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The Cape Coast District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Samuel Kofi Aidoo, has charged church leaders to be zealous in accomplishing Christ’s mission of possessing the nations.

Speaking at a three-day officers’ retreat, Pastor Aidoo reading from Ecclesiastes 9:10 urged officers of the church to work diligently in whatever assignment that has been handed to them, saying, “It is the Lord who has given it to you.”

He encouraged them to use their spiritual gifts to complement the ministry God has given them over the members and endeavour to draw them closer to God.

The Cape Coast District Minister explained that ‘zeal’ is a focused desire characterized by passion and commitment towards something, hence being zealous for God is a necessity for Christians.

Pastor Samuel Kofi Aidoo stressing the influence of a zealous character mentioned that one must have passion for the work of God, must not give up easily, and must always stay focused on the task given to them by God.

“As leaders and officers of the church, strive to possess the quality of zeal for the Lord’s work. With that, you can overcome every barrier or blockage that rises against the vision and the mission of the church,” he said.

He added: “Be concerned about the Lord’s work and work at it as though you are doing it for God and not for man. Keep your eyes on the target and never lose focus.”

Report by Cape Coast District Media Ministry

“A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World”

1 PETER 2:9, NIV:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

ACTS 1:8, NIV:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

SLOGAN:

Possessing the nations: I am an agent of transformation!

Possessing the nations: Transforming my world!

To God be all the glory for how far He has brought His Church, especially in the past fast years where He saw us through the successful implementation of Phase 1 of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda. He has indeed proven Himself faithful to His covenant with His Church.

I would like to at this point express my gratitude for the dedicated efforts of the former Chairmen, General Secretaries, International Missions Directors, past Executive Council members and other founding leaders, who laid a solid foundation for this Church during their time.

I am particularly grateful to current and past Executive Council members who were directly involved in the planning and execution of Vision 2023. All Heads, ministers, officers, and members are appreciated for their massive support for the many successes achieved in the past five years. 

Dearly beloved, In the past five years, we have focused on equipping the church to possess the nations.  We have forcefully but carefully drummed home the fact that Christ did not come to save individual sinners but to build a community of believers called the Church. His intent was that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God would be demonstrated to the forces that govern nations (Eph. 3:10). 

We have not hesitated to bring to the fore the dual purpose of the church – thus, the church is called out of the world to adore God and sent back into the world to serve his purpose among the nations. To be an effective factor of change in the hands of God, we have taught that the church must be credible— a glorious church. It must be beautiful to be looked upon by the watching world. Thus, the church must be morally beautiful and doctrinally pure. We have also encouraged the church to see itself as God’s end-time militia to possess the nations.

Last year, anticipating that we would be launching full-scale into the world, we brought to our attention the need to reposition ourselves by paying attention to the rear (supporting) echelon – i.e., the local church. This was to enable the local church to continue to serve as the equipping centre and supply the needed resources and energy to the fighting echelon as we launch into the world.

It is now time, brothers and sisters, to consciously, intentionally and strategically unleash the vast potential currently held within the church to descend on the world and transform it with the values and principles of the kingdom of God. This is the only way we will make our huge numbers count for the kingdom of God. It, however, requires some systematic efforts, which will include helping our members to appreciate who they are as a people of God, the power and resources they are endowed with and their mandate in the world. 

The theme 2024, therefore, is “A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World”. This theme is the first of the second phase of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda, which has as its overarching theme: “Possessing the Nations: Unleashing the Whole Church to Transform their World with the Values and Principles of the Kingdom of God”.

The theme 2024, “A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World,” serves as the foundation for mobilising and unleashing the whole Church for the transformation of their world while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. This theme is a call to help every member see himself or herself as a channel through which God’s grace will flow in blessing to humanity. That the Christian is God’s hope for the manifestation of His glory on earth.

It is the desire of this theme that the church will see itself as a people of God, a peculiar people, a holy nation, a people amongst the peoples, with a mandate to influence their spheres. A people of God unleashed into the world is a call for the Church to be intentional in sending out our members to every sphere of society to transform it.

To achieve the above, the following topics have been selected to be treated during the period:

• The characteristics of the church unleashed.
• The church as a people of God
• A people living by the principles, values and lifestyle of the Kingdom of God.
• Raising Godly families to impact the church and the state.
• Raising Christlike believers to transform their spheres. 
• Unleashing wholistic witness through the local church to impact society. 
• Flourishing life through personal devotions.
• Sacrificial giving and tithing.

The foundational texts on which this theme premises will be 1 Peter 2:9 and Acts 1:8.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9, NIV).

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, NIV).

