Preparing the Bride

Preparing A Beautiful Bride For The Groom

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Visions are crucial to the survival of every forward-looking organisation. It directs the course of the organisation and ensures that all decisions, actions and policies are aligned towards achieving the overall objectives of the organisation.

The Church of Pentecost as a religious organisation has a Vision Statement. Our Vision Statement is “to become a global Pentecostal church that is culturally relevant in vibrant evangelism, church planting, discipleship and holistic ministry.”

How then would the church become a leading global church and still maintain its unique Pentecostal identity and at the same time raise members to affect their world positively with godly values?

This indeed calls for visionary leadership and committed followers. This is what has guided the church over the years. Every leader (Chairman) of the church comes out with strategic vision that seeks to drive the ultimate goal or agenda of the church – to propagate the Good News to all people groups on the face of the earth and to equip them with godly values and principles that would help them to live transformational lives to influence their societies positively.

Roy T. Bennett, a renowned American politician, once said: “Good leaders have vision and inspire others to help them turn vision into reality. Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Great leaders have vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.”

Sharing in the assertions of Bennett, we can attest to the fact that The Church of Pentecost has over the years produced good leaders who have come out with great visions. We know that the faithful God who has a covenant with the church will continue to nurture visionary and sacrificial leaders for the church at all levels in the years to come so that the church will continue to soar higher and higher and from grace to grace.

Upon assumption of office in 2018, the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in collaboration with the Executive Council came out with a 5-year strategic vision, dubbed ‘Vision 2023.’ The overarching theme of the vision is: “Possessing the Nations: Equipping the Church to transform every sphere of society with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.”

The leadership of the church will in the next five years come out with annual themes in consonance with the vision. It was in this direction that the first of the five prospective annual themes, “I Will Build My Church” was chosen in 2019. It sought among others to concentrate on equipping ministers, officers and members of the church to transform every sphere of society with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God and thereby turn many people to Christ.

The intention of leadership was to bring to fore the dual purpose of the Church; that is the church is called by God to Himself and sent back into the world as salt and light to serve God’s purpose and to transform it with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God. It is believed that having put all these measures in place to equip the members to be agents of Christ in their spheres of lives, we would have built a glorious Church.

To the glory of God, a second theme has been drawn out of the vision for next year, thus the year 2020. The 2020 theme of the church is: “A Glorious Church To Possess The Nations” – Ephesians 3:21; Ephesians 5:27. The slogan still remains, “Possessing the Nations, I am an Agent of Transformation.”

From all indications, the Holy Spirit is at the centre of the affairs of the church. One can see a direct linkage between the first and the second annual themes. Indeed, God is progressively preparing His church to become a glorious one poised to fulfilling His purpose on earth for humanity.

The 2020 theme attempts to raise a glorious body of Christians with the ultimate goal of becoming a beautiful bride prepared for the Bridegroom, which is Jesus Christ.

Launching the theme at the 2019 Heads’ Prayer Meeting held at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh from November 11 to 15, 2019, the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, intimated that God is always working in His church to prepare her as a glorious bride for Himself and to make her credible before the watching world, in order to make her witness to the nations easy and effective.

“To make the church’s witness credible and easy, we intend to focus on the goal of the church in the coming year. We will be looking into the church and focus a lot more on the goal of becoming the glorious bride of Christ, well adorned for the Bridegroom without spot or wrinkle or any of such things,” said the Chairman.

What seems to have necessitated this theme is the clarion call for Christians to take their rightful position in society as Salt of the Earth and Light of the World (Matthew 5:13-16). There is no better time to do this than now. We as Christians cannot salvage the fast-depraving world with our wrinkled bodies. We have soiled our garments with bribery and corruption, nepotism, backbiting, self-aggrandisement, selfishness, immorality, debauchery and what have you. 

It is absurd, however, to note that the Church rather appears to have failed society in correcting the wrongs. As a nation that boasts to have over 70% of its nationals professing to be Christians, Ghana should have been the shining star that shows the way to righteousness and a citadel of godly people. However, the contrary is what prevails in the country. Indeed, Churches do not build nations but righteousness does. As a result, the Church has lost its influence in the world and has been branded by the watching world as a “bunch of hypocrites who preach virtue but practice vice.”

That notwithstanding, the Church remains the only hope of the world and we cannot afford to fail God in rescuing the dying world for Christ.

We must, therefore, not be satisfied with just holding church meetings and assembling sizeable congregations, but rather be committed to practicing what we preach and upholding righteousness in all our dealings so that the Church would become spiritually potent and more attractive to the watching world.

In so doing, we would be realising the ultimate goal of becoming “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish,” a “holy and blameless” bride to be presented to Christ, the bridegroom (Romans. 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:1-2; Revelation 21:2 & 9, Revelation 19:6-9) on His glorious return.

