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The Mankessim Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle James Nana Ofori, has called on church leaders not to fear taking risks to advance the work of God. 

He made the call during a retreat organised by the Dunkwa Area of The Church of Pentecost under the theme: “A Glorious Church Leader: Are You Revived to Possess the Nations?” (Ephesians 4: 11-12).

The retreat, held between October 12 and 15, 2021, at the zonal level, sought to renew the spiritual strength of officers and whip up the passion of ministers and their wives as well as church leaders to do the work of God with great zeal.

Quoting from Matthew 9:35-37 and preaching on the topic; “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few,” Apostle Nana Ofori said that leadership is crucial to the growth of the church and the expansion of the Kingdom of God. He stated that Jesus Christ needs more leaders to manage the great harvest of souls in this generation.

According to him, God calls people to fulfill His eternal purpose on earth because He works through men, saying, “God’s ability to reap the harvest of souls is dependent on good leaders in the church.”

The Mankessim Area Head outlined three kinds of church leaders, namely caretaker leaders, undertaker leaders, and risk-taker leaders. He defined caretaker leaders as church leaders who do not make effort to bring spiritual growth and increase to the church and the flock. 

“They keep what they were handed to and hand over the same in value, in quality and quantity back to their superiors,” he stated.

Undertaker leaders, on the other hand, he explained, are leaders who do not make effort to keep and maintain what was handed over to them but bring spiritual retardation and backwardness to the church flocks.

According to him, undertaker church leaders use their actions, character, and sometimes their sarcastic statements to send the flocks away from the church and do not care about them. He charged leaders at all levels of the church to desist from such character.

Apostle Nana Ofori admonished his hearers to be risk-taker leaders because risk-takers leaders are those who take risks and rise to the task. “Risk-taker leaders are positive-minded, filled with wisdom, and have passion for God’s work. They add value and make greater contributions to the growth of the church, and are fruitful in all things,” he stressed. 

He added: “God wants us to be fruitful and hate slothfulness.”

The occasion was spiced up with an ordination service of some officers in the Area.

Report by Pastor Twene Adane Justice, Dunkwa Atechem.

Christians all over the world have been charged to take up the task of intercession, particularly in their evangelistic endeavours.

The Odorkor District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Abraham Addae Agyemeng, made the clarion call yesterday at the ongoing Evangelism Conference (EVACON 2021) held at Kaneshie Central Assembly church auditorium in Accra.

He explained that intercession and evangelism must always go together, adding that, they were the core component of Christ’s ministry whilst He was physically on earth. 

“Jesus interceded for Peter when the enemy planned to sift him like wheat. He interceded for the church in John 17. He also interceded for cities like Jerusalem and the nations. He is currently interceding for us at the right hand of God,” he noted.

Quoting several scriptures to buttress his points, Pastor Agyemang said the Holy Spirit, who is Himself a person of the trinity, is also an intercessor who intercedes for believers through ‘wordless groans.’ Likewise, believers must also plead the cause of unbelievers to God in prayer, he stressed.

“All sinners are not at peace with God and His judgment awaits them. Therefore, we must intercede for them to come to themselves and run back to God in repentance and to receive salvation,” he explained.

According to the Odorkor District Minister, every believer qualifies to be part of the ministry of intercession, disclosing that, people of all age groups, including children and the aged, could take on the special duty of interceding for others in prayer. 

He noted that the Lord has a special affinity for persons who stand in the gap for people and nations in prayer, pointing out that intercessors are dangerous to the enemy, and they are special forces in the Militant Church that God does not play with.

“Two great intercessors in the Old Testament were described as God’s friend (Abraham) and Man of God (Moses). Moses interceded for the Israelites (Exodus 32:9-14) till God changed (repented) his decision to wipe all of them out at once. Abraham also interceded for his family in Sodom and Gomorrah to be saved (Genesis 18:22-33). Daniel and Ezra too interceded till Israel was saved from captivity and brought back to their homeland,” he said. 

He continued that Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-35, 36-38) were also mentioned in the New Testament as persons who interceded till they saw and touched the Messiah – Jesus Christ. 

