Yendi Area MPWD Stakeholders Sensitization Workshop Yields 7 Souls2

Yendi Area MPWD Stakeholders Sensitization Workshop Yields 7 Souls

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The Yendi Area of The Church of Pentecost has held a day’s stakeholders sensitization workshop for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) under the theme, “Raising Awareness On Barriers To Inclusion For Persons With Disabilities.”

The event, which took place at the Saboba Central assembly on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, brought together the District Coordinating Director of the Saboba District Assembly, the officer-in-charge of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Leadership of the Disability Associations, members of the Church and the general public. A total of 130 participants attended the programme.

In his exhortation, the Area Head, Pastor Emmanuel Kojo Aidoo, admonished the participants to emulate the love of God shown to them by Christ (John 3:16). He stressed from Matthew 14:13-18 that Jesus Christ also demonstrated his love for humanity by willingly dying on the cross for us. Not only that, he said, Jesus also provided for the vulnerable and weary who had followed him by feeding them with bread and fish.

Pastor Aidoo encouraged the participants to show their love to the less privileged by meeting their physical needs as well. During the altar call, seven (7) participants gave their lives to Christ.

The Yendi Area MPWD Coordinator, Overseer Martin Ossom Boafo, took participants through “Barriers impeding access to the inclusion of PWDs in the society.”

The District officer-in-charge for the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development also treated the topic, “Government Interventions available for PWDs and how to access them.”

The Saboba District District Coordinating Director, Mr. Yakubu Jimah, praised the church for the initiative taken to bring together stakeholders to highlight issues facing PWDs. He used the opportunity to enumerate some government interventions available for PWDs.

Report by Overseer Martin Ossom Boafo (Yendi Area Reporter).

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Foso Station Central Auditorium Refurbished

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The Foso Station District in the Assin Foso Area of The Church of Pentecost has refurbished and rededicated its Central Assembly auditorium.  

The magnificent edifice, which was refurbished at the total cost of GH₵598,109.22, is made up of a large auditorium (700-seater), offices, state-of-the-art equipment, and washrooms.

The ceremony, which took place on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, was officiated by the outgoing Area Head, Apostle Sylvester Arhin, who also doubles as an Executive Council Member of the church. He was assisted by the Sawla Area Head, Apostle William Ohemeng Kwakye (a former District Pastor of Foso Town District), and the Assin Foso Station District Minister, Pastor Kwasi Bukari.

Speaking on the topic, “The Inner Beauty of a Glorious Church,” based on 1 Peter 3:3-5, Apostle William Ohemeng Kwakye posited that Christianity is more than merely going to church. “It has more to do with representing and presenting Christ to all nations,” he said.

He called upon the congregation to spend quality time to develop their relationship with God just as the Church has spent a lot of resources and time to beautify the physical building.

He stated: “The character of believers should be beautiful and Christ-like. The church building is beautiful, therefore, its occupants must also have beautiful characters so that the church will become glorious and possess the nations for Christ.”

He explained that “there is the need for everyone to develop their inner beauty so that they can dwell in peace with others because the inner beauty acts as a moral compass that helps to differentiate between right and wrong.”

Apostle Ohemeng Kwakye ended the sermon by encouraging the church to read and study the Bible daily, pray, and fast, and live holy lives in order to develop a beautiful inner man.

In a brief history about the project, Elder Isaac Addai said “the project, which was first dedicated in 2013, needed to undergo major structural engineering to get it into the current state.”

The cost of the building was largely borne through funding from the Headquarters, Area and District Grants, Local Funds, and individual donations.

Report by Pastor Samuel Avornyo.

Bawku Area Ends 4-Day Retreat2

Bawku Area Ends 4-Day Retreat

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The Bawku Area of The Church of Pentecost has held a four-day prayer and orientation retreat for all ministers and their wives in the Area.

The 2020 edition of the annual retreat was held from Tuesday, November 24, to Friday, November 27, 2020.

