The external branch of The Church of Pentecost (CoP) in Trinidad & Tobago, under the leadership of Pastor Dr. E. Otu-Nyarko, recently organised a three-day evangelism crusade and medical outreach in San Juan Barataria, Trinidad.
The event was held in collaboration with the Youth & PENSA Ministry of CoP-USA.
The CoP-USA delegation, led by Apostle Dr. Michael Portuphy, Director for Youth and Pensa Ministry, included 15 medical professionals, his wife, Dr. Mrs. Cynthia Portuphy, and Pastor Fidelis Mensah of Kansas District.
Medical screenings were performed by doctors and nurses from the Pensa Ministry before the evangelism crusades, which were held in the evenings.
All services were offered free of charge, and donations of glucose monitors, blood pressure machines, eyeglasses, and other medical monitoring equipment were distributed to participants.
The Pensa Ministry also donated NIV Bibles and Tracts to aid in the evangelistic outreaches of the local church.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was felt throughout the event as musical performances and powerful gospel messages were delivered by Pastor Mensah and Apostle Dr. Mike Portuphy.
The sick were healed, demons were cast out, and 19 souls were won to Christ.
In another historic moment, six officers were ordained as Elders, Deacons, and Deaconesses of the Church by Apostle Dr. Michael Portuphy, assisted by the National Head, Pastor Dr. Ebenezer Otu-Nyarko.
The ordination was the first of its kind in the Church.
The Youth Ministry Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, has challenged young people to take inspiration from the life of Timothy and let it be an example to them.
Pastor Hagan said this when he addressed the youth of Sekondi Area of the Church during a working visit to the Area,
Drawing on several scriptural references such as Acts 16:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:15, 2 Timothy 1:4-6, 2 Timothy 3:10, and Philippians 2:19-22, to encourage young people to be true disciples of God, Pastor Hagan assured the young people that their destiny cannot be cancelled if they are with God.
“The Lord is not looking for just any young person, but a young person who fears the Lord, has consistent fellowship with the Lord through His word and prayer, and is ready for what God wants to use them for, rather than just waiting,” he said.
Using the life of young Timothy as a case study, Pastor Hagan drew out these three main lessons that young people must learn from: Timothy, the disciple; Timothy, the brother of note among the saints, and Timothy, the son/mentee of Paul.
“In conclusion, let us all take a cue from the life of young Timothy, a true disciple of God who was mentored by Paul and became a brother of note among the saints. May we all be poised for maximum impact, drawing inspiration from the word of God and consistent fellowship with Him through His word and prayer,” he said.
Present at the meeting were Apostle James T. Tetteh, Mrs. Priscilla Hagan (wife of the Youth Director) and a section of the Sekondi Area pastorate.
The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA), Kwadaso Sector, organised its annual Pre-Tertiary Talent Explosion programme, “PENSAFEST 2023,” on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
The programme, which was held at the zonal level, recorded an attendance of 1,543 and 407 at the Kwadaso and Obuasi zones, respectively.
The event, among others, was organised to unearth talents, skills, and gifts that the Lord has graciously deposited in students. Each PENSA institution was given the opportunity to undertake activities such as Choreography, Spoken Word, Drama, Song Ministrations, and others.
Students from various institutions and groups exhibited their God-given talents and skills with great and awesome ministrations to the glory of God.
In a short exhortation titled “Vessel of Honour,” the PENSA Travelling Secretary, Pastor Isaac Donkoh, said that God always seeks human vessels to use to accomplish His purpose on earth.
He added that, “Although God eagerly seeks people as vessels for His earthly agenda, He doesn’t just use anything for His task; He seeks people who have set themselves apart and are fit for the Master’s use, prepared for every good work.”
He further encouraged students to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God.
“When young people of energy, talent, skills, and zeal become vessels of honor prepared for the Master’s use, maximum impact is certainly achieved in their generation,” he intimated, referencing 2 Timothy 2:20-21 and Romans 12:1-2.
To the glory of God, 31 participants accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior at the event.
The Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) of Kwadaso Sector, under the leadership of Pastor Isaac Donkoh, PENSA Travelling Secretary, organized a maiden Pre-Tertiary Sector Quiz competition for Senior High Schools within the sector on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
The quiz competition covered Nehemiah, Colossians, Current Affairs/Church History, and Rules of Conduct of The Church of Pentecost.
The competition started at the institutional level, followed by the zonal level, and then the grand finale.
Two students who emerged as winners from their schools progressed through the levels to the grand finale. Three institutions from each zone that qualified at the zonal level were engaged in a fierce battle at the grand finale.
