Posts in category: Top Stories

The newly built mission house for the Juapong District in the Agormanya Area of The Church of Pentecost has been dedicated by the Agormanya Area Head, Apostle James Gabriel Quardson. He was assisted by the Juapong District Minister, Pastor Joseph Anenyah Ntoso.

The event, which took place on Sunday, 20^th September, 2020, brought together ministers and their wives in the Area, and members in the district.

The new mission house was constructed at a cost of GH₵ 298,401.00 with funding from the headquarters of the church, Area Infrastructure Development Fund (AIDF), district offerings, and individual donations.

Reading from Matthew 11:28-29; Judges 4:18-21 and 1 Samuel 22:1-2, 23 Apostle Quardson preached on the topic, “The shelter that guarantees safety.”

According to him, people seek for rest whenever they become physically weary. “One of Jesus’ purposes on earth was to give rest to them that are weary and heavy laden. There is rest for the body and the soul. Jesus is able to fulfill both,” he said.

He indicated that rest comes in two forms – the rest that humans give to their fellow humans and that which is found in Christ Jesus. “Jesus is able to give rest to our souls and security to our bodies while we are on earth. He watches over His chosen ones,” he noted.

The Area Head exhorted Christians not to be anxious and overwhelmed by the unfortunate situations that sometimes face them in life.

He stated: “Let us unwaveringly seek the rest and security that Jesus offers for in it we find rest for our bodies and security for souls.”

Apostle James Gabriel Quardson commended the members for their sacrificial giving that has led to the completion of the project.

Also in attendance were Mrs. Felicia Quardson (wife of the Area Head), Pastor Enoch Odame (former Juapong District Pastor who is the current Resident Minister for Egyir Paintsil Memorial Worship Centre – Madina Area), among others.

Report by Agormanya Area Media Team.

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs. Jean Mensa, has reiterated her resolve to preside over a peaceful, transparent, and fair elections in Ghana, come December 7.

Speaking at the launch of the 2^nd edition of the ‘Agent of Peace’ campaign organised by The Church of Pentecost, the EC boss said that she made a covenant with God several years ago to be used by Him in a way He pleased.  

“Today I stand before the Almighty God to pledge and present myself as an Agent of Peace in our nation Ghana and the rest of the world.

“Romans 12:8 places the onus of ensuring and maintaining peace on us as individuals. It emphasises that if it is possible, as much as it depends on us, we should live peaceably with all men. I believe that if we are each able to do this, we will be counted as worthy agents of peace, and by extension, as ambassadors of Christ.

“As a representative of God, responsible for the conduct of free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections in Ghana, it is important that I and indeed the leadership of the Electoral Commission, signal peace in all our operations, activities and speech.

“As individuals at the helm of affairs, we have a duty to conduct ourselves in a manner that promotes peace and builds trust. We recognise that how we speak, what we say, and our posture will help promote peace or otherwise in our dear nation. It is vital that in all we do we build trust and confidence in our processes as this will go a long way to foster peace in our society.

“It is important that we remain transparent, responsive and accountable to our Stakeholders by providing them with timely and accurate, information on all our activities.

“It is important that we remain fair to all our stakeholders i.e. the Political Parties and that we conduct our activities without fear or favour.

“It is vital that we communicate with our stakeholders with decorum, devoid of inflammatory words, irritation or anger.

“We recognise that this year is a crucial year as we go to the polls on December 7. What we say and do will have a positive or negative bearing on the nation. We are, therefore, resolved that our activities and words should leave a lasting and positive impact on our dear nation,” she indicated.

Giving her personal commitment to holding a credible election, Mrs. Mensa disclosed that she has spent some time talking about what the Commission is doing as an institution. However, I also have a duty to God and Country to be an Agent of Peace, she said.

“As the head of the Commission, the signals I send out, be it to our staff or the public are important as it will have an impact on the election and the nation. This is not lost on me. As such my speeches and interaction with our key stakeholders must be decorous/courteous yet clear and firm and must also inspire confidence and trust in me as a person and in the Commission.

“As a Christian, I am a firm believer in the principles that Christ stands for – Justice, Peace and Truth. I am committed to ensuring that these principles are reflected in everything that both I and the Commission do.

“I must be fair to all and conduct my activities without fear or favour. I must maintain an open-door policy, welcoming all categories of persons irrespective of their social standing. I must have a listening ear and provide people with an avenue to air their views and opinions.

“Above all, I must work and undertake all my duties to ensure that it is the will of the people, which is the will of God, that stands. As an Agent of Peace, I should be truthful and not seek to alter the will of God. The Onus is on me to abide by this principle. God being my guide and helper I am confident that I will not let Him and the people of Ghana down; in Jesus name.”