The programme saw word ministrations from the Bolgatanga Area Head, Apostle Wilberforce Kwame Nkrumah Agyeman, the Walewale Area Head, Apostle Francis Yaw Adu, and the Bawku Area Head, Pastor Eric Kwabena Gyambibi Boateng. There were presentations by the Binaba Divisional Chief and a Nutritionist from the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital. 

Topics treated were “Being a Blessing in a Glorious Church,” “Don’t do what they do,” “Revival in the Desert,” “Loyalty,” “the Head of Goliath,” “Building Indigenous Churches,” “Ministering in Muslim Communities,” and “Becoming Effective Ministers within the Kusaal Culture,” among others. The November 2020 Circular also received full attention.

In his closing remarks, the Bawku Area Head, Pastor Gyambibi Boateng, charged the ministers and their wives to be a blessing in their various districts in pursuance of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda of the Church. “All ministers must become loyal agents of transformation to bring about revival in their districts and communities,” he stressed. 

The Bawku Area currently has 17 districts with 18 ministers.

Report by Bawku Area Media Team.

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Chairman Unveils Theme For 2021

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The theme of The Church of Pentecost for the year 2021 is “A Glorious Church Revived to Possess the Nations” (Ephesians 3:12, 5:27), the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has revealed.

The theme was unveiled during the opening session of the ongoing Global Heads’ Meeting held virtually on Monday, November 30, 2020.

The 2021 theme bears semblance to that of the 2020 theme; the only difference is the introduction of the word “revived.”

Explaining the rationale behind the 2021 theme, the Chairman said that the Executive Council after prayerful consideration chose to repeat the 2020 theme because of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic which made it impossible for the church to effectively treat the theme.

“Since these annual themes are guiding steps towards the overarching theme, introducing a new theme, we believe, will distract the intended process towards the realisation of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda. In view of this, the Executive Council after a prayerful consideration has decided to repeat the 2020 annual theme for 2021.

“However, as we gradually recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and its related impact, we also see that the church globally will need a reawakening. We sense a sound of abundance of rain. For if we have experienced a pandemic in our lifetime, we should also experience a revival in our lifetime. Just as many have succumbed to the deadly virus, many should also be led into the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

“So, although we are repeating the 2020 theme, we are introducing one word into the theme – ‘revived.’ Thus, the theme for 2021 is, ‘A Glorious Church Revived to Possess the Nations,’” he said.

According to Apostle Nyamekye, topics to be treated this year would remain the same, but they would be treated with the intention to spark up a revival in the church.

This year’s Global Heads’ Meeting is taking place at the regional levels and blocs across the world. However, the evening sessions would be organised virtually via Zoom.

Taking part in the event are Area Heads, National Heads, Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Ministry Directors, Ministers on Secondment, and retired ministers, among others.

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Christian Bodies Hold Thanksgiving Service To Climax National Prayer Exercise

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A thanksgiving service was held yesterday [Sunday, November 29, 2020] to climax the weeklong national fasting and prayer exercise for the upcoming elections organised by the Christian Ecumenical Council in Ghana.

The event, which was held at the Perez Dome in Accra, was attended by the various Heads of Churches including the Most Rev. Dr. Paul K. Boafo (Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana), Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso (President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council), Archbishop William Duncan Williams (President of the National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches) and the host minister, Most Rev. Dr. Charles Agyin-Asare.

The Church of Pentecost was also well represented at the event by the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw-Kumi Larbi, the Anyaa Ablekuma Area Head, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, and other ministers of the church.

Other notable attendees were Rev. Dr. Cyril Fayose (General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana), Bishop Gideon Titi-Ofei (General Secretary of the National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches.), Apostle Dr. Aaron Ami-Narh (President of the Apostolic Church, Ghana), and Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee (Founder and Executive Director of Salt & Light Ministries), among several others.

