Posts in category: Top Stories

The 2021 Fire Conference of the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), Kasoa in the Downtown-Ofaakor Area of The Church of Pentecost, began on Monday, March 15, with a powerful ministration by the Area Head, Apostle Dr. Ben Ali.

Preaching on the theme for the conference, “Let The Fire Fall” – 1 Kings 18:36-39, Acts1:8, Apostle Dr. Ali stated that baptism “in” the Holy Spirit which is done by Jesus Christ (Mark 1:8) is an essential element that energises the believer for service. He added that without it, it would be difficult for Christians to function (Acts1:8).

He further explained that baptism “of” the Holy Spirit is the same as being born again, regeneration, new life (Matthew 3:11), and that without this experience one cannot qualify as a follower of Jesus Christ. This experience, according to him, is “non-negotiable.”

According to him, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are received by faith (Galatians 3:2). “When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, He gives you tools (gifts) to function (1 Corinthians 12:8-10),” he stated, adding, “These tools (gifts) are for the benefit of the body of Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are for purposes of helping the Church and not for self-aggrandizement.”

Apostle Dr. Ali testified of how his dead son was raised back to life by the power of the Holy Spirit working through him.

He stated that every believer receives faith the very day he/she accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour (Galatians 3:22). “Resultantly, you don’t pray for faith as a believer; you exercise it! (Matthew 21:21-22),” he pointed out, adding, “You exercise your faith daily by dwelling on the Word, studying the Scriptures, and committing to prayer. Precept upon precepts the foundations shall be laid.”

Apostle Dr. Ben Ali concluded by saying that “the believer must endeavour to constantly exercise his/her faith because the longer you live ordinarily like a person not born of the Spirit, the more doubts gain some grounds in your life, hence opening the door to fear.

“Anything done without faith is a sin (Romans 14:23b), so the believer cannot afford to live outside of his/her faith.”

This year’s conference which ends on Sunday, March 21, has the host minister, Pastor Isaac Annor; Pastor Dr. Felix Dela Klutse of Doblo Gonno District, and Overseer Jonathan Ebo Quaye of Domeabra District as other speakers.

Report by PIWC Kasoa Media.

The Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Kojo Gakpetor, has advised Christians to wake up and save every dying situation in their Christian life.

Addressing church officers at the Anyaa Zone of the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area as part of the 2021 Apostolisation programme, Apostle Gakpetor revealed that “revival cannot come when certain things are not done right. So, it is about time we sat up and dealt with all those things that are killing our Christian lifestyle.”  

Apostle Gakpetor identified some of the things that hinder revival and church growth and also kill the spiritual life of Christians. He cautioned believers to be wary of such acts and make every effort to eradicate them entirely from their lives.

Among the things that retard revival, he mentioned, are when believers or the church loses the zeal of evangelism, when the church ceases to pray together, and when the church ceases to discipline members who sin. He said that God hates sin, so a church full of sinners will not see revival.

He further stated that when the church refuses to raise godly leaders, that church will eventually quench its fire. He, therefore, entreated churches and leaders not to trade on leadership, saying, “Leadership should not be bought.”

The Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Head pleaded with church leaders and Christians as a whole to eschew negative tendencies that will hinder the revival that they are yearning for and quench the fire in them.

Supporting his sermon with scriptures from Revelations 3:1-6, he implored Christians not to be like people who are generally seen to be doing well but in an actual sense spiritually dead. “Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die,” he stressed.

As a way of igniting the fire and getting the revival the church seeks, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor admonished Christians to repent from ways that quench the fire and live a life that will revive them.

Encouraging church leaders to be bold and take their positions to do what is expected of them, he stated, “Church leadership is a war, therefore, we must fight it and win.

“A leader must be vigilant and straighten all ways that seem crooked to ensure sanity in the church.”

Report by Alex Nana Owusu Nkrumah.

The Finance and Administration Director (FAD) of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Lawrence Otu Nyarko, has impressed upon Christians to be fervent in prayer, preach the word of God and give to support God’s work.

“These are the three pillars that a glorious church hinges on; prayer, preaching the word of God and paying tithes as well as offerings, including supporting ministers of God,” he said, adding, “God works in partnership with all three, and if one is broken, the church cannot stand.”

Apostle Otu Nyarko said this in a sermon on Sunday, February 28, 2021, at the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC) – Sakumono, to climax the Teshie-Nungua Area Apostolisation Week and the First Area Week celebration. 

Preaching on the theme, “A glorious church revived to offer,” he said that offering is very important unto the Lord, saying, “Abel did it very well and the fragrance of his offering was acceptable and pleasing unto the Lord.”