She appealed to the general public to be peace ambassadors since every citizen, no matter the tribe, creed, age or gender, should see themselves as agents of peace, saying, “As citizens, we all have a duty to promote peace in our dear country and we can only achieve this if we ourselves are agents of peace. Very often, citizens tend to feel that the onus of maintaining peace is upon their leaders only.”

PENTECOST NEWS.

The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has made a clarion call to the people of Ghana to do whatever they can to pursue peace and consolidate it as the nation prepares for the general elections on December 7, this year.

Speaking at the launch of the Church’s ‘Agent of Peace’ campaign held at the Burma Camp in Accra on Sunday, September 27, 2020, under the theme: “Seek Peace and Pursue It” – Psalm 34:17b, Apostle Nyamekye appealed to all Ghanaians to be objective and constructive in their criticisms and not to be unduly blinded by their political colouration.

“Let us have the courage to correct our politicians when they go wrong and appreciate and encourage them when they do what is fitting and proper,” he said, adding, “As we launch this campaign today, we urge all stakeholders to pledge their unflinching commitment towards the peace of this nation.”

He seized the opportunity to call on the Government and other state institutions to pursue good governance so as to guarantee the peace of the country, and also do whatever is within their power to ensure a level playing field for all the political parties.

He also appealed to the security agencies to conduct themselves within the highest remit of their professional codes and remain neutral in dealing with all troublemakers.

With regards to the activities of the Electoral Commission (EC) in the run-up to the elections, Apostle Nyamekye commended the Commission on the smooth compilation of the new Biometric Voters Register. “It ought to be however noted that for an election to be viewed as free, fair and transparent, all the processes in the chain, from voter registration to the declaration of electoral results play very key roles. We, therefore, urge the Electoral Commission to undertake its activities and conduct itself in such a manner as will elicit the confidence of all its stakeholders,” he pointed out.

The Chairman further called on the Judiciary, led by the Chief Justice, to take all necessary steps to have all election-related court cases that may arise, fast-tracked. This, he said, will not only ensure that outcomes are known as quickly as possible but also shore up the confidence of the public in the judiciary in the settlement of electoral disputes.

He charged the political parties and their candidates to undertake their politicking in manners that do not seek to malign their opponents, saying, “The politics of insults, ethnocentric trivialities and unnecessary rivalry that exacerbate tensions, should be brought to an end in our political discourse and other forms of engagements.”

Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who did not leave the clergy and other religious bodies out, called on them to continue to educate their members and institute fasting and prayers for their members to cry out to God for the peace of the nation.

The event was attended by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa who was the special guest speaker; Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah; Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana and Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh; President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, heads of churches, and the Deputy Ameer, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Alhajj Ahmad Suleman Anderson.

Others were Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives, traditional authorities, representatives of the various security agencies, among others.

PENTECOST NEWS.

History was made over the weekends when The Church of Pentecost, a leading global Pentecostal church, launched its second edition of peace campaign dubbed ‘Agent of Peace’ at the Burma Camp in Accra.

The launch which was held under the theme, “Seek Peace and Pursue It” – Psalm 34:17b, kick-started numerous interventions by The Church of Pentecost in all its branches across the country, numbering about 17,000. This year’s edition was inspired by the Vision 2023 agenda of the Church, which has as its overarching theme, ‘Possessing the Nations: Transforming every Sphere of Society with Values and Principles of the Kingdom of God.’

The glamorous event which had the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs. Jean Mensa, as the special guest of honour, attracted the movers and shakers of the Christian community such as the Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana and Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, Most Rev. Philip Naameh; President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, heads of churches among others. The Deputy Ameer, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Alhajj Ahmad Suleman Anderson, was also present.

Also in attendance were the top echelons of the Police Administration, Ghana Armed Forces and other security agencies.

The political parties and their representatives were also present, including the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta; National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Members of Parliament, Municipal and District Chief Executives, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah, traditional authorities, among others.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, was hopeful that the launch would contribute significantly to a peaceful electioneering process.

According to him, God has been gracious to Ghana as the country has over the years enjoyed peace, especially during elections. “Ghana is celebrated across the world as an oasis of peace in the West African sub-region and even in the whole of Africa. As a nation, we have experienced seven peaceful general elections, with numerous by-elections in the Fourth Republic.

“These great accomplishments did not come by chance but by contributions from various stakeholders, key among who are represented here today,” he stressed.

He noted that for the nation to continue to enjoy peace within her walls, the citizenry must arise, seek and pursue peace.