Competing schools at the grand finale included Obuasi Secondary Technical School, New Edubease Senior High School, Osei Tutu Senior High School, Akrofuom Senior High School, Opoku Ware Senior High School, and Yaa Asantewaa Girls Senior High School, the event host.
After a fierce competition between the six competing schools, Yaa Asantewaa Girls SHS, took the first position, followed by Opoku Ware, while Osei Tutu took the third place.
For their prize, the winning school took the trophy with a cash amount of Ghc1,000.00, certificates, Bibles, and other prizes, followed by first runner-up with Ghc750.00, certificates, and other prizes, and the second runner-up with Ghc500.00, certificates, and other consolation prizes.
Elder Dr. Solomon Obiri Yeboah, a surgeon at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and an Elder from PIWC-Bompata solely sponsored the quiz competition.
In a brief remark at the event, he admonished the students to fear God, be diligent in their studies, and commit their ways unto Him, who is able to direct their course into excellence.
The competition aimed at engaging more young people to study the word of God and have it written on the tablets of their hearts.
The Kaneshie Sector of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA-Kaneshie Sector) on Monday, March 6, 2023, organised inter-tertiary outdoor games, dubbed “Sector Day Out” at the Asamoah Gyan Sports Complex at the Accra Academy Senior High School.
The participating PENSA institutions were Pentecost University, Korle – Bu, Accra Technical University, Accra City Campus, Ghana Institute of Journalism, KAAF University and GH Media, which joined for the first time.
The sporting disciplines included soccer (football), volleyball, table tennis, Ludu, Oware, heat race and dame. A dancing competition was also held as part of the activities.
At the end of the football competition, KAAF University emerged as the winner, Pentecost University placed second whilst Accra City Campus and Accra Technical University both placed third.
Accra City Campus also emerged winners of the volleyball competition with Accra Technical University and Pentecost University placing second and third, respectively.
Accra City Campus again placed first in the male category of athletics, followed by Pentecost University in second position and KAAF University in third.
Pentecost University, however, took home the top prize for the female category of athletics and was closely followed by the Accra Technical University and KAAF University in that order.
For the second time running, the female football team of KAAF University emerged victorious in the soccer competition.
The competitions ended with Accra City Campus receiving the award for “Overall Best Institution” at the games.
The award for second prize went to Pentecost University, whilst Accra Technical University came in third.
All participating institutions were presented a certificate of participation for their active involvement in the games.
The participants also took the advantage to evangelise to spectators who had thronged the event venue in their numbers to witness the games.
Speaking to PENTECOST NEWS, the PENSA-Kaneshie Sector Traveling Secretary, Pastor Frank Mensah Tandoh, said that the “Sector Day Out” event, the second of its kind to be organised, seeks to develop the youth holistically and also create an avenue for socialisation and evangelism.
“The mandate of the Youth Ministry is to ensure the holistic development of the youth. This is the reason behind the organisation of the ‘PENSA Sector Day Out’ to ensure both the physical, social and spiritual development of the youth within the Sector,” he said.
He added: “In line with the Church’s theme of “Repositioning the Local Church for Maximum Impact in the Nations,” the socialisation aspect of the event is to foster comradery among the students so that they would see themselves as one big family.”
Pastor Tandoh also noted that the participants were all students drawn from the various PENSA institutions to represent their respective tertiary schools.
The much-anticipated four-day campus evangelism outreach, dubbed “You Must Be Born Again” gospel crusade kick-started yesterday, March 9, 2023, at the Royal Parade grounds of Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi.
The event, which is being organised by the Schools Outreach Ministry (SOM) of The Church Of Pentecost in conjunction with the Students’ Chaplaincy Council, is under the theme: “Jesus Christ, the Saviour Of The World” (John 3:16).
The first day of the event attracted a mammoth gathering of more than 3000 people, most of whom were tertiary students in Kumasi.
In a brief remark, the PENSA-KNUST Campus Minister, Pastor Jonathan Ebo Quaye, urged the participants to be in a state of expectancy and trust God to do something new through the crusade.
Preaching at the event, Apostle Nana Yaw Adjei, the Kade Area Head and one of the main speakers for the crusade, stressed the need for every human being to receive Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, into their lives.
According to him, no one can live a meaningful life on earth without encountering Jesus, saying: “It does not matter whether you are beautiful or not, without Christ you are a living corpse.”
After the sermon, Apostle Agyei led participants in a time of intensive prayer during which the move of the Holy Spirit was mightily felt.