Our forward march into the world should generate holy fear in the gates of Hades as Israel’s advancement frightened the Moabites to the point that they exclaimed, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” (Num. 22:4).  Our forward march into the spheres of society should result in “turning our world upside down” (Acts 17:6). 

May the Lord continue to be with us and grant us the needed grace to carry this theme through to its desired end as we seek to unleash the whole church to transform their world with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God.  Amen!

Apostle Eric Nyamekye

(Chairman, The Church of Pentecost)

The world is on a drive to transition to the digital space of sharing and interacting with one another. In this direction, The Church of Pentecost is moving towards such transformation as it trains its ministers and administrative staff to be abreast with the technological systems for faster communication.

To facilitate this agenda, the Information Technology Department at the church’s General Headquarters has organised an Office 365 training workshop for 53 ministers in La and the Teshie-Nungua areas in the Greater Accra region.

This took place on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at the Sophia McKeown Temple (SMT), at La, in Accra.
In a welcome address, the La Area Head of the church, Apostle Dr. Dieudonne Komla Nuekpe, disclosed that the training was in pursuance of the digital transformation agenda of Vision 2023 of the church.
“The most neglected area of digitalization in the church today is the internet, and to enable ministers effectively use the internet as a church, they must be trained,” Apostle Dr Nuekpe said.
He added: “We cannot grow as a church if we neglect this aspect of evangelism.”

Facilitating the training, the IT Manager of the church, Pastor Paul Odai Laryea, took participants through a series of cybersecurity education, where they were advised on cybercrimes, the importance of cyber-security as against The Church of Pentecost (CoP) digitalization agenda, and managing security threats.
“To ensure a strong system security in support of the CoP digitalization agenda, ministers should practice effective password management, effectively updating your device, backup, lock up devices and use anti-virus software,” he stated, urging the clergy to avoid using public networks and train their area and district employees.

Participants were further taken through practical sessions on creating and sending new emails; replying, forwarding, and attaching files in Outlook. They also had hands-on training on Microsoft Teams and Share Point, all within the Office 365 platform.

The General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, encouraged the ministers to find time to practice what they have been taught, charging them to migrate to the new digital platforms being introduced to have seamless productivity in ministry.

“In these days, activities cannot be done without technology. Therefore, leadership has invested in this IT infrastructure. Let’s migrate to the new world system so that the youth does not leave us behind,” the General Secretary urged.

With the advent of propagating this digital agenda, new accounting and enterprise resource planning system, an online store, a digital music store, church maps, and many more have been added to simplify activities in the church.

Also participating in the training were Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah-Agyeman (Teshie-Nungua Area Head) and Apostle Lt. Col. Benjamin Godson Kumi-Woode (Resident Minister, Burma Camp Worship Centre).

PENTECOST NEWS.

“Ying for Christ,” a three-day crusade organised by the Evangelism Ministry of the Tamale Area of The Church of Pentecost at Ying, has recorded 99 souls to the glory of God.

Ying is a typical Dagomba community within the Savelugu Municipal District in the Northern Region of Ghana.

The crusade, which was organised under the auspices of the Tamale Area Head of the Church, Apostle Sylvester Arhin, resulted in the creation of an assembly in the Muslim-dominated community.

The evangelism team, led by the Area Evangelism Ministry Leader, Pastor Daniel Gyekye, also baptised 45 of the new converts in water by immersion. Report by Overseer Solomon Anderson

The outgone New Tafo Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Antwi, has gloriously retired from active ministerial service of the Church.

Apostle Samuel Antwi, who has retired after 38 years of dedicated service to the Lord and the Church, together with his wife, Mrs. Mary Antwi, was honoured at a special retirement service held last Sunday at the M. K. Yeboah Memorial Temple, Krofrom in Kumasi.

The service was officiated by Apostle Yaw Agyei Kwarteng (Bompata Area Head and Executive Council Member), ably assisted by Apostle Fred Tiakor (Asante-Bekwai Area Head), Apostle John Obeng Kesse (Suame Area Head), and Apostle Samuel Edzii Davidson (Offinso Area Head).

It was attended by people from all walks of life including active and retired ministers of the church, traditional rulers, as well as relatives and well-wishers. Also present were some clergymen from the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) member churches.

As part of the event, various testimonies applauding Apostle Samuel Antwi and his wife, Mrs. Mary Antwi, for their outstanding ministry were read and several citations were also presented to them.

Apostle Yaw Agyei Kwarteng, in a sermon on the topic: “As You Have Not Sat Down Yet,” taken from Matthew 19:28-30, noted that retirement does not mean the end of Christian service. 

