The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has eulogized the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) for his 42 years of dedicated service to God and humanity.
According to the Vice President, Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah’s service to his Church and country has been to the admiration of all. “Since 2011, Apostle Onyinah has served as a member of the National Peace Council. We say thank you for his dedicated contribution to the peace and stability of our nation,” he said.
Dr Bawumia said this when speaking at the opening session of the 43rd General Council Meeting of The Church of Pentecost at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, as the Special Guest of Honour.
The meeting is the last under the Chairmanship of Apostle Prof. Opoku Onyinah who is due for retirement in August this year after successfully ending his two-term tenure as the 5th Chairman of the Church.
“Together with the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we wish to congratulate Apostle Opoku Onyinah for serving his Maker, his congregation and the nation with considerable merit for 42 years.
“It is my prayer that He who called you and has sustained you, will even in your retirement continue to grant you abundant grace to serve humanity in other capacities. When service is selfless; when service lifts the spirit of humanity so we can build a better society, then we have become Statesmen. Let me call you a Statesman,” the Vice President stated.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also lauded The Church of Pentecost for its contributions to the socio-economic development of Ghana.
“I am aware that The Church of Pentecost which started its activities in Ghana from a very humble beginning as early as 1937 when Pastor James McKeown first arrived in the Gold Coast, has about 2.5 million members as of December 2017.
“The Church of Pentecost has also grown globally and spread in ninety-nine (99) countries including Ghana. Indeed, across the country, I see the signage of The Church of Pentecost everywhere I go, most visibly than many other churches. This puts the Church in a very strategic position to meet the socio-economic needs of our people.
“It is gratifying to note that the Church is already doing well in this area. As it stands now, the Church manages eighty-four (84) basic schools, three (3) vocational schools, two (2) Senior High Schools, eight (8) health institutions and one (1) University College,” he stressed.
He noted that in recognition of this strategic partnership between Government and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs), Government, in the 2018 budget signalled its commitment to partner FBOs in the areas of business development and job creation, especially for the youth.
“As a Government, we recognize FBOs as significant part of our social and economic construct. FBOs not only deliver critical social services in education, health and water but also support the provision of skills and entrepreneurial training for the youth and the establishment of commercial enterprises,” he pointed out.
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