Addressing participants at the event, Most Rev. Dr. Boafo, the Chairperson of the Christian Ecumenical Council of Ghana, which comprises the Christian Council of Ghana (CGC), Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Ghana Catholics Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Ghana Charismatic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches (NACCC) and all other churches and Christian organisations in Ghana, said the event marked a historic period in the history of Ghana and Christian bodies in the country. This, according to him, is because for the first time all Christian bodies have come together to commit to peace and organise a national prayer and fasting exercise towards a successful general election.

He said that the exercise was necessary because scripture enjoins Christians to always pray for the prosperity of the nation.

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana also noted that the unity of the Body of Christ is a clear demonstration to the Ghanaian citizenry that despite their obvious differences, they could still live in peace come December 7 and beyond.

“As a people, although we come from different denominations and political backgrounds, there is one common denominator, and that is, we are all created in the image and likeness of God. For this reason, the values of human dignity, such as care, kindness and love, should be our guiding principles in our relationship with each other,” he said.

He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to desist from any form of violence before, during and after this year’s elections and rather commit to protecting and deepening the democratic base of the nation.

Exhorting the audience on the topic; “Shalom,” with 1 Corinthians 14:33, Jeremiah 29:7, 1 Timothy 2:1-3, Deuteronomy 33:27-28 and Philippians 4:6, as Scripture references, Archbishop Duncan Williams explained that God is not the author of chaos, rather it is the devil who employs it to destabilise the world. Hence, in order to obtain peace, Christians must deal with the root cause, who is the devil.

He further noted that for many years the United Nations and other organisations have failed in their quest to establish world peace because of their approach to broker peace through negotiation and not by the Prince of Peace, who is Jesus.

He asserted that “Peace is not obtained through negotiation. Peace is not a commodity. He is a personality; Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and for this reason, there shall never be peace until Jesus is brought to the table.”

He added that “peace is important because it brings tranquillity; tranquillity brings stability; stability promotes creativity; creativity leads to productivity and productivity leads to prosperity. So, until the nations of Africa obtain peace on the continent, there will be no prosperity.”

Archbishop Duncan Williams, therefore, urged Christians to rise in prayer and confront the evil forces that promote chaos in the nations. He also urged Christians to pray that the counsel of the Lord will determine the outcome of this year’s elections.

As part of the event, prayers were offered for the key stakeholders of the electoral process (Election Commission, presidential and parliamentary candidates) as well as the various arms of government, security agencies and the media.

Representatives of the various political parties were also invited to pledge their commitment to peaceful elections.

Mr. Laud Bondzie of the Soul Winners music group, Pastor Joe Beechem, Daughters of Glorious Jesus, and Rev. Bruce Ghartey (Uncle Ato) also ministered to the participants in songs.

The Christian Ecumenical Council declared a weeklong non-denominational fasting and prayer exercise [from Wednesday, November 25 to Sunday, November 29, 2020] for national peace before, during, and after the general election to be observed in churches across the country under the theme: “Seek Peace and Pursue It” (1Peter 3:11).

Thanksgiving services were also held at the regional levels at the various Jubilee grounds across the country.

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Adukrom Central Assembly New Auditorium Begins

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A sod-cutting ceremony to commence the construction of a new church building for the Adukrom Central Assembly has been performed by the Koforidua Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Osei Asante.

The event took place on November 26, 2020, at the project site. The Area Head was assisted by the District Minister, Pastor Francis Broni.

The one-storey church building, with a seating capacity of more than 1,200 people, is expected to be constructed within 12 months. It would contain three children’s apartments, a conference room, a baptism apartment, a lactation apartment for nursing mothers, an audio-visual apartment, a sound control room, washrooms, and offices.

Present at the ceremony were Pastor Kwasi Amo Afropong (Area Estate Committee Chairman), Elder Samuel Opoku Asare (Area Deacon), Elder Paa Kwasi Frimpong (the contractor), and his team.  

The District Executive Committee Members, some officers as well as members were also present.

Report by Isaac Agyei, Adukrom.

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Seek Peace And Pursue It!