Making a distinction between Christian service and retirement with reference to 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, the Bompata Area Head explained that albeit the retiree takes a rest from active ministry, they must hold on to the faith and maintain their integrity until the day of the Lord.

“There is the dichotomy between the race and the ministry,” he emphasised.

To shape up one’s life nicely and avoid being disqualified for the prize on the day of reckoning, Apostle Yaw Agyei Kwarteng urged Christians, particularly retirees to keep standing against the devil (1 Corinthians 16:13); walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25); running the race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1-2), and watching over their garments (Revelation 16:15).

Called into the full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost in 1984, Apostle Samuel Antwi served in various duty stations as a District Pastor and an Area Head.

He also held several leadership positions and served on various committees in the Church.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

The New Tafo Area of The Church of Pentecost under the headship of Apostle Samuel Antwi, has organised a three-day prayer meeting, dubbed “Holy Ghost Conference.”

The event, which took place from August 3 to 5, 2022, at the Sepe-Buokrom Revival Centre, was under the theme: “If You See Me When I Am Taken From You, It Will Be Yours,” (2 Kings 2:10), with Apostle Samuel Nana Yaw Agyei (Kade Area Head) as main speaker.

As part of the event, Elder Kwaku Owusu Ansah, the outgone Area Deacon, who served conscientiously and meritoriously for 13 good years was appreciated.

The well attended occasion, which happens to be the last meeting under the aegis of Apostle Samuel Antwi as the New Tafo Area Head, also witnessed the foundation stone laying and sod-cutting ceremony for the Area Revival Centre and construction of a 2000-seating capacity auditorium for Pentecost International Worship Centre, New Tafo (PIWC-New Tafo), respectively.

Addressing the teeming congregants at the climax of the event, Apostle Samuel Antwi read Jude 1:24 and urged them to keep trusting God because He is able to protect His children from stumbling and to make them stand no matter the situation.

Apostle Samuel Antwi and his wife, Mrs. Mary Antwi are billed to retire from active ministerial service on Sunday, August 21, 2022, after 38 years of dedicated and conscientious service to the Lord and the Church.

Present at the event were the Area pastorate and their spouses, among others.

Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah

The Paramount Chief of the Kpassa Traditional Area, Dr. Ubor Tossan Konja VI, has asserted that the only one who has power to turn around every impossible situation is Jesus Christ.

Dr. Tossan, who is an elder of The Church of Pentecost, said this yesterday when he delivered a sermon on the topic, “Jesus Has the Power to Change the Unpleasant Situation for Your Good” at the Central Assembly auditorium of the Changbalyiri District.

Elder Konja urged Christians not to worry about any impossible situation they may be facing, but rather trust Jesus to change it for the better.

“Do not worry about your unpleasant situation because Jesus Christ will do good things in your life. So, if your heart is troubled, I have come to announce to you that Jesus Christ will intervene,” he charged.

Elder Tossan said that Jesus is the giver of life and He transforms lives, adding: “It does not matter how long you have been in the church, Jesus will touch and heal you.”

Reading from John 5:1-11, he stated that if Jesus could heal the cripple by the pool who had suffered that condition for so many years, then He is capable of doing same for anyone who calls on Him.

According to him, there is life in Jesus and when He speaks it takes immediate effect.

He explained that the devil is scared of every child of God because they carry the glory and the power of God.

“If you have any challenge, I am here to let you know that Jesus will take care of it today,” he concluded.

A healing session held after the sermon saw many being healed of various diseases.

The service, which was the first morning session of ongoing “Sawla for Christ” crusade, ended with a heartfelt prayer of intercession for the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict. The Evangelism Ministry Director, Apostle Dr. Amos Jimmy Markin, led the congregation to seek for a divine intervention in the escalating situation.

He also led the Church to intercede for the Sawla township and the nation Ghana.

PENTECOST NEWS

“Equipping the church” involves the “Equipping hands” (church leaders at all levels) preparing the church at respective levels by “placing” them in “yielding and available position” to encounter the “Equipper” – the Holy Spirit – who will impart them with the resurrection power by filling them to make them stable, grounded and firebrand to possess the nations by transforming societies with values, principles and lifestyles of the Kingdom of God.

The following are eight (8) biblico-metaphorical illustrations for “equipping the church” (the “to be equipped” ready to receive divine encounter from the Equipper).

1. Moses prepared Aaron’s Rod (and other tribal rods) before Aaron’s rod received divine encounter and budded with fruit (Numbers 17:1-13).

2. Elisha told the widow of the sons of the prophets to get vessels ready to be filled with oil and the oil multiplied and filled all the available vessels until there was no vessel (2 Kings 4:1-7).