Reading from Ephesians 5:25-27, he stated that God wants Christians to be holy and blameless and that the Lord expects them to offer their lives first as a sacrifice, then their time and their substance.

He explained the importance of all the pillars to the growth of a revived church. Stressing on the third pillar of a glorious church which is paying tithes and offerings, Apostle Otu Nyarko emphasized the essence of giving oneself to the Lord fully and wholly, paying their tithes and ministering to men of God since they are the Levites in our time (Deuteronomy 10: 8-9, Numbers 18:20-21).

The Finance and Administration Director indicated that when a believer encounters the Lord, the light that is in the Lord is transmitted into that person, hence Christians are to affect the society with Christian/kingdom values.

The week-long Apostolisation programme was under the theme, “A glorious church revived to possess the nations. (Ephesians 3:21, 5:27, Hebrews 3:2). Various speakers, such as Apostle Rigwell Ato Addison (Rtd.), Pastors David Alex Adwere of Lashibi District, Captain Collins Badu Agyapong, of E. D. Aninkorah Worship Centre, Percy Nii Tackie Otoo of Odikoman District and Joshua Appiah of Teshie-Nungua Estate District, took turns to minister at the PIWC-Sakumono.

Report by Yaa Asantewaah Adu Boahene

The Adukrom District in the Koforidua Area of The Church of Pentecost has organised its second Homecoming and fundraising ceremony in a grand style. The fundraising was in aid of the church’s ongoing building project

The celebration which was dubbed, “A Glorious Church Revived to Build a House for God’’ – Ephesians 3:21, Nehemiah 2:17-18, took place from 15^th to 21^st February 2021.

Highlights of the weeklong activities included fasting and prayers, health and business talk, clean-up exercise, fundraising and special thanksgiving service.  

The glamorous event was attended by many dignitaries including Apostle Samuel Osei Asante (Koforidua Area Head/Executive Council Member), Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko (Finance and Administration Director at the Headquarters), Apostle Michael Collins Asiedu (Rtd.), and Apostle David Yeboah Asare (Rtd.).

Others were Hon. Dan Kwaku Botwe (Minister Designate for Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development and Member of Parliament for Okere Constituency), Elder Dr. Ken Aboah, Elder Dr. Emmanuel Kwasi Mireku (Gospel Artiste), Elder Samuel Larbi Darko, Elder Emmanuel Donkor, Elder Samuel Larbi Gyampo (Queens New York), among others.

In a short remark, the Koforidua Area Head, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante, called on all and sundry, especially natives of the town to support the church building project, both financially and materially.

Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko (FAD), on his part, noted that God works through humans for His glorification. In possessing the nations for Christ, he indicated that the church has a duty to put up a building to contain the members and the souls won for Christ.

Apostle Michael Collins Asiedu (Rtd.), who was the second Minister of the District, from 1989-1993, appealed to all natives of the district to join this worthy cause of building the new church auditorium.

Pastor Francis Broni (District Minister) gave details of the state of the project and how the building would look like after completion. He said that the project will be a storey building with a seating capacity of more than 1,200 people. It will also have three children’s apartments, a lactation apartment for nursing mothers, a conference room, an audio-visual apartment, a sound control room, washrooms, baptistry and offices.

Pastor Broni encouraged all ministers of the church as well as officers and members who hail from Adukrom and its environs to support the project.

The Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Dan Botwe, promised to support the project and volunteered to become the project ambassador. He expressed his appreciation to The Church of Pentecost for the tremendous work it is doing in the country. He further commended the Church for putting up police stations, modern prison facilities, health centres and other interventions in various parts of the country.

The MP was particularly grateful to the Church for the support that it extended to the Government and people of Ghana in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by giving out the Pentecost Convention Centre to the Government as an Isolation Centre.

Report by Isaac Agyei, Adukrom.

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, and the International Missions Director, Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi Addo, today, Tuesday, March 2, 2021, led a delegation of ministers of The Church of Pentecost to take the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the La Polyclinic in Accra.

Among the ministers who were vaccinated were Ministry Directors, Area Heads, and other ministers on secondment.

The Church of Pentecost, through a Communique issued on February 21, 2021, by the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, approved of the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines and urged members to get vaccinated when the opportunity arises.

The position of the church followed a recommendation by a technical committee, made up of experts with a diverse background, including Theologians, Pharmacists, Clinicians, Public Health Consultants, Lawyers, Psychologists, Social Workers, among others, put together by the leadership of the church to evaluate the vaccines and the myths regarding it.

The mass vaccination exercise was therefore undertaken by the ministers as part of efforts by the leadership of the church to promote public confidence in the efficacy of the vaccine and to disabuse the minds about the conspiracies surrounding it.