To be an effective intercessor, Pastor Agyemang said, the individual must consider intercession as a ministry, make it every part of their being, and offer intercession daily and faithfully from the heart. 

He pointed out that true intercessors are spirit-led (crucify their flesh), selfless, holy, compassionate, persevering, available and reliable.

He also indicated that every intercessor should be a ‘man of the word’ and ‘prayer machine.’ He, therefore, urged believers, particularly those who are ready to stand as intercessors, to study the word (Joshua 1:8) and pray fervently.

Some of the areas of intercession Pastor Agyemang mentioned include petitioning God for the harvest (1 Timothy 2:1), engaging and nullifying territorial spirits, occultic and false; breaking the chains of those who are bound (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27); and nullifying philosophies and barriers to the acceptance of the Gospel including false religions. 

This year’s Evangelism Conference (EVACON 2021), organised by The Church of Pentecost Evangelism Ministry, is under the theme: “A Revived Church in an Aggressive Evangelism and Informed Intercession” (Ezekiel 37:1-10). The event is being held simultaneously at various centres nationwide.

PENTECOST NEWS

The Sefwi Afere District of The Church of Pentecost has organised a quiz competition for seven Junior High Schools in the Bodi District in the Western North Region.

The participated schools include Afere D/A JHS ‘A’ and ‘B’, Afere English and Arabic JHS, Suiano Anglican JHS, Krayawkrom JHS, Aferewa JHS, and Benumnsuo JHS.

After four rounds of heated competition in Mathematics, Science, English and Social Studies, Afere D/A JHS ‘A’ emerged winners of the quiz. Each contestant was given stationeries with the winners receiving cash, trophies, and stationeries.

The Afere District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Daniel-Gyan Teye Henanaopeh, who spearheaded the event advised teachers to teach pupils the right values of Ghanaian culture.

The Headteacher of Sefwi Afere JHS ‘A’ school, Agyeman Simon, on behalf of the schools and the participants, thanked the church for organising the event which, he said, was a “glamorous competition.”

On his part, the Bodi District Director of Education, Mr. Felix Neetegeh Faatah, assured that the directorate will continue to hold quiz competitions for the pupils to prepare them for their examinations.

Report by Pastor Daniel-Gyan Teye Henanaopeh, Afere.

Twenty-eight inmates of the recently commissioned Ejura Camp Prison have surrendered their lives to Christ.  Of this figure, twenty-seven of them have undergone water baptism to the glory of God.

This remarkable event took place on Sunday, October 10, 2021, when the Mampong Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Samuel Kwabena Asare, together with his wife, Beatrice, joined the prison inmates for church service as part of his working visit to the facility. The Area Head’s entourage included Overseer Osei Mensah (Agric College District Minister) and Overseer Sylvester Avorgah (Kasei District Minister)

Exhorting the inmates on the topic: “You Shall Know the Truth” with scripture reference from John 8:30-36, Pastor Asare said that sin is the only thing on earth that keeps people in perpetual bondage, and this was why Jesus came to set captives free. 

According to him, “there are so many people in the world who think they are free because they are not in a prison [physically] but are perpetual slaves and prisoners of sin.”

He explained that the Israelites understood freedom to be the liberation from physical oppression because their forebears were slaves in Egypt before they were rescued by God through Moses.

“For this reason, after their deliverance, the Israelites thought they were no longer slaves; however, they were still under the bondage of sin, and this is the truth Jesus referred to in John 14:6 and Colossians 1:13,” he stated.

“Anyone who sins is a slave of sin. Hence, what sets one free from slavery and sin is the Truth, not the abundance of wealth, education, position, status in life, etc. Jesus Christ is the truth who gives us freedom from sin and slavery and the power of darkness unto light,” he added. 

He further stressed that only Jesus has the power to forgive people of every sin and give them lasting peace. Pastor Asare, therefore, encouraged the inmates not to allow their present situation to ruin God’s plan for their lives. He said God has deposited something special in them that is unique and beneficial to the world. 

The Area Head also revealed that the new converts would undergo the New Converts’ Class to help ground them in their newfound faith in Christ. 

After the service, the inmates pleaded with the pastorate to pay regular visits to the facility to share fellowship with them. They also requested for Bibles and other provisions to aid their spiritual and physical development.

