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The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Dr Emmanuel Anim, has advised missionaries to always carry along the Gospel message, which is the main task of a Christian.

According to him, missionaries are not self-appointed but sent with a divine message.

‘You have been called and sent, but you are not going on your own accord but with a message. Your goal is to communicate effectively the message you have been sent with,” he stated.

Apostle Dr Anim revealed this when speaking on the topic, ‘Biblical Perspective on Mission’ during the second day of the 2024 Mission Orientation currently underway at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor noted that the entire Bible is the foundation for the mandate of mission, saying, ‘Through Christ and the people of God, who are Abraham’s spiritual children, we have a responsibility to all mankind to be stewards of God’s creation.’

Citing Genesis 12:1-3, he urged Christians to recognise their calling, much like Abraham did.

He also referred to Jonah as a reluctant missionary whose story reflects human limitations and desires in seeking to accomplish God’s mission.

‘Often God does not think like us. Jonah wanted his enemies to be punished because of historical experiences. He saw Yahweh as the God of Israel and not God of their enemies,’ he noted.

Drawing from Matthew 28:19, he cited the imperative of the Great Commission, stressing that Christians are sent out to change systems with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.

Missionaries, according to Apostle Dr Anim, must lead people to recognise the Lordship of Christ.

He referenced Acts 10:15-16 where Apostle Peter struggled but eventually accepted and obeyed God’s directive to welcome Gentiles into his home.

‘The missionary challenge you will have to deal with is gospel and culture. Culture is dynamic, but you must understand where people are at a particular time. At the heart of every culture is a worldview, which shapes our future,’ Apostle Dr Anim explained.

He likened culture to an iceberg, with observable aspects and hidden depths that can only be suspected or imagined.

‘The principle of love must be in operation; do not exploit the people. Mission is about the transformation of people and cultures in the light of God’s word,’ he concluded.

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The Head of Ministerial Formation and Training at the Pentecost School of Theology and Mission (PSTM), Pentecost University, Apostle Dr Christian Tsekpoe, has stressed the critical importance of intergenerational missions in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Presenting a paper on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, during the 2024 Missions Orientation for newly called missionaries of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Tsekpoe drew some lessons from Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8 and explained that Jesus’ vision for the gospel was not to be confined to Jerusalem, but to spread to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth – encompassing all generations to come.

He lamented that while the church in Africa is experiencing vibrant growth, the church in the West has lost much of its former vibrancy. He warned that this shift is a deviation from God’s original mandate, which is for the gospel to be spread and not for it to move from one point to another.

He indicated that there is a need to consider all persons, both old and young in the missions work. This, he explained, is because they both play roles that are significant from each other.

He emphasised the critical role of the Holy Spirit in maintaining the gains of the church and called for a deliberate, intentional approach to intergenerational missions.

The Resident Minister for A-Lang Worship Centre challenged the church to not cling to outdated practices, but to adapt to the needs of the younger generation. He urged the church to encourage intergenerational services, where children and youth are given meaningful roles and opportunities to participate fully alongside the adults like ushering, protocol, choirs, leading worship, and even preaching.

For that to be possible, he suggested that intentionality and consistency is required. He cautioned against separating the young from the adults, as this can make them feel unimportant.

Apsotle Dr Tsekpoe also emphasised the need to listen to the language and perspectives of the current generation rather than simply passing down the practices of the past to them. He called for a deliberate, mission-focused approach that provides opportunities for all generations to interact and collaborate.

The Pentecost University Lecturer made a clarion call for the church to embrace the vision of intergenerational missions, ensuring that the gospel continues to spread to the ends of the earth and to all generations to come.

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The Director of the Pent Media Centre of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Dr Felix Dela Klutse, has revealed that social media is very critical in enhancing missions work as it can provide maximum results.

Making a presentation on ‘The Use of Technology and Social Media for Greater Results in Missions Work,’ at the 2024 Missions Orientation for newly called missionaries of The Church of Pentecost and ministerial students at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Pastor Dr Klutse highlighted the need for Christians, including missionaries to learn how to use social media to facilitate the proclamation of the gospel.

‘Not learning how to use social media is like a missionary going into a new country and not learning their language,’ he cautioned.

The Media Director indicated that the devil is using the social media to execute his agenda. Therefore, there is the need for Christians to make deliberate efforts to use social media to also promote the agenda of Christ.

According to Pastor Dr Klutse, Facebook is an agenda-setting tool, and it is imperative for missionaries to pay critical attention to it and make use of it to set evangelism agenda.  

He explained that Jesus’ call in to his disciples and believers in Mark 16: 15 to ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation,’ includes the world of social media and the people in it. He, therefore, called on the church to raise social media missionaries for the execution of that mandate.

Sensitising the participants on social media missions, the media strategist advised them to identify the need of people, offer solutions to them to attract them and spread the gospel through that.

He also advised them to make their messages portable using short videos because the current generation want things ‘now, fast and on the go.’

He entreated them to focus on building relationships so that people will engage the contents they put on social media, ask questions, just like Jesus asked questions when he was on earth to initiate conversation, respond to questions and reply to comments on their social media posts consistently.

Pastor Dr Felix Dela Klutse admonished the participants to invest in media gadgets and social media ads to promote the gospel and wins more souls on the social media space for Christ.

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The Kwadaso Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Yaw Adjei-Kwarteng, has advised Christian missionaries to have a heart of absolute service to God.

According to him, this should be the heart of every missionary – somebody who is sold out completely to God. 

He made this known on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, during the opening session of the 2024 Missions Orientation currently underway at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh.

Apostle Adjei-Kwarteng, an Executive Council Member of the church, stressed on the essence of a missionary’s heart, contrasting between the physical and spiritual importance of the heart.

‘The heart is the blood-pumping machine, one of the vital organs of the body,’ he said, referencing Ephesians 3:17 to highlight the heart as the seat of God and the human spirit.

He urged Christians to guard it diligently as it is the engine of both spiritual and social life.

He described the heart of a missionary as the core makeup, inclinations, drives, priorities, and passions that define them, saying, ‘The composition of your heart should be the totality of your person.’

He referenced Acts 21:10-14 and Deuteronomy 6:4-5 to illustrate how Apostle Paul was forewarned about the dangers in his missionary trip to Jerusalem, yet his unwavering commitment to God remained.

‘Paul was a man sold out for God; that is how every Christian worker and minister of the Gospel should be. Love God, have passion for souls, love the church above everything and even above your life,’ he stressed.

He quoted the words of David Livingstone, a pioneer Christian missionary, ‘I am determined never to stop until I have come to the end and achieved my purpose. I am prepared to go anywhere provided it goes forward and promote the gospel. If you have men who will only come if they know that there is a good road then I don’t want them, I want men who will come even if there is no road at all.’

According to him, a missionary should be the foremost witness of Christ, as highlighted in Acts 1:8, and must be ready to defend or die for Christ and the Gospel, as seen in Romans 8:35.

‘Without a genuine love for God, service to Him becomes a task,’ Apostle Kwarteng noted, referencing John 21:15-19, adding that love is the lubricant that oils the heart and makes any operation for God easy.

He explained that zeal, encompassing fervent passion and earnestness, is crucial for success on the mission field.

A missionary, according to him, must know God personally and understand the people he works with. He must possess a sacrificial heart, placing God’s interests above all else, including family.

PENTECOST NEWS.