Posts in category: Top Stories

Seventy-one (71) students have graduated from the newly-introduced Pentecost Literacy School of The Church of Pentecost following a successful pilot of the project in the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area.

The soon-to-be rolled out “Literacy Project” has been initiated by the church in pursuance of Vision 2023 to teach adults how to read and write in their various native languages and to aid them to read the Bible.

In partnership with the Literacy and Evangelism Ghana (LE-GH), the church began a pilot phase in the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area to test the feasibility of the project. Consequently, 43 volunteers (Twi – 22, English -13, Ewe – 4, and Ga – 4) were selected from the various districts in the Area and trained by the LE-GH to serve as teachers/facilitators for the programme.

Following the successful training of the facilitators, 544 students were enrolled on May 26, 2019, to officially commence the first pilot of the Pentecost Literacy School. The students were profiled by the LE-GH and categorised into Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginners levels. The learners were then placed at seven learning centres in the Area namely, Nichobeth, Agape, Oduman, Doblo, Nsakina, Amamorley, and Vicolis at Olebu.

Having undergone a five-month training, the 71 advanced learners, who had successfully passed their final examinations, graduated during a special ceremony held on December 20, 2020. The graduands were joined by 37 facilitators or teachers who also passed all the courses and met all the requirements for their training.

In his address, the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, who was the special guest of honour at the ceremony, was thankful to God, the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, and the Executive Council for the timely vision to help people who cannot read or write in their local dialects.

He also commended the Area Head, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, and his team as well as the Literacy and Evangelism Ghana for the hard work and dedication in making the vision possible.

He indicated that the project would be rolled out in the other areas of the church in the year 2021. He hinted that all the areas have been divided into 5 zones and dates have been scheduled for the training of trainers/teachers, adding that payments have been made for the production of primers for the project.

He said that the Pentecost Literacy School would not only benefit the uneducated constituents but even the educated who are unable to read in their mother tongues.

“It is interesting and surprising to note that, we even have some CoP ministers and officers who cannot read the Bible in any local language. I, therefore, want to challenge everyone to take this as a special project to get their entire household enrolled on this programme,” he said.

Other dignitaries at the graduation ceremony were Apostle Samuel Gakpetor (Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Head and Chairman of the National Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee – NDLDC), Apostle William Boakye Agyarko (Area Head of Obuasi and Member of the NDLDC), Apostle Vincent Anane Dente (PEMEM Director and Member of the NDLDC), Pastor Henry Sowah Ako-Nai (Secretary of the NDLDC) and Pastor Eric Ansah (Member of NDLDC). All the ministers and their wives of the Anyaa-Ablekuma Area were also present at the ceremony.

Report by Pastor Isaac Boadu Bonsu (Anyaa-Ablekuma Area Coordinator of NDLDC).

A family who fellowship with the Takoradi branch of the Pentecost International Worship Centre (PIWC), and have pleaded for anonymity, has single-handedly constructed a 14-seater modern public toilet with auxiliary facilities at a cost of GH¢ 73,000.00 for the Ellobankata community in the Western Region.

The facility was dedicated on Saturday, December 19, 2020, by the Takoradi Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Joseph Kwame Assabil, assisted by the Ellobankata District Minister of the church, Pastor Ransford Kwaku Baah.

Preaching the sermon at the ceremony based on 2 Chronicles 6:12-15, Apostle Assabil admonished the community people to dedicate their lives to God and serve Him all the days of their lives. He appealed to them to ensure proper maintenance of the facility.

In an interview with Pentecost News, the Resident Minister of PIWC-Takoradi, Pastor Daniel Okyei Boakye, indicated that the benevolent family built the toilet facility to curb open defecation and improve sanitation in the community.

The residents were grateful to the philanthropic family for the gift and promised the church that they will manage the facility well and keep it safe and clean at all times.

The Chief of Ellobankanta, Elder Nana Bediako III, who could not hide his joy, lauded the anonymous family for the initiative. He added that the facility would go a long way to help the community.

Nana Nketia II, who represented the Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove Traditional Area, praised The Church of Pentecost for the initiative and appealed to other churches and organisations in the area to emulate the gesture.

The Ellobankata community, as a sign of their appreciation for the gesture, presented citations to PIWC-Takoradi and the Ellobankanta District Minister and his wife, Pastor Ransford and Mrs. Vivian Baah, for their immense contributions towards the project.

Present at the ceremony were the pastorate in the Takoradi Area. Others were Elder Daniel Quaye (Takoradi Area Deacon), Deaconess Mrs. Dr. Gladys Quartey (Takoradi Area Women’s Leader and National Women’s Ministry Executive Committee Member), and Elder William Takyi (Presiding Elder of PIWC–Takoradi).