Pentecost News/Editorial

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Church Of Pentecost Donates Face Shields To Ghana Police Service

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The Church of Pentecost, today (July 30, 2020), presented thousand (1000) pieces of face shields to the Ghana Police Service in fulfillment of the church’s social responsibility.

The items were presented to the service by the Administrative Secretary to the General Secretary, Pastor Frank Amoah-Owusu at a short ceremony at the Police National Headquarters in Accra.

As first responders interfacing regularly with the general public, the Church has decided to provide face shields to complement the face masks worn by the Police Officers in their line of duty.

Pastor Amoah-Owusu also used the occasion to urge the public to adhere to the rules and protocols necessary for containing the spread of COVID-19.

The Chief Staff Officer to the IGP, ACP Mr. Joseph Owusu-Ansah, who received the items, commended the Church for the great gesture. He said that the shields will be distributed among the Police MTTD officers currently deployed in the various towns and cities to ensure strict compliance of the face mask directive by the President.

Among the officials at the event was the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service, ASP Sheila Abyie-Buckman.

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Finance Minister Praises The Church Of Pentecost’s Humanitarian Gesture

Finance Minister Praises The Church Of Pentecost’s Humanitarian Gesture

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The Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, has lauded The Church of Pentecost for the timely release of the multi-purpose Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) to the Government of Ghana as an isolation centre to treat COVID-19 patients.

Delivering the 2020 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2020, Mr. Ofori-Atta stated: “Mr. Speaker, The Church of Pentecost, as a humanitarian gesture, and in keeping with recent social partnership arrangements, offered the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh as an isolation centre for infected persons.”

The Finance Minister also commended other faith-based organisations such as the Catholic Church for releasing their facilities for isolation centres. “Similarly, the Catholic Church released a host of its facilities located across the country to house and treat infected persons,” he said.

He added: “The 140-bed capacity Ghanaman Soccer Centre in Prampram, owned by the Ghana Football Association, also served as an isolation centre.”

According to the Finance Minister, the scale of the pandemic has deepened the strategic partnership between state and non-state actors, especially the private sector, saying, “The work of the traditional churches, Charismatic, Pentecostal Churches and our Islamic leaders continue to uphold our people.”

It will be recalled that the leadership of The Church of Pentecost, led by the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in March this year released the PCC to government to help contain the pandemic in Ghana.

Aside this gesture, the Church also contributed in cash and in kind, to health facilities, various government institutions, as well as the needy and vulnerable during and after the lockdown.

Speaking to the media, Apostle Nyamekye assured that the Church will continue to support the government to give the best of care to patients at the centre.

“Pentecost Convention Centre is a holy place and I know the patients will be healed when they are brought there,” he added.

Pentecost University Gets New Vice Chancellor

Pentecost University Gets New Vice Chancellor

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Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua has been appointed as the first Vice Chancellor of Accra-based Pentecost University (PU), which has received a Presidential Charter to run as a fully-fledged university.

Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, 40, a Pastor of The Church of Pentecost, proud owners of the University, replaces Apostle Dr Daniel Okyere Walker, the current Rector who has been transferred to head the Church in Tarkwa in the Western Region.

The UK-based academic is an associate professor of Digital Systems Engineering & Management at Warwick University in the UK. He had earlier taught and supervised student projects at Leicester College, South Leicestershire College, Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham, where he rose to become a Senior Research Fellow.  

Graduating from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2000, he worked as a Design Engineer with GRATIS Foundation and later moved on to join Nestle Ghana Limited as an Engineer, heading one of their departments responsible for ERP (MPCS, by then) systems, preventive maintenance, stock control and management.

He ventured into academia in 2005 and obtained his Masters in Advanced Manufacturing Systems Engineering and Management, and a PhD in Complex Systems Modelling from the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the Loughborough University in the UK. He is 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 Masters in Practical Theology obtained from Mattersey College, UK; Prince 2 qualification in Project Management and professional certificates in Teaching and Learning.

After his PhD, he was appointed by the University of Nottingham as a Research Fellow at the University’s Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering, where he led a number of large-scale European and EPSRC scientific and technological projects. He is noted for his unique contribution towards the development of novel techniques for systems integration and reconfigurability, an area he later at the University of Warwick, together with his colleagues, obtained three records of invention, whilst leading a team of academics.

Prof Agyapong-Kodua has since 2008 been teaching and leading collaborative international research projects in areas of large-scale systems re-engineering; artificial intelligence and complex systems prediction, improvement and optimisation; advanced manufacturing technologies and automation. His other works include consultancies in this domain for world-leading companies such as Shenling Co. Ltd, Guangzou, China; Artform International, UK; Jaguar Land Rover Ltd, UK; and Airbus-UK. Prof Agyapong-Kodua serves as a Board member of the Birmingham Christian College and Regents Theological College, both in the UK. He has pioneered institutional research and teaching collaborations with some leading Universities in his field. This includes 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 AMRC, University of Sheffield, UK.