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The world today is not like the one that God created in Genesis 1:31. Adam’s disobedience toward God brought about damning changes that affected not only each one of us but also creation itself.

From a garden of tranquillity where humans and animals coexisted in harmony, we were transitioned into a new world where we prey on each other. Furthermore, there is an increase in earthquakes and other natural disasters that continuously threaten life and property. But worst of it all is the animosity fueled by the differences in the cultures among the people of the world, which traces back to the story of the Tower of Babel in the Bible (Genesis 11:1-9).

This incredible story involves the people of Babel attempting to build a tower that would reach to heaven in direct contradiction to the command of God for them to multiply and fill the whole earth. To forestall this rebellion, God brought into existence multiple languages, thus, dividing humans into various linguistic groups that were unable to understand one another.

This is one of the saddest and yet most significant stories in the Bible. It is sad because it reveals the widespread rebellion in the human heart which resulted from the introduction of sin into our world. On the other hand, it also brought about the reshaping and development of all the cultures that highlights the differences among all the people of the world. Peace is, therefore, essential because it is the only means by which such different groups of people can coexist or cohabit in this world.

The question then becomes, how do you obtain peace in a world that is more opposed to good than evil, more divided than united, and more imperfect than perfect? It would, therefore, require a conscious effort of its inhabitants to pursue what is in the best interest of all. After all, we cannot do much about our differences, but we can make an effort to live in peace with each other when we value and appreciate our diversity.

In this regard, Ghana, a country that boasts more than seventy different ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, has been a shining example since its independence in 1957. Aside from the many blessings of natural resources and vast arable lands, Ghana is generally blessed with peace-loving people. For many years now, we have rallied around our Ghana flag and remained a united nation earning us the enviable accolade as the beacon of democracy on the African continent.

However, this has not come on a silver platter, rather, by a conscious effort by all and sundry to commit to maintaining peace, especially during the past seven presidential and parliamentary elections, which we have successfully organised in a peaceful, fair, and free manner with very minor security concerns.

As we head to the December 7 polls, we must not rest on our oars, but continue to remind ourselves of the need to maintain the peace in the country and consolidate the gains made so far in our young democracy.

As a very religious country, with Christians forming the majority of her population, the leadership of the various religious bodies ought to preach peace to their followers and insist on it. This, among other reasons, led The Church of Pentecost to introduce the “Agent of Peace” campaign in 2016 to drum home the need for the citizenry to be agents of peace before, during, and after the elections. This year, the second edition of the campaign was launched at the Burma Camp Worship Centre to raise more awareness on the need for peaceful general elections in order to maintain the tranquillity and stability of the country.

In her address, the referee for the electoral process, Mrs. Jean Mensa (Electoral Commissioner), who was the Special Guest of Honour for the event, assured the citizenry of her commitment to presiding over a free and fair election and also called on the Christian community to continue bearing her up in prayer for the enormous task ahead.

The “Agent of Peace” campaign is under the theme: “Seek Peace and Pursue It” (Psalm 34:17) and has since been replicated at the various areas and districts of the church.

The Christian population must therefore not relent but continue to pray into the general elections; consistently calling on our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, to look favourably towards our nation during this sensitive period.

The electorates, especially the youth, are also advised to pursue peace and not to allow ourselves to be used to disturb the peace of the nation. We are all entitled to one vote and so let’s be content with it.

We must not forget that, in the end, it is only one candidate among the lot who would emerge victorious. This means that the likelihood that many would be disappointed after the results is a reality, however, it is important to stress that, it is not so much about having our preferred political party or candidate in power, but accepting the choice and will of God for our country.

In a nutshell, a peaceful general election requires all stakeholders – religious bodies, security agencies, political parties, the Electoral Commission, and the citizenry – contributing their quota towards the electoral process.

So, let us seek peace and pursue it, because a victory for Ghana, is a victory for all.

