The School of Theology, Missions and Leadership (STML) of the Pentecost University has held its 13th Matriculation ceremony which ushered in 126 ministerial students into the University for their 4-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology. The event was graced by many dignitaries from the church and academia.
Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of the Chancellor of the University and Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the Kaneshie Area Head of the church, Apostle Michael Etrue, congratulated the students for what he described as a “glorious call” to serve the Lord.
He encouraged the students to prepare to go the extra mile and work with all integrity to the glory of God. “Ministry is not a joke, so please do not take ministry for granted,” he said.
Speaking on the topic, “Knowing our individual assignment; standing on the Holy Ground” using Moses as a case study, Apostle Etrue said when God met Moses in the wilderness, He told him to remove his sandals for where he was standing was holy ground. This, he said, signifies that when one meets God he takes off his old nature and lives a new life that suits the holiness of God. It also means a total surrender unto God to commence a new life, he stressed.
The Kaneshie Area Head admonished the students to surrender their all unto God for Him to work through them mightily as He did to Moses.
He urged the students to have a heart of a good leader. He said Moses was a shepherd-leader, which means he was selfless, patient, calm, and served his people with love. “As a leader, Moses did not create wealth for himself at the expense of his people,” he said.
He added: “Ministry is not for the creation of wealth, but God has called us to succeed in His purpose for us. God is looking for humble, diligent, and honest people to call into the ministry. So, you must not disappoint Him.”
On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, challenged the ministerial students to engage in vigorous studies and prayers.
Prof. Agyapong-Kodua assured the students that they have not joined a mere university, but a university that has set itself up to be unique among all institutions. “We observed a spiritual gap in modern education and an intellectual gap in present-day spirituality. This observation is the pivot of our University A+ agenda,” he stated.
According to him, the agenda of the university is to ensure that every minister trained at the university will become a truly spiritual, intellectually outstanding and a recognised problem solver; ministers replicating Christ in his full-time ministry.
The Vice-Chancellor encouraged the students to learn from the attitude of the four Hebrews who found themselves in Babylon – they studied and gained knowledge to transform the King and governance. He also revealed that those four young men also succeeded because of their spirituality – reverence towards God and their serious attitudes towards learning. “They took their relationship with God seriously and did not joke with their studies. Their results were ten times better” he revealed.
He, therefore, advised the students to take learning seriously and at the same time have an intimate relationship with God.
Report by Alex Nana Owusu Nkrumah.