Members of the Kaneshie Area of The Church of Pentecost were privileged to host the Chairman of the church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, during their 4th Bi-Annual Retreat dubbed “Divine Encounter.”
The event took place at the Egyir Paintsil Auditorium at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh on Friday, December 6, 2019, under the theme, “Celebrating God’s Faithfulness” (1 Chronicles 16:8). It was well-attended by ministers and their wives, officers and members in the Area.
In an opening address, the Kaneshie Area Head, Apostle Mike Kwame Etrue, said the ‘Divine Encounter’ conference was initiated to provide ministers, officers, members (both adults and children) and their families an opportunity to experience God in a conducive environment away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
“We are, therefore, gathered here to wait on God, to encounter Him, and to bask in His very presence as He feeds us with Himself,” he said, adding, “This conference is also geared towards equipping us with the right spiritual machinery to end the year well and begin the New Year with fresh grace, strength and vigour.”
The Chairman, in a sermonette, based on Luke 5:1:11, encouraged believers to focus their attention and energy on finding God, loving Him, worshipping Him and serving Him. He bemoaned the attitude of many contemporary believers who spend so much time praying against the devil, their burdens or supposed enemies.
According to Apostle Nyamekye, the primary goal of the believer is to seek intimacy with God and all other things will fall in place.
Stressing on Luke 5:11, the Chairman revealed that the sons of Zebedee left a boatload of fishes and followed Jesus Christ because they understood that intimacy with Jesus and service to Him will yield greater results than the fishes they had caught.
He also used the occasion to throw light on the 2023 vision document of the church and the theme for the year 2020, after leading the congregation is an intensive time of worship, prayer and rededication.
Touching briefly on the theme for 2020, “A glorious Church to Possess the Nations” (Ephesians 3:21, 5:27) and Revelation 19: 6-8, Apostle Nyamekye noted that God expects the church to be a spotless and blameless bride that will show forth the beauty of God to the nations. He noted that righteousness exalts a nation and so the church can possess the nations when members pursue righteousness in every field of endeavour they find themselves.
“The Bride of Christ does not wear a white gown but righteousness,” he stressed.
The Chairman also advised ministers, presiding elders and other officers to take into consideration some sub-themes that are to be taught or preached in all local assemblies in the ensuing year. The sub-themes include; “A glorious church to possess the nations,” “The church: Called to a holy living,” “Living a life of integrity as a Christian,” “The church and the Lordship of Christ,” “Possessing the Nations through prayer,” “Possessing the Nations through personal evangelism,” “Raising Godly children to possess the Nations,” “The Power and beauty of Christian Fellowship,” “I am an agent of Transformation” and “Secular Humanism.”
There was a note of optimism in Apostle Nyamekye’s voice as he spoke about the Vision 2023, noting that by the grace of God, the church has already made major strides in many aspects of the Vision. He said that the vision is very achievable because it is the will of God and also the church is blessed with the numbers to cause the change in the nation.
Probationary Overseer Alex Nyame who is the Coordinator for Ministry to Persons With Disabilities (MPWD), also educated members on the need to take the new ministry very seriously to help embrace all persons regardless of their disabilities into the church.
Report by Kaneshie Area Media Team.