The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, has called on ministers and wives to intentionally identify, train and mentor the next generation of Church leaders and members.
The General Secretary made this passionate call on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, during the second day of the ongoing Sekondi Area Ministers and Officers’ Retreat (Apostolisation) at the Ketan Central Assembly church auditorium in Ketan.
Speaking on the topic: “Repositioning Mentoring In Ministry for Maximum Impact; Focused Mentorship,” the General Secretary stressed that ministers and Church leaders have a responsibility to mentor people into leadership roles in the Church.
According to him, the mentoring relationship that existed between Eli and the young Samuel prepared the latter for the priestly responsibilities when he took over from the former (1 Samuel 1-4).
He also mentioned Elijah (2 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:1-25), Jesus (Luke 9), Barnabas and Paul (Acts 9-15) as some biblical examples of people who excelled in mentoring.
“As a minister, endeavour to make an impact in the lives of the youth, young ministers and wives; and leave behind a legacy that would be unique and live on long after your service to the church has ended,” he charged.
The General Secretary further explained that mentorship is a two-way affair that requires full commitment on the part of the mentor and mentee to achieve the intended results.
Expounding on the Paul-Timothy Mentorship model, Apostle Kumi-Larbi said that the relationship between Paul and Timothy is a great example of Christian mentoring since both of them had the right attitude that ensured the success of the mentoring process.
“Timothy had to be humble and teachable as it took a great deal of faith and commitment on his part to submit to circumcision.
“He was free in Christ and circumcision was not necessary to have a right relationship with God (Galatians 5:6; 6:15). Yet Timothy allowed himself to be circumcised so that he could be a more effective witness for Christ,” he said.
Apostle Kumi-Larbi, therefore, urged Church leaders to be intentional about mentoring, commit to raising others to leadership roles, look beyond the odds, and have a focused mentorship mentality approach.
He added that, to succeed as good mentors, ministers must “adopt” the members as their children; be pacesetters without settling for mediocrity, and to partner with the mentees as they grow into maturity.
He also pointed out that mentors benefit from mentorship as it helps to validate their leadership skills, gives them recognition as advisors, helps them to learn how to communicate clearly, help them gain new perspectives, give back and find new talent.
“As Christian leaders, our actions and inactions indirectly influence the younger generation, that is why we must be intentional about mentoring the next generation. When we do this, the future of our Church will be great,” he said.
Apostle Kumi-Larbi further stated that mentoring gives mentees the opportunity to learn the workplace culture, enhance their skills, receive networking opportunities, become potentials for promotion, become problem solvers and transfer knowledge to others.
PENTECOST NEWS