As part of the service, ten inmates were appointed to serve in various leadership positions of the non-denominational church in the Camp prison. Also, prayers were offered for the 12 inmates who are due for release this month. 

The Ejura Camp Prison was built by The Church of Pentecost as part of efforts to decongest prison facilities in Ghana and promote the welfare of prisoners. The fully furnished prison infrastructure was commissioned and handed over to the Ghana Prisons Service in May this year.

Report by Overseer Osei Mensah

Her Excellency, Marie-Jeane Wayikani Ukurango, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Ghana, today, paid a courtesy call on the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost (CoP), Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in his office at the church’s General Headquarters in Accra, Ghana.

Speaking through an interpreter, Madam Ukurango, who is a Deaconess of the Church, said the visit was to formally introduce herself to her ‘fathers’ (the leadership of the Church) and to see the Headquarters from where the Church operates in over 100 nations globally.

She commended the Church for the tremendous role it is playing in the national development of DRC. She spoke highly of the National Head of CoP-DRC, Apostle Semenya Dogbe, under whose tenure, CoP-DRC is chalking many successes such as breaking new grounds in war zones and winning more souls for Christ. 

She also noted that through the grace of God and the instrumentality of the National Head, the church building project is progressing steadily. She, therefore, took the opportunity to invite Apostle Eric Nyamekye to the dedication ceremony of the building after its completion.  

Commenting on the bilateral relations between Ghana and the DRC, the Ambassador said that both countries have always shared deep ties and must continue to work together for the prosperity of both nations and the continent. 

The Chairman, on his part, expressed his delight at the visit. He was particularly impressed by Deaconess Ukurango’s unyielding commitment to the things of God and The Church of Pentecost despite her busy schedules as a diplomat.

He was also happy to hear about the growth of the Church in DRC and said that The Church of Pentecost, through its Missions Office, would continue to support the advancement of the Kingdom work in the Central African country.

“We are also aware of the [political unrest and tensions] in the country and will continue to intercede for the country in prayer,” he added.

Apostle Nyamekye also commended the Congolese Ambassador for upholding Kingdom values and principles in her political life and called on other members of the Church in the political space to strive to do the same.

He wished her well in her endeavours as an envoy in Ghana and revealed that plans are on course to establish a formidable French church for francophone nationals like her residing in the country. 

Apostle Nyamekye also assured her that the leadership of the Church would reciprocate her gesture and also pay a visit to her office to pray with her.

The General Secretary, Apostle ANY Kumi-Larbi, who was among the church delegation to receive the Ambassador, thanked her for the august visit and the glowing testimony given about the Church and the National Head in the DRC.

The Chairman also introduced the new International Missions Director of the Church, Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, to the Ambassador, after which a prayer was said for her.

Her Excellency Marie-Jeane Wayikani Ukurango was accompanied on the visit by Elder Jonas Kabore of PIWC-French.

PENTECOST NEWS

About 312 members of the Makayili District in the Yendi Area of The Church of Pentecost have received free medical care at the climax of the 3^rd District Week celebration.

As part of the week’s activities, the District Minister, Overseer Jeremiah Boffour, and his wife, in collaboration with the Makayili Health Centre, organised free medical care for the members. The members were screened on Hepatitis B and vaccination, Malaria testing and treatment. They also checked their blood pressure and blood glucose levels as well as physical examination.

The beneficiary members were attended to at the Outpatients Department (OPD), Antenatal Clinic (ANC), and Child Welfare Clinic CWC).

The exercise, which took place at the Makayili Central assembly of the church, had 17 nurses including a Physician Assistant and two Nursing Officers drawn from the Makayili, Lepusi and Nakpa Health Centres.

Prior to the exercise, the Physician Assistant for Makayili Health Centre, Mr. Anthony Akumasi, and the Nursing Officer in-charge of Lepusi Health Centre, Mr. Ndonbi Tadigna Npuagyen Senior, delivered a health talk on the causes and prevention of Hepatitis B, which is a predominant disease in the Nanumba North Municipality. The members had the opportunity to ask questions for clarification.

Report by Overseer Jeremiah Boffour.