He has also written seven books (three on Engineering Systems & management; three on the interface between science and theology; and one on tertiary education); contributed to three book chapters, and published over 40 papers in leading international journals and conference proceedings.

In Christian ministry, Prof. Agyapong-Kodua was a National Executive Member (2013-2015) of the Church of Pentecost-UK; Chairman of the National Literature Committee, UK; pastored within the London North and Milton Keynes Areas of the church and was the District Minister for SALEM PIWC, UK. He was also the National Youth Leader (2017-2019) in the UK. Prof. Agyapong-Kodua is married to Vida.

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44th General Council Meetings Held Virtually

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The historic 44th Session of the General Council Meetings of The Church of Pentecost, which was held virtually, came to an end on June 6, 2020 after five days of successful deliberations and elections.

The event, which was under the theme, “A Glorious Church To Possess The Nations” (Ephesians 3:21, Ephesians 5:27), took an unconventional turn as more than a thousand Councilors (ministers and lay leaders) from across the globe had to participate in the virtual meetings via Zoom.

Delivering his closing address, the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye reiterated that, the decision to hold the meetings electronically was necessitated by restrictions placed on public gatherings and the closure of national borders by various governments around the world in efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering that this was the first-ever attempt of the church to organise the Council meetings virtually, Apostle Nyamekye took the opportunity to celebrate the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord for helping the church to chalk another important milestone.

He was particularly buoyant about the successful election of new Executive Council Members which was also conducted electronically for the first time, saying “To the glory of God, the elections were held smoothly and in record time; thanks to the hardworking team of experts who worked round the clock to ensure such a sound process.”

The Chairman, on behalf of the Executive Council (EC), acknowledged the meritorious services of the outgone Executive Council Members, as well as, the reviewed Ministry Directors, while congratulating the newly elected EC Members and Directors on their appointments.

Apostle Nyamekye advised that, as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, Church leaders should continue to take advantage of technology to reach the millions of unreached people. He urged them to continue to encourage members to strengthen family devotional life and to take small groups and cell meetings seriously; as these are the interventions that have kept church functioning during this period.

The Chairman concluded his address by charging ministers to continue to pursue the church’s vision of possessing the nations despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We should not allow COVID-19 to blur our vision and distract us in our quest to possess the nations for the Lord. We need to build a glorious church which is truly united globally! We need to build a glorious church that patterns its life after Jesus, the Master! We need to build a glorious church that does the will of God so to continually keep His glory!” he said.

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President Akufo-Addo Commends The Church of Pentecost

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The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commended The Church of Pentecost for making available the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) as an isolation and treatment centre for COVID-19 patients.

In a speech delivered during the Virtual May Day (Workers’ Day) celebration on May 1st, 2020, the President said: “The nation is profoundly grateful to The Church of Pentecost for the generous, Christian gesture of making available its multipurpose Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh, as an isolation centre which can house over one thousand (1,000) persons and three hundred (300) medical staff.”

Following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on April 23rd, 2020, between the Church and the Government of Ghana, the multi-purpose convention facility was released to the Government to be used as an isolation and treatment centre for persons infected with the viral disease.

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

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PUC Receives Presidential Charter

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Pentecost University College (PUC) has received a Presidential Charter making it a full-fledged University that will award its own degrees, rather than through an affiliate University as required of all private universities without a charter.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presented the Charter Certificate to the University on May 28, 2020, at a brief presentation ceremony at the Jubilee House – the seat of Government.

In his address, President Akufo-Addo commended Pentecost University for the hard work they have done over the years to merit the status of an independent institution of higher learning. He indicated that Pentecost University has met the stringent requirements under Regulation 20, Clause 2, of the Tertiary Institutions Regulations, 2010, LI 1984.

He, however, admonished the institution not to rest on its oars, but to justify its new status as a Chartered University by maintaining the standards that have elevated it to a full-fledged tertiary institution.

The Rector of Pentecost University, Apostle Dr Daniel Okyere Walker, who received the charter certificate on behalf of the University, thanked the Lord for His faithfulness towards the university and The Church of Pentecost. He also thanked the President, the Minister of Education – Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the National Accreditation Board and all who made that feat possible.

He also acknowledged the Chancellor of the University and Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, under whose leadership the University has chalked such a momentous milestone.

The Rector also dedicated the success to all past Chairmen of the Church, past rectors, as well as past and present staff and students of the University whose contributions have helped to propel the University to such a commendable height. He assured the President that, Pentecost University would continue to pursue excellence, saying, “The vision of Pentecost University is to become the number one faith-based university in Africa that will develop transformational leaders for Ghana, Africa and the world at large.”

Among those present to witness the historic event were the immediate past Chairman of the church and first Rector of the University, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyiah (Rtd.), and Apostle Prof. Peter Ohene Kyei (Rtd.), immediate past Rector of the University.