Other speakers scheduled to minister at the crusade are Apostle Eric Nyamekye (Chairman) Apostle Yaw Adjei Kwarteng (RCC Coordinator for Ashanti Region) and Pastor Ebenezer Hagan (Youth Ministry Director).
To the glory of God, the opening service recorded an attendance of 3,158 people. Fourteen souls and rededications were recorded whilst 37 participants received Holy Spirit baptism.
Among them were Prophet James Osei Amaniampong (Rtd.), Pastor Johnson Aseidu (PENSA Travelling Secretary, Kumasi), Elder Prof. Appau Asante (Deputy Youth Ministry Director), and Pastor Anthony Mensah (PIWC-Atomic Resident Minister).
The “You Must Be Born Again” gospel crusade would be climaxed on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
The Youth Director of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Ebenezer Hagan, has advised young Christians to promote the kingdom of God in every aspect of their lives.
He charged the youth to stand up for God and set good examples in order to promote the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda.
He said this on January 22, 2023 during a visit to the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) – Legon Sunday Service held at the Mensa Sarbah Hall.
Speaking on the topic, “Repositioning God’s Faithful Ambassadors in Babylon,” Pastor Hagan explained Babylon as a strange land in which a Christian may find himself.
Using Hosea 11:1-3, and Genesis 19:30-38 as scripture references, he mentioned that when the Israelites went into captivity, they strayed from the Lord and worshipped other gods, cautioning them not to joke with the power of a strange environment.
The Youth Director, therefore, admonished Christian youths to stand on their grounds anytime they find themselves in a strange land.
“Have a wide understanding when walking with God. If you want to be successful as God’s ambassadors in Babylon, you must stand. Let them know that you are a child of God. Bear the consequences.”
Expounding on the features of Babylon, Pastor Hagan noted that it has unfavourable conditions with antichristian leadership figures.
“They bring decrees against the practice and growth of the Christian faith,” he said, adding, “The demands of Babylon are destroying young Christians. If you are God’s faithful ambassador in Babylon, you are not there to serve, but rather to manage. Any Christian who does not affect lives around him is not a good Christian.”
Pastor Hagan revealed that in Babylon, the pleasures of the world are unlimited. This, he said, can cause believes to lose their spirituality.
“Babylon contains the things we eat and enjoy. The pride of life, the lust of the eye, sex, occultic power, and the war against God’s faithful ambassadors. But as a Christian in Babylon, you need wisdom; be the guy on top of the bar, an excellent guy who does the work and brings in results,” he admonished.
Citing Daniel 6:1-3, Pastor Hagan noted that Daniel was a man of excellence who worked with professionalism, saying, “Your professionalism will take you high even when your enemies are against you.”
He ended his sermon with a charge to young Christians to provoke the interest of God anytime they find themselves in a strange land.
“When the Lord raises you up in the land of Babylon, provoke the interest of God. Use your office to promote the interest of God. Let the kingdom of God benefit from you. That is the meaning of possessing the nations,” he stressed.
In attendance were the campus Pastor of The University of Ghana – Legon, Pastor Kwadwo Obeng, Elder Emmanuel Agyei (President, PENSA UG – Legon) Elder Ransford Arthur Cole (immediate past PENSA President, UCC), and the student body.
The Takoradi Area Youth Ministry of The Church of Pentecost has presented an amount of GHS 18,000.00 to three young entrepreneurs in the area as part of the ministry’s “Start-up Business Challenge” initiative.
The Start-Up Business Challenge, a flagship programme initiated by the Area Youth Ministry Leader, Pastor Daniel Okyei Boakye, aims at fostering business creativity and growth, as well as, curbing unemployment among the youth.
The three awardees are Dorcas Hannah Kwofie (Beahu District), Jane Darkwa (Effiakuma District) and Abraham Amegavi Amoah (Adum Banso District).
Dorcas Hannah Kwofie, whose business is registered as “Glean Yogo,” emerged as the overall winner of the challenge and was presented with a cheque for GHS 10,000.00.
Jane Darkwa of Eagle Farms came in second position and took home GHS 5,000.00, whilst Abraham Amegavi Amoah of Abragamoh Animal Farm received a cheque of GHS 3,000.00 for the third position.
The three entrepreneurs were selected after a keenly-contested competition, dubbed “Youth Business Challenge,” and were shortlisted for their financial astuteness and good business plan.
Presenting the cheques to them at the area’s praise and worship festival held at the West Ridge Assembly church auditorium late last year, the Takoradi Area Head of the Church, Apostle Yao Semenya Dogbe, congratulated the awardees and commended the ministry for the initiative.