“The Church of Pentecost believes that the Church as the body of Christ has been called to belong to God and sent back into the world to serve God’s purpose. It is from such understanding that we have over the years shown unalloyed commitment to efforts by various governments towards development and nation-building.

“As we move to the 2020 General Elections, we are confident that the Lord will once again grant Ghana His abiding peace. This will however not come by chance. We need to work at it. We need to seek and pursue it.

“Together, we can continue to make Ghana a beacon of stability and democracy in Africa. We have done it before, and we can do it again,” he stated.

The Chairperson of the EC, Mrs. Jean Mensa, pledged her absolute commitment to peace and supervising over fair, free and transparent elections. “Today I stand before the Almighty God to pledge and present myself as an Agent of Peace in our nation Ghana and the rest of the world.

“As a representative of God, responsible for the conduct of free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections in Ghana, it is important that I and indeed the leadership of the Electoral Commission, signal peace in all our operations, activities and speech. As individuals at the helm of affairs, we have a duty to conduct ourselves in a manner that promotes peace and builds trust.

“We recognise that how we speak, what we say, and our posture will help promote peace or otherwise in our dear nation. It is vital that in all we do we build trust and confidence in our processes as this will go a long way to foster peace in our society,” she stated.

It would be recalled that The Church of Pentecost in the 2016 general elections launched the maiden ‘Agents of Peace’ campaign to impress on its members to be peace ambassadors.

PENTECOST NEWS.

The immediate past Chancellor of Pentecost University, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah (Rtd), has urged university administrators in Africa to integrate the things their universities teach in their own operations.

Apostle Prof. Onyinah made the call when he delivered the keynote address at the Second Session of the 2020 Management and Staff Prayer and Fasting Retreat of the University. He spoke on the theme, “Building a Christian University to Reflect God’s Glory.”

According to Apostle Prof Onyinah, the educational system in Africa has taught us to celebrate theory with little room for practice. This, he said, is also a troubling reality in the administration of most universities.

“Very often, when we talk about integrating theory into practice, people easily cite engineers and other professions as teaching theories, but our universities where we teach business and customer service are also victims,” Apostle Prof. Onyinah said.

He added that in most cases, universities only pay attention to teaching but unable to provide quality service to their students as they should. “For example, universities allow administrative weakness to fester, thereby affecting simple deliverables such as a request for transcripts,” Apostle Prof Onyinah added.

He attributed these poor services to weak administrative structures, organisational conflicts, poor staff motivation, among others, saying, “As institutions that teach people how to handle such bottlenecks, universities should be most efficient in dealing with them.”

He, therefore, urged African universities to invest heavily in all avenues such as technology, staff welfare and methodologies that will help them practice what they teach.

The Management and Staff Retreat is part of the corporate culture of Pentecost University. It is organised every year to pray, strategise and usher in the new academic year.

This year’s edition began on Tuesday, 22^nd and ended on Wednesday, 23^rd September, 2020. It was held on the theme, “Reflecting God’s Glory in Our Work-Life.”

Report by Pentvas PR.

Madam Elizabeth Yamoah, 57, the oldest Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidate for 2020, is a member of The Church of Pentecost in the Kuntanase District of the Agona Swedru Area. She was among over 500,000 registered candidates who sat for the just-ended examinations.

She enrolled at the Agona Odoben Presbyterian Basic ‘A’ Junior High School three years ago at age 54 intending to study to be able to read the Bible. 

There were tears of joy when she finally completed her Junior High School education as she was celebrated by her mates and teachers after her last paper.

In an interview with the press, she said she became a laughing stock among her peers and the talk of the town when she made up her mind to attend school.

“When I made up my mind to go to school people in my community mocked me. Some even said that I should leave education for the young ones, but I was determined to learn how to read and write, and that helped me through my education.”

Madam Elizabeth Yamoah indicated that she wants to further her education at the Senior High School with the dream of becoming a nurse.  According to the mother-of-four, her resilience to attend school despite her age must motivate others to do the same. 

She has since received a cash prize of GH¢1, 000.00 from the Swedru Teachers’ Co-operation Credit Union (STCCU). Elizabeth Yamoah, who happens to be a member of the STCCU, has also been appointed as Ambassador for the Union’s Youth Savings Account.

She has also received GH¢ 2000.00 from the Despite Media to use it to further her education.

The Breman Kuntanase District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor James Ekow Amoah, was of the view that her achievement will inspire both the young and old to work hard to achieve their dreams no matter the obstacles they may encounter.

Report by Pastor Felix Dela Klutse.