The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and convenor of this year’s non-denominational all ministers conference in Ghana, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has reminded church leaders that Christ is the builder of the Church and they are co-labourers, thus their stewardship must be tailored to the goal and purpose in the mind of Christ.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Building the Church for Impact,’ Apostle Nyamekye who doubles as President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, said it is expedient that as co-labourers of Christ, church leaders know the goal and purpose of the Church and build according to the pattern He lays out.
‘If you build anything outside the goal, purpose, and process of building the Church as Jesus has outlined, you will be building something but not the Church,’ he admonished.
Apostle Nyamekye defined a goal as the target, aim and terminal point to which efforts are directed, and that it determines the processes laid out to achieve that. Referencing Revelations 19:6-7, he revealed that Christ’s ultimate goal is to present a Church that is a beautiful bride to Christ.
‘When you’re a pastor, you are making ready the bride of Christ. When you are going to church as a pastor, you must prepare to let your message become acceptable because your task is to prepare a people for Christ. Our task is to present people mature for Christ,’ he emphasised.
He reminded Christian leaders that the mission of the Church is a serious business that should not be taken lightly.
‘We are in a very serious business of ultimately presenting a people to Christ. Don’t think that you are a minister because you were not finding any job,’ he stated.
Addressing nearly 3,000 participants drawn from 448 denominations in Ghana, Apostle Nyamekye read from 2 Corinthians 11:2, stating that the purity of the bride of Christ is not only moral, it is also doctrinal.
He said the beauty of the Church is achieved in unity and collaborative work. He thus bemoaned the condemnation of one denomination by the other.
‘Let us not give in-fighting in the body of Christ a chance to fester in the land. There’s no need to destroy one another for we know in part and see in part (Galatians 5:15)’, he iterated.
Touching on Matthew 28:19 and Ephesians 3:10-11, Apostle Nyamekye said Christ’s eternal purpose was that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God will be made known to the world.
We are to be presented to Christ as beautiful bride. However, until we get to Heaven, there is a world to impact. We need to engage the Church to meet her purpose,’ he indicated, adding that ‘this purpose of discipling the nations is our assignment on earth; it is the purpose of the Church on earth.’
‘The watching world should see our good works and indeed confess that Christ came to save the world. They are waiting for us. Until we get to Heaven, there is work to be done here,’ he stressed.
Emphasising that he is not suggesting a sin-free world, he indicated that the Church must push until the fragrance of Christ is felt everywhere.
He suggested that ministers pay attention to themselves and how they build God’s church. He said systematic teachings ensure achievement of the goal of the Church.
‘Our business is to save ourselves and our hearers. God is interested in you, not only what you do,’ he added.
Apostle Nyamekye announced that great investment is required to build living stones and that reaching unity in faith and attaining the full measure of the fullness of Christ should be the passion of ministry.
He served a reminder that ministry is about the person and not what they have, saying, ‘If the impure cannot go to Heaven, then crooked pastors cannot get to heaven. Renounce anything that will shame you if it comes forth about you.’
He concluded with the assurance that the Christian life is gloriously difficult.
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