Present at the event were Elder Dr. Matthew Kwaw Somiah (Assistant Area Youth Leader), Elder Hon. Benjamin Arko (Assembly Member for Asikafoamatem No. 2), and Mrs. Abigail Okyei Boakye (Wife of the Area Youth Ministry Leader).
Also in attendance were a section of the area pastorate and their wives, Area Youth Ministry Executive Committee Members, youth members and some family members of the awardees.
Report by Pastor Ernest Perbi-Asare (Takoradi Area Media Ministry Pastor)
As part of efforts to “possess” the virtual space for Christ, about 7,000 participants of the recently-held PENSA Ghana Conference received training on virtual missions (online evangelism).
The virtual missions project, initiated by PENSA International, aims at raising online missionaries who would saturate the virtual space with the gospel message and lead many into the saving knowledge of Christ.
The virtual missions training was organised on January 4 2023 as part of the youth conference.at all three centres, namely Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus and the University of Development Studies (UDS) campus.
The team of facilitators, which included P/Overseer Dr. Patrick Adonoo (PENSA International Coordinator) and Elder Yaw Sah-Somiah (IWiG Chairman), took the participants through a practical online evangelism exercise using the Telegram and Azar social media platforms.
The team also took the opportunity to share with the participants some of the successes PENSA International has chalked since its inception in 2019.
Addressing participants at PCC, Gomoa Fetteh, the Patron of the Youth Ministry, Apostle Samuel O. Asante, who also serves as the Kaneshie Area Head and an Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost, charged the youth to carry out this divine mandate to win many for Christ.
The virtual missions project of PENSA International started off as a breakthrough strategy at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project has provided an avenue for the Church to evangelise and break grounds in countries, which hitherto were “no-go areas” for Christianity.
Through this initiative, 16 new nations have been reached in the last three years, and the Church is hopeful of reaching 15 more by 2025.
The ‘Impact Makers Conference’ of the Pentecost Students and Associates (PENSA) Ghana, has ended with the youth being fired up to reposition themselves to make the necessary impact in their spheres of lives.
The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, closed the conference on Thursday, January 5, 2023, at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh.
It was attended by about 5,600 students and alumni from three centres – University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), Kumasi and PCC, Gomoa Fetteh.
Addressing the participants, Apostle Nyamekye urged them to reposition their minds, hearts, and hands to achieve success in their daily lives.
“If you want to reposition the church, it is imperative to reposition the youth for maximum impact in society,” he said.
He emphasised that as far as the salvation of humanity is concerned, God has crowned the heads of believers with blessings, stating, “The transforming relationship between believers and God begins with the renewal of the mind.”
He admonished students to desist from occultic and false prophetic activities on campus. He further charged them to move away from mere superstition and avoid reducing Christianity to rings, handkerchiefs, water, and anointing oils, but rather pay attention to the Word of God.
Explaining the Trinity, the Chairman said that God the Father sent Jesus to earth in order to die and save mankind, after believing in Jesus Christ, He brought the Holy Spirit to live with man forever under his instructions.
There was an ordination of 245 new officers made up of elders, deacons and deaconesses performed by the General Secretary, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi.
Handing over, the immediate past PENSA Ghana Co-ordinator, Elder Samuel Nkansah Appiah, thanked the leadership of the Church, Youth Ministry and his predecessors for their immense contributions and support leading to the success of the conference.
The new PENSA Ghana National Coordinating Team are Elder Samuel Boahen (Co-ordinator); Elder Isaiah Ahosu (Secretary); Elder Emmanuel Katakyie (Financial Secretary); Rita Reilla Amoah (Treasurer); Elder Elvis Barnieh (Organiser); Elder Ebenezer Bekoe (Prayer Secretary); Serwaa Comfort (Executive Member); Robert Berko (Executive Member), and Elder Dr. Solomon Osei (Executive Member).
Present were Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi (General Secretary); Apostle Samuel Osei Asante (Patron, Youth Ministry & Executive Council Member); Pastor Ebenezer Hagan (Director, Youth Ministry); Prophet David Kankam Beditor (Ashaiman Area Head & Executive Council Member); Apostle Yaw Adjei-Kwarteng (Bompata Area Head & Executive Council Member); Apostle Sylvester Arhin (Tamale Area Head & Executive Council Member); Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi (Cape Coast Area Head & Executive Council Member), and Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh (Director, Pentecost Men’s Ministry & Executive Council Member).
Others were Area Heads, Directors of Ministries and Institutions, the National Executive Committee of the Youth Ministry, Travelling Secretaries & their Wives, Youth Pastors, Campus Pastors, among others.