3. Jesus told the disciples to get the five thousand plus people seated and also gave the bread to the disciples to distribute to the people and as they did, the bread kept multiplying until they all ate and had 12 full baskets as leftover (John 6:1-14).

4. At the wedding in Canaan, Mary, the mother of Jesus told the disciples to do whatever Jesus told them and when Jesus told them to fill the vessels with water and they did, the water turned into wine which was sweeter than the earlier one (John 2:1-12).

5. Elijah, in his encounter with the prophets of Baal, prepared the altar and made the sacrifice ready, and even though the altar was flooded with water, fire came from heaven and fell on the water and consumed it (1 Kings 18:20-40).

6. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus told the people to roll the stone covering the tomb away and when they did, at the sound of the voice of Jesus, Lazarus encountered the resurrection and was set free to go (John 11:38-44).

7. In the desert, God told Moses to make 70 elders ready and when that was done, God took of the Holy Spirit that was on Moses and gave same to the 70 elders so they can help Moses lead the people (Numbers 11:16-30).

8. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He instructed the disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to tarry and as they did, mighty rushing wind filled the house they were staying and they were all clothed with power from heaven (Luke 24:44-49; cf. Acts 1:4-8).

The list goes on and on and on. God desires to touch humanity with heavenly things and requires humans He can partner to do so.

There is a Pentecost song in Twi entitled, “Oshewbo wo wim ho, yede mpaebo betwe aba.” We partner with God to bring down the heavenlies to replace the dying, decaying and negative gradient of this life.

Thus, the resurrection power is available to flow; all God needs is AN INTERCESSOR – a leader who will get the people ready – pray for them, teach them the Word, visit them, call them to prayer meetings, etc. … and THE POWER WILL FALL.

May the Holy Spirit grant us continuing grace to be consistent in His hands as “Equipping hands of the Church” as He, THE EQUIPPER, does His work of equipping the church.

“…So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, TO EQUIP HIS PEOPLE for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11-12, caps mine).

By Apostle Seth Kwame Fianko-Larbi (Kenya National Head, The Church of Pentecost)

The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has cut sod for the commencement of a 10-acre solar-powered irrigation farmland project of the church at Ankpaliga, a farming community near Zebila in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region.

The project, which is being initiated through the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), is aimed at providing sustained livelihoods for the youth in the Ankpaliga community and surrounding towns.

It is the hope of leadership that through this project young people in the northern part of the country would no longer migrate to the south in search of greener pastures.

The brief ceremony took place on Thursday, June 24, 2021, during the General Secretary’s duty trip to the region. Present at the ceremony were Apostle Sylvester Arhin (Tamale Area Head and Executive Council Member), Apostle Wilberforce Nkrumah Agyemang (Bolgatanga Area Head), Apostle Eric Boateng (Bawku Area Head), Apostle William Ohemeng-Kwakye (Sawla Area Head), Pastor Emmanuel Aidoo (Yendi Area Head), Pastor James Agyin (Project, Development and Estate Manager, COP Headquarters), and Elder Richard Amaning (PENTSOS Director), among others. The Chief of Ankpaliga, Naba Annane Abudu, was also present to witness the official commencement of the project.

During the dry season, a majority of the youth are compelled to travel to the south due to the high levels of unemployment especially during the prolonged dry season in the Northern Regions. 

To help provide the youth with sustainable economic livelihoods, the church has acquired a 10-acre land for irrigation farming. The main crops that would be cultivated on the farm all year round are onions, cabbage, carrots, and pepper. The youth in the community would also have access to the irrigated land to farm the crops, especially during the dry season. 

As part of this intervention, the church, in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), would provide extension services to the farmers. They would also receive training on climate-smart farming practices. 

For the project to achieve its intended goal, a deep borehole has been drilled with a yield of 100 litres per minute to supply water to the farms through drip irrigation.

The project, when completed, would directly employ about 120 young people and their families in the church and provide indirect jobs to over 300 people in the various crop value chains.

The project is estimated at a total cost of GH¢150,000.00 and is expected to be completed in October 2021.

According to the PENTSOS Director, the church intends to replicate the project in other parts of the country. “We hope that after this project, we would gain some positive as well as negative lessons to guide similar projects we would undertake in other parts of the country,” he said.

Expressing his gratitude to the church, Naba Annane Abudu admitted that his community is challenged with youth unemployment resulting from the long dry season forcing most young people to go south for better opportunities.

He was confident that the project would give the youth a reason to stay and work in the community since they can now farm all year round regardless of the climatic conditions.

“I want to assure The Church of Pentecost that you would not regret this great investment that you are making in our people through this project,” he said.

PENTECOST NEWS