he gave strategic input into the UK Government and European policies on SME adoption of digital technologies; as a demonstration of his strong ambition as an academic for research advances in digital manufacturing systems’ sciences. Also, through his works, he pioneered institutional research and teaching collaborations with some leading Universities in his field.

This included the University of Windsor, Canada; Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary; University of Naples Federico II, Italy; Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation, University of Stuggart, Germany; and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), University of Sheffield, UK.

Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua is also a Chartered Engineer from the Royal Institute of Engineering and Technology, UK, and a Member of the Engineering Professors Council, UK. In addition to his science and engineering qualifications, he holds a Master of Arts degree in Practical Theology obtained from Mattersey College, UK; Prince 2 qualification in Project Management and professional certificates in Teaching and Learning.

Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua’s activities stream across Science and Engineering, Business and Management, Theology and Education. He has authored seven books (three on Engineering Systems & Management; three on the interface between Science and Theology; and one on Tertiary Education); contributed to four book chapters, and published over 40 papers in leading international journals and conference proceedings.

In Christian ministry, Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua was ordained an Elder on 16th February 2003 at the Safo Memorial Temple, Tema by the late Apostle Robert Akwaah. In the UK, he was a National Executive Member and Trustee of the church (2013-2015) until his call into the full-time ministry in 2015.

Currently, he serves as a council member of two colleges: Birmingham Christian College and Regents Theological College, both in the UK.

For his family life, Reverend Professor Agyapong-Kodua is married to Vida, who is an Educationist with specialties in Early Years and Special Needs Education.

They are both blessed with three children: Nana Darkoa (16 years), Mirabel (13 years) and Oheneba- Kobby Jnr (10 years).

PENTECOST NEWS

The Ashaiman Area of The Church of Pentecost has constructed a bus stop shelter at the Ashaiman Senior High School.

The Area Head, Prophet David Kankam Beditor, who is also a Member of the Executive Council of the Church, on October 21, 2020, handed over the facility to officials of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly.

Prophet Beditor explained that the construction of the bus stop shelter formed part of the Church’s 5-year strategic vision dubbed “Vision 2023” in her quest to contribute to national development and possess the nations for Christ.

He was hopeful that the bus shelter will provide comfort for all and sundry, especially the physically challenged and pregnant women, who will access the shelter.

Receiving the bus shelter on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Albert Boakye Okyere, the Head of Transport at the Municipal Assembly, Mr. Albert Labrik, expressed gratitude to the Church for the kind gesture and promised to maintain it regularly.

Mr. Labrik, in turn, handed it over to the Headmaster of the Ashaiman Senior High School. He charged the school authorities to take good care of the facility and also assured them of the Assembly’s support for maintenance when the need arises.

The event, which took place at the forecourt of the Ashaiman Senior High School, brought together the pastorate and some members in the Ashaiman Area, as well as key stakeholders in the Ashaiman Municipality.

Report by Ashaiman Area Media.

The Meduma District of The Church of Pentecost in the New Tafo Area has organised a befitting retirement service for Pastor Emmanuel Gyan Mantey and his wife, Mrs. Janet Mantey, having served for 34 years in the active ministry of the Church.

The programme, which took place at the Meduma Central auditorium on Sunday, October 25, 2020, was officiated by the New Tafo Area Head, Apostle Samuel Antwi, assisted by the Bompata Area Head, Apostle Abraham Lincoln Angoh. It was attended by a host of pastors, family, and friends.

Pastor Mantey was called into the full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost in 1986. He and his family arrived at the Meduma District from Tema New Town, having already served as a pastor at Aweregya/Pra River, Atwima Koforidua, Akuse, Koforidua West, and Suhum East districts.

As a former Technician at the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC), Pastor Mantey held various appointments throughout his 34-year ministry. This includes Minister’s Welfare Committee Chairman, Area Executive Committee Member, Area Estate Committee Chairman, Area Ministerial Committee Chairman, and the most dominant one, Area Music Committee Chairman.

Speaking at the service on the theme, “For your Partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now” based on Philippians 1: 3-11, Apostle Samuel Antwi revealed how Apostle Paul through his trials for the sake of the Gospel reminded the Church in Philippi to hold the Gospel in high esteem until the return of Jesus Christ.

According to him, though life is not easy, if believers are able to hold on to the faith till the end, they will receive a crown.

“Pastor Mantey and his wife right from day one accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and have partnered to spread the Gospel from one station to the other. Yet, regardless of the trials, they have held on to the end,” he said.

He charged Christians to retain their first love in Christ and be empowered to overcome every trial that besets them.

