The Agormanya Area Head and National Coordinator for the Discipleship and Leadership Development Committee (DLDC) of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Gakpetor, has said that effective follow-up and discipleship are the legs on which evangelism thrives.
Apostle Samuel Gakpetor made this assertion yesterday during a presentation at 2024 PENSA Ghana Conference (Transformers Conference) at the PENSA-KNUST centre, one of the three centres for this year’s conference.
The DLDC Coordinator, in his presentation, enlightened participants on the need to effectively follow up and disciple others, especially new converts, to be grounded in Christ.
Apostle Gakpetor likened preaching the gospel to fishing, emphasising the necessity of diligently working on souls until they can confidently claim them.
He passionately stressed the importance of follow-up and discipleship for various reasons including the vulnerability of new Christians, ensuring spiritual multiplication, and preventing the hardening of new believers who lack proper guidance.
He also noted that discipleship is key in equipping believers to bear fruits with buds, that is, manifesting in character, good works, and an evangelistic lifestyle.
Apostle Gakpetor also stressed on the needs of new converts such as being loved, being nourished by the word of God, prayer, as well as protection against the devil and their previous worldly associations.
Reading from Acts 9:1-22, he cited Ananias as an evangelistic prototype, who demonstrated the eight essential actions of a disciple-making Christian during his encounterwith Saul.
According to him, Ananias prayed to God about Saul, visited him, accepted him as a brother, tended to his spiritual and physical needs, ensured that Saul underwent water baptism, laid hands on him, introduced him to the fellowship of saints, and equipped him for ministry.
Drawing inspiration from the Ananias and Saul example; he admonished the church to pay attention to follow-up and discipleship so that their evangelism efforts are not in vain.
PENTECOST NEWS.