In a related development, the immediate past Chairman of the church, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah (Rtd.) took a jab of the vaccine earlier today at the Pentecost Hospital at Madina in Accra following the official launch of the mass vaccination exercise at the hospital.

It is also worth noting that Apostle Eric Nyamekye became one of the first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine when he joined the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and other dignitaries in the country to take the jab on Monday, March 1, 2021, at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

On Wednesday, February 24, the government of Ghana took delivery of 600,000 doses of COVAX vaccine from the World Health Organisation (WHO), thus, becoming the first country in Africa to receive the vaccine. This was received with mixed feelings by the Ghanaian populace, some of whom have expressed doubts and mistrust about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination exercise by the Ghana Health Service began today in 43 districts in three regions of the country – Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central. A total of 20 million Ghanaians are expected to be vaccinated against the virus by the end of the exercise.

PENTECOST NEWS

Pentecost University held a matriculation ceremony for its newly admitted students for the 2020/2021 academic year. The event, which came off on Friday 26th February 2021 on the University’s main campus in Sowutuom, Accra, was held in two sessions due to an increase in enrollment in the university this year; to meet COVID-19 protocols.

Delivering the keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua congratulated the fresh students on gaining admission to one of the best universities in the world. He said, “let me congratulate you on gaining admission to one of the most vibrant universities in the world.” The VC further challenged them to imbibe in the University A+ agenda to transform them into ethically sound, intellectually competent, and problem-solving graduates who will impact their communities meaningfully.

Speaking further, the VC hinted the University community at the matriculation that PU has received accreditation to start new programs in this academic year. He also said the University successfully implanted an e-library project and is set to start MPhil and Ph.D. programs soon. Amidst clapping from the students, Prof. Agyapong-Kodua continued and mentioned a few awards the University attained in recent years including the Best Private University Award by the Private University Students Association (PUSAG) in 2019.

The VC, therefore, called on the students to avoid distractions and focus on their studies. He said, “we matriculate you today to the privileges and responsibilities of Pentecost University and as such, you are required to commit to the fundamental academic discipline which includes regularly attending lectures, submitting course work and assignments on time among others.’ He added that “we do not award certificate in loitering, attending parties, building or breaking relationships whatsoever; what we offer for which you are here is the academic certificate, which you must strive to get.”

In all, 1015 students registered and were matriculated to professional, degree and masters programs of the University this year. This represents an increase of 118% on last year’s enrolment. The tremendous increase according to management is a result of internal recruitment strategies and The Church of Pentecost which supported the University through various scholarship and support schemes.

The matriculation oath was administered by the Registrar of the university Mr. Foster Kwabena Amoani. Some of the students who shared their views after the matriculation expressed satisfaction in the university so far. According to Ebenezer Appiah, a Banking and Finance Student and a past student of Pope John’s SHS said he is impressed with the decency he has seen on PU campus, contrary to views he heard about other universities. He also said the school has “so far soon immeasurable interest in developing them holistically to complement academic excellence.”

Source: Pentvars.edu.gh

The Obuasi Area of The Church of Pentecost, headed by Apostle Williams Boakye Agyarko, held this year’s Apostolisation at the zonal level from Wednesday, February 24 to Saturday, February 27, 2021.

Speaking at the Bidieso Zone on the topic: “The Power and Beauty of Christian Fellowship” (Psalm 133:1, Acts 2:42-46 and Hebrews 10:35) on the first day of the event, Apostle Agyarko noted that Christian fellowship is a relationship between God and His people. 

According to him, Christian fellowship is not just about the gathering of believers, but the genuine demonstration of unity with love among brethren in Christ. 

Quoting Psalm 133:1-3, he likened the unity of the church to a precious oil poured on the head of Aaron the priest and running down his beard to the tip of his robe or the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion.

In his sermon, Apostle Boakye Agyarko postulated that any Christian denomination that is built on unity and good Christian fellowship grows faster in numbers because there is always the feeling of comfort among members; such an institution lacks backbiting and is full of blessings. 

He advised the church leaders to make time to interact with members and not be too quick to leave the church auditorium after service.

Apostle Boakye Agyarko further explained that to develop Christian fellowship, one must “know God, love God, love their neighbours and support one another both materially and financially.”

He further noted that Christian fellowship impacts the church positively by allowing spiritual gifts to flow freely and actively, which also elicits the favour of the Lord and brings about fruitfulness.

The Obuasi Area Head also touched on some hindrances of Christian fellowship. He listed them as follows: sin, selfishness, unhealthy competition, jealousy and anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and hatred. 

Concluding his message, Apostle Boakye Agyarko stated that it takes only love to overcome such hindrances, citing 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

In all, 609 officers attended the event.  

Report by Elder Eben McKeown Asare