The Women’s Ministry and the District Executive Committee of the Meduma District led by Deaconess Juliet Asare and Elder Gabriel Kwasi Mensah respectively testified about the good works of Pastor Emmanuel Gyan and his wife and presented citations to them as a monument for the good job done.

Pastor Anthony Mensah read the testimony of the New Tafo Area Pastorate and Wives, while Apostle Abraham Lincoln Angoh read that of the General Council.

The Area Head, Apostle Samuel Antwi, on behalf of the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, presented a Certificate of Service to Pastor Mantey.

In response, Pastor Mantey and his family thanked God for His protection and love throughout their three decades of service. They also commended the past and current Chairman of the Church, the Area Heads he has worked under, Pastors, Officers, and members of the Church for their love and support.

Report by Dennis Owusu.

The Ekutuase District in the Cape Coast Area of The Church of Pentecost has dedicated a 3-bedroom Mission House with en-suite facilities.

The dedication ceremony, which took place on Friday, October 30, 2020, at Ekutuase, was officiated by the Cape Coast Area Head and an Executive Council Member of the Church, Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi. 

Speaking on the theme, “A Glorious Church, God’s Instrument to Possess the Nations,” Pastor Boakye Anto stated: “Christ purchased us with His own blood and by that, He has made us vessels of honour that He will use to possess the nations for Himself.”

He added: “As Christians, we are the salt and light of the world, therefore, we need to demonstrate our worth in all spheres of lives so we can be good examples to the society in which we live in. This will help bring others to the saving knowledge of Christ, and also transform society for the best.”

He concluded his message by saying, “If we walk in the knowledge of this truth, we will indeed be able to possess the nations for Christ.”

In his remarks, Apostle S. Y. Antwi praised the Ekutuase District Minister, Overseer Gideon Atigya, and the entire members for the successful completion of the Mission House. He admonished the members to pursue peace in the upcoming elections.

He called on them to continue to observe all the Covid-19 protocols as outlined by the government and the Church.

The dedication ceremony was attended by the wife of the Area Head, Mrs. Margaret Serwaa Antwi, the pastorate in Cape Coast Area, traditional leaders of Ekutuase, among others.

PENTECOST NEWS

After twenty-one (21) years of serving in the active ministry in The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Andrew Cobbinah of Saltpond District finally retired on Sunday, October 25, 2020, at Saltpond in the Mankessim Area. It was a dream come through, a moment of joy and celebration for the Cobbinahs and the entire church.

The service was officiated by Apostle Mike Etrue (Kaneshie Area Head/Executive Council Member), assisted by Apostle James Nana Ofori (Mankessim Area Head).

Called into the full-time ministry in 1999 in the Republic of Liberia, he served in six districts, namely Robert’s Port (Liberia), Kyeamekrom, Atebubu, Dunkwa, Kasoa (Galilea), and Saltpond. While in Liberia, he served in various capacities such as National Executive Member (Co-opted), National Ministerial Committee Member, National Witness Leader, and Building Committee Chairman. In Ghana, he served as Missions Committee Chairman (Mampong Area), Estate Committee Chairman (Dunkwa Area), and Pensions Committee Chairman in Kasoa and Mankessim Areas respectively.

Preaching at the service on the theme, “Our Life, Just By Grace” with references from  Ephesians 2:8, John 1:17, Romans 1:5 and 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10, Apostle Mike Etrue intimated that the life God has given is just by grace.

He defined grace as “the unmerited favour of the almighty God towards us which brings us salvation and enables us to live a life pleasing unto Him.” Grace, he said, is a product of the finished work of Christ, which started from Gethsemane to Gabatha, through to Golgotha and finally to the ‘Grave’ from where He arose and ascended to heaven.  

“We have survived all the challenges of life so far, not because of the availability of human, material, or financial resources, but by the unmerited grace of God, through His Son Jesus Christ,” he stressed.

Apostle Mike Etrue finally stated without equivocation that, it is only the grace of God that can bring every believer to a glorious end.

Report by Pastor Stephen Arko Barnes.

The Nkawkaw Area of The Church of Pentecost in collaboration with the Nkawkaw Divisional Command of the Ghana Police Service and the Kwahu West Municipal Assembly has launched the ‘Agent of Peace’ campaign under the theme: “Seek Peace and Pursue it.”

The well-attended event, which took place on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, included a peace walk through the Kwahu West Municipality, a durbar, and a musical concert at the forecourt of the Nkawkaw Old Lorry Station.

In attendance was the Nkawkaw Area Head, Prophet Robert Kobina Dentu, and his wife, Mrs. Gladys Dentu, the Area Pastorate and their wives, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Yaw Owusu Addo and other staff of the Municipal Assembly, the Police Band from Accra, and Police Personnel from the Nkawkaw Divisional Command.