CoP Member Among 20 Female Scientists Selected To Benefit From LOreal UNESCO Programme 2

CoP Member Among 20 Female Scientists Selected To Benefit From L’Oreal, UNESCO Programme

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A Ghanaian scientist and member of The Church of Pentecost has been selected for the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme. The jury selected 20 young female scientists, including Esther Eyram Asare Yeboah among about 330 applicants.

Mrs. Esther Eyram Asare Yeboah, a pharmacist, is the wife of the Presiding Elder of the Tesano branch of the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC – Tesano).

The young women researchers will receive financial support, through grants of €10,000 for PhD students and €15,000 for post-doctorates, to pursue and consolidate their research work.

The 11th Sub-Saharan Africa Young Talent Awards L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science selected Mrs. Yeboah, who is currently studying for her PhD, Biological Sciences, Antimicrobial Research Unit at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban in South Africa, where she is focusing her research on a category of bacteria (multi-drug resistant Gram-negative pathogens), which she is studying in patients in a teaching hospital in Ghana.

Her objective is to identify resistance genes to these bacteria in order to gain a better understanding of their functioning. She is also a lecturer at a school of pharmacy, where she promotes scientific subjects among her students, especially young girls, a press release announcing her selection said.

Credit: Ghana Business News

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Lambussie District Inaugurated

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The newly created Lambussie District in the Tumu Area of The Church of Pentecost has been inaugurated. The ceremony also coincided with the welcome service for the district minister, Probationary Overseer Elijah Kwadwo Koi, and his family.

The new district was created out of the Nandom District in the Wa Area. It has since been transferred to the Tumu Area following a re-demarcation exercise approved by the Executive Council of the Church.

The inauguration service, which took place on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, was officiated by the Tumu Area Head, Apostle Daniel Kweku Dekpor, assisted by the Wa Area Head, Apostle Dan Nii Tetteh Tackie.

Delivering the sermon on the topic, “Clear the Hurdles that Hinder the Spread of the Gospel,” based on John 13:34-35, Apostle Dan Nii Tetteh Tackie admonished Christians to do their very best to clear all hurdles that hinder the spread of the Gospel as in their quest to possess the nations for Christ.

He said that the hurdles are many and varied. He cited personal interests, partisan politics, tribalism, business and money, and worldliness.

Apostle Tackie said that the only way that could keep believers through is to love one another to prove that they are the disciples of Jesus Christ.

He further explained that the body of Christ must reflect and project God’s love, for unbelievers to acknowledge such wonderful love and submit their lives to Christ’s Lordship.

In attendance were some ministers and their wives from the Wa and Tumu Areas of the Church.

Report by Pastor Gordon Ansah.

Aramkoliga District Inaugurated Mission House Dedicated2

Aramkoliga District Inaugurated, Mission House Dedicated

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The Bawku Area of The Church of Pentecost has held a mammoth service to inaugurate the newly created Aramkoliga District. The ceremony was also used to dedicate the newly constructed district mission house and to welcome the first District Minister, Probationary Overseer Evans Akonsah, and his family.

The Aramkoliga District was created out of three districts; Zebilla, Teshie, and Gbantongo.

The colourful ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, was officiated by the Bawku Area Head, Pastor Eric Kwabena Gyambibi Boateng.

In a short exhortation on the topic, “Fight the Good Fight,” based on 2 Timothy 4:7, Pastor Eric Boateng urged the members to focus on the Christian journey that is set before them. “We must follow in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus who has set a good example for us. We must turn our backs to the cares and worries of this world and seek the advancement of the Kingdom of God,” he said.

He added: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. Therefore, let us be mindful of this, always praying and building ourselves strongly on our most holy faith, putting on the invincible armor of God, so that we may be able to fight the good fight and stand against all the schemes of the devil.”

The ceremony was attended by the wife of the Area Head, Mrs. Vivian Talata Adoma Boateng, the Area pastorate, as well as officers and members in the six districts that form the Zebilla Zone of the Area.

Report by Bawku Area Media Ministry.