The immediate past Finance and Administration Director (FAD) of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko, and his wife, Mabel, have retired from the full-time ministry after serving the Church in various capacities for 22 years.
Pastor Dr Darko spent a record 19 years of active ministry at the Church’s General Headquarters as the Finance and Administration Director, making him the longest-served Exchequer of the largest Pentecostal Church in Ghana.
A glamorous retirement service held in his honour at the Twereboa Central Assembly Auditorium in Dansoman on Sunday, July 30, 2023, was attended by people from all walks of life. Among them were officials from the National Cathedral, including Rev. Dr Joyce Rosalind Aryee (Member, Board of Trustee) and Dr Paul Opoku-Mensah (Executive Director of the National Cathedral). Also in attendance was a high-powered delegation from the Akwamu Traditional Area, led by the Paramount Chief, Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III.
Ministers from the Church present included the Dansoman Area Head, Apostle Daniel Kodjoe Sey, who officiated the service; Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko (Finance and Administration Director of The Church of Pentecost), Apostle Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo (National Co-ordinator of the Home and Urban Missions), Apostle Daniel K. Dekpor (Asankrangwa Area Head), Deaconess Vivian Amfo (Deputy Director of the Women’s Ministry), Apostle Rigwell Ato Addison (Rtd) – a former General Secretary of the Church, among other serving and retired ministers of the Church.
Profile of Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko
Born 65 years ago at Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko, who hails from Akwamufie, also in the Eastern Region, had his secondary education at the New Juaben Secondary Commercial School (now New Juaben Senior High School) at Koforidua, where he obtained the General Certificate of Education Ordinary and Advanced Levels (GCE – ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels) in 1979 and 1981, respectively.
He is a Chartered Accountant, a Fellow of the ACCA and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ghana (ICA). He holds a Post-Graduate Diploma and a Master’s Degree in Organisational Development (OD) from the University of Cape Coast. He is a Registered Organisation Development Consultant (RODC) with the International Society of Organisation Development and Change (ISODC).
He was among the five people selected from some developing countries sponsored by Global Peers and the International Organisation Development Association (IODA) to participate in capacity-building training in Organisation Development in Austria in 2012. He also received training in Group Dynamics at the University of Graz’s Centre for Social Competence in Austria. At the ISODC International Conference held in Ghana in 2013, he received an Award of Excellence for being an Outstanding OD Student and for Exceptional Performance, Willingness to Learn, Share, and an Exemplary Disposition to OD Values.
While in ministry, he obtained a Bachelor of Theology (Hons) with distinction and a PhD in Practical Theology at the South African Theological Seminary (SATS). He is affiliated with professional bodies in Accountancy, Theology and Organisation Development.
While working as Head of the Audit Department at the Headquarters of the Church, he was called and ordained a pastor and stationed at the Headquarters as Finance and Administration Director (FAD) in 2001. He served under three General Secretaries: Apostles Albert Amoah (now retired), Dr Alfred Koduah (now retired) and Alexander Kumi-Larbi. He also served in the administration of three Chairmen: Apostles Dr Michael Kwabena Ntumy, Prof. Opoku Onyinah (now retired) and Eric Nyamekye. In 2020, he was transferred from the Head Office to Twereboa District in the Dansoman Area after serving as FAD for 19 years.
Sermon
Speaking at the service on the topic, “The Unslumbering God is your Keeper” based on Psalm 121:3-4, the Dansoman Area Head, Apostle Daniel Sey, stressed the need for believers to rely on the God Almighty because He does not slumber and fails not. According to him, God can keep and protect all who trust Him.
Testimonies
Various testimonies read lauded Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko and his wife, Mabel, for their dedicated and selfless services and life of integrity and simplicity.
The General Council’s testimony read by his successor, Apostle Lawrence Otu-Nyarko, revealed that Pastor Dr Darko, during his tenure as FAD, utilised his extensive professional experience as an Accountant and Administrator to institute a robust financial and management system for the Church. He worked closely with the leadership of the Church to introduce monetary policies that have helped to ensure the prudent management of the Church’s resources, earning The Church of Pentecost a well-deserved reputation as an organisation with strong financial and administrative structures.
“Equally deserving of honour is Mrs Mabel Darko, his virtuous wife. She is a woman of great cheer and love who supports her husband’s ministry with unwavering dedication,” the General Council noted.
It added: “Her sound Bible teachings, hospitality, excellent communication skills, and respect for others have been instrumental in their successful ministerial journey. Her contribution to the Women’s Ministry at the national level and other boards and committees has been phenomenal.”
PENTECOST NEWS.