Ther rest were Mrs. Faustina Koranteng (NCCE Director for the area), Honourable Prince Kobina Abakrow (Assembly Member for Ellobankata Electoral Area), the community leaders, the media, among others.

Report by Pastor Ernest Perbi-Asare, Assakae District.

The Chief Imam of Offinso in the Ashanti Region, Alhaji Shaibu Saeed Halipha Sulemana, has paid a courtesy call on the Offinso Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Samuel Edzii Davidson.

This follows an earlier visit Pastor Edzii Davidson paid on the Municipal Chief Imam at his residence a few days ago. Alhaji Sulemana and a section of his elders were at the Area Mission House on Sunday, December 20, 2020, to reciprocate the brotherly love extended to him by Pastor Edzii Davidson.

Among the issues discussed was next year’s Environmental Care Campaign which is scheduled for March 2021.

Pastor Edzii Davidson and his wife presented a gift to the Chief Imam and his team as a symbol of love and unity between the two leaders and their followers.

Report by Overseer Anthony Apedido (Offinso Area Reporter).

The Berekum Area of The Church of Pentecost has donated a Nissan pickup vehicle to the Berekum Area Youth Ministry.

The Berekum Area Head, Apostle Samuel Berko, presented the vehicle to the ministry on Sunday, December 19, 2020.

Receiving the keys to the vehicle, Pastor Daniel Fosu (Area Youth Pastor who doubles as the Resident Minister for PIWC-Berekum) was full of praise to God and the leadership of the church for the kind gesture. 

Apostle Berko on behalf of the Berekum Area Executive Committee admonished the leadership of the Area Youth Ministry to ensure regular maintenance of the vehicle.

Present at the ceremony were the wife of the Area Head, Mrs. Joyce Berko; the Area Youth Secretary, Elder Peter Attah; Elder Emmanuel Appiah, and Mrs. Grace Fosu.

Report by Pastor Daniel Fosu.

The Bunbon District of The Church of Pentecost in the Yendi Area organised a get-together for widows in the district.

The event which occurred on Friday, December 11, 2020, was an initiative of the wife of the district minister, Mrs. Patience Yaa Safo.

In his exhortation, the District Minister, Overseer James Mckeown Safo, cited Luke 3:9-14 and Matthew 25:41-45 and said that the church is a fruit-bearing church and thus every action taken by the church is inspired by the word of God.

Mrs. Patience Yaa Safo, on her part, encouraged the widows not to relent in their attendance to church and fellowship.

The widows were full of praise to God and the church as well as the district minister for the initiative. With the support of two other members, the minister and wife provided food, drinks, and clothes for all 37 widows present.

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

The Wa Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Daniel Nii Tetteh Tackie, has asserted that no hindrance can prevail against a glorious church.

He said this in a sermon titled, “No Hindrance,” during an ordination service that took place on Friday, December 11, 2020, where a total of 170 officers, comprising 36 Elders, 75 Deacons, and 59 Deaconesses were ordained.

The ordination service was part of a two-day Area End-of-Year Prayer Retreat held under the theme, “May His Eye Watch Over the Glorious Church.”

Reading from Ezra 5:5, Apostle Tackie explained that God moved the heart of Cyrus, a heathen king of Persia, in his first year to put into writing the urge to reconstruct the temple in Jerusalem and to see to the provision of the needed resources.

However, he said, during the days of kings Xerxes and Artaxerxes, stern oppositions arose against the reconstruction of the temple. According to him, when Darius became king of Persia, another opposition was staged by governor Tattenai and his associates who petitioned King Darius to stop the reconstruction of the temple. He stated that because of the edict of King Cyrus during his first year, the hindrances could not materialize.

Apostle Tackie established that the distractions did not prevail because the “eye of their God was on the Elders of the Jews, so they did not stop them” – Ezra 5:5. He intimated that the eye of God is upon His glorious Church to possess the nations and that no distraction or whatsoever can stand against the Church.

Citing the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, Apostle Nii Tackie added that not even the Red Sea could hinder God’s plan for the Israelites. He was emphatic that neither the COVID-19 pandemic, persecution nor hardship can distract the Church, because the eye of God is upon the Church.

He reiterated that the only distractions that can prevail against the church are when the members are divisionary, proud, and engage in ungodly acts.

He called on ministers, officers, and members of the Church to eschew all manner of sin including sexual immorality, financial unfaithfulness, pride, among others. Rather, they must be fervent in prayer, Bible study, fellowship, evangelism, among others.

Apostle Daniel Nii Tetteh Tackie also reminded the newly ordained officers that they have been called to service and not merely in name.

Report by Pastor Gordon Ansah.