The Ashtown District Minister in the New Tafo Area of The Church of Pentecost, Pastor Samuel Kwadwo Oteng, has brought his 28 years of service as a full-time minister of the Church to successful conclusion.
His retirement service, which took place on Sunday, July 28, 2024, at the Peter Agyapong Memorial Temple in Ashtown, was officiated by Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, the Ashaiman Area Head and Executive Council Member, with assistance from Prophet Samuel Tetteh Doku, the New Tafo Area Head.
The colourful event saw a large turnout, including both active and retired ministers of the Church, traditional rulers, delegates from the previous stations he served, relatives, and loved ones, among others.
As part of the service, various testimonies applauding Pastor Samuel Kwadwo Oteng and his wife, Mama Grace, for their outstanding ministry were read and citations were also presented to them, including certificate of service.
Delivering a sermon on the topic: “Handing Over the Baton; Who Is Your Next of Kin?” Apostle Kumi-Larbi emphasised the significance of succession planning and mentoring in the Church to ensure continuity and growth.
The immediate past General Secretary of the Church defined baton change as passing on a responsibility or authority to another person to continue and encouraged Christians leaders to prepare for inevitable moment when they would no longer be available by training someone to take over their responsibilities.
“God has a purpose for everyone, but it requires people to mentor and guide them to fulfill their potential,” he pointed out.
Referencing passages from Ecclesiastes 2:14-26, Psalm 145:4-7, and 2 Timothy 2:2, the Ashaiman Area Head highlighted the role of God in providing wisdom to those who fear Him to effectively manage affairs for the next generation, saying, “God is a God of generations.”
He further advised the congregation to avoid being obsessed with materialism and self-indulgence, stating that such acts could hinder the ability to positively impact the lives of others.
Apostle A.N.Y Kumi-Larbi contrasted biblical leaders like Moses, Elijah, and Paul, who actively mentored others, with Joshua, who failed to groom a successor (Judges 2:8-10), highlighting the need of Christians leaders training individuals to succeed them when they eventually leave the scene.
While acknowledging the importance of training others, he noted that some people are untrainable, urging vigilance against “Gehazis” in the church.
Apostle Kumi-Larbi expressed his appreciation and admiration for Pastor Samuel Kwadwo Oteng, recognising the positive impact he had on his life during their time together at Koforidua Secondary Technical School (SECTECH), where Pastor Oteng was a senior to him.
Called into the full-time ministry of The Church of Pentecost in 1996, Pastor S. K. Oteng served in various duty stations such as Juapong (1996-2006), Nakpanduri (2001-2004), Adugyama (2004-2010), Anyaa (2010-2015), Oda New Town (2015-2019), Gyinyase (2019-2021), and Ashtown (2021-2024).
He also held several leadership positions and served on various committees in the Church.
Report by Emmanuel Nana Nsiah, New Tafo Area