Also present were the leadership of Nkawkaw Muslim Community led by the Zongo Chief, Parliamentary candidates of the various political parties, representatives from the Kwahu Traditional Council, Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) member churches, the Media and members of the Church.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Municipal Crime Officer, DSP Agyemang Badu, spoke on the instrumental role the Police in partnership with the citizenry play in the furtherance of peace and stability in the country. Citing cases and incidences of electoral violence and insurrections in other countries, he advised the gathering to seek and pursue peace for Ghana to continue to be a safe haven for all.

In his welcome address, Prophet Robert Dentu observed that “there is only one country called Ghana to which we belong and the world at large are witnesses to the fact that Ghana has distinguished herself as a beacon of hope for Africa concerning smooth and peaceful electoral processes.”

He added: “The peace of Ghana comes first and must be held paramount to any other agenda.”

Prophet R. K. Dentu commended the stakeholders for their readiness to work together with The Church of Pentecost to unite the nation towards maintaining peace before, during, and after the elections.

In his address, the MCE, Hon. Yaw Owusu Addo, applauded The Church of Pentecost for the peace initiatives and said that the responsibility to maintain peace is a call that transcends race or religion.

He explained that “many nations suffer political instability and war due to the negligence of some individuals who chose to be careless about their speeches and actions,” adding that “the purpose of this peace campaign is to challenge and educate ourselves to be agents of peace as the nation goes into the December polls.”

All political party leaders present took turns in presenting their goodwill messages and pledging their support for a peaceful election and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere before and after the elections.

The Police Band, among other seasoned artistes such as Nana Yaw Dwomfour and Stella Agyeiwaa, gave a powerful performance at the musical concert.

Report by Overseer Clement Kofi Amankwa, Nkawkaw Area Reporter.

The Obuasi Area of The Church of Pentecost has launched its “Agent of Peace” campaign aimed at raising awareness on the need for peace before, during, and after the upcoming presidential and parliamentary polls on December 7.

The launch which was chaired by the Obuasi Area Head, Apostle William Boakye Agyarko, took place on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, at the Bidieso church auditorium.

The launch was followed by a peace walk through the streets of Obuasi and a musical concert to climax the event.

Report by Ebenezer McKeown Asare.

The District Minister of Mempeasem in Assin Foso Area of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Patrick Gyamfi Osei-Appiah, has retired from active full-time ministry after serving the church for 22 years. The retirement service was held at Foso Habitat Prayer Grounds on Sunday, October 24, 2020, was officiated by the Assin Foso Area Head and Executive Council Member, Apostle Sylvester Arhin.

Preaching the sermon on the theme, “Life’s Journey,” Apostle Sylvester Arhin read from Exodus 15:22-27 and explained that people see life differently and that their activities are controlled by how they see it. “Some people see it as war, competition, great expectation, and feasting or merry-making,” he pointed out.

Apostle Sylvester Arhin however explained that life is a journey which has a beginning and an end, full of ups and downs. He said that just as God gave good water to the Israelites to drink, He will provide for those who put their trust in Him.

Panegyrizing the retiring minister and his wife, the Area Head said: “Life’s journey is full of challenges, but God is faithful to all His promises to those who serve Him wholeheartedly.   Pastor Patrick Gyamfi and Mrs. Mary Osei-Appiah have gone through such challenges, but because they put their trust in God, He has brought them to the end of their active service successfully. Throughout their ministry, they have impacted many lives,” he said.

Apostle Arhin advised those in active service in all sectors to plan their lives very well because they will one day come to the crossroad of retirement.

Pastor Patrick Gyamfi and Mrs. Mary Osei-Appiah’s  22-year ministerial service started from Dambai through Agona Kwanyako and Goaso to Foso Mempeasem where they have finally laid down their tools.

A testimony read on behalf of the General Council of The Church of Pentecost described Pastor and Mrs. Osei-Appiah as hardworking workers who did not take the work of the ministry lightly, but worked with a sense of urgency just like a soldier who is ever ready to respond to the call to duty without any complaint.

“They were widely seen as revivalists who broke new grounds to promote the gospel wherever they were stationed despite the terrain of the district,” the testimony further read.

In their testimony, the Assin Foso Area Ministers and Wives described the retiring couple as people who discharged their duties faithfully with dedication and extreme devotion, whereas the Mempeasem District, where they served for the last five years in full-time ministry, described them as “spiritual bulldozers” and hardworking team players who were humble, neat, gentle, firm, wise and accommodating.

In response, Pastor Osei-Appiah, on behalf of his wife and family, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to God, the General Council, past and present Area Heads, the Pastorate, the entire Mempeasem District membership, and all who contributed in different ways to their fruitful ministry.

Report by Joseph Smiles Adu.