The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has asserted that the success of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda hinges on the church’s vibrant youth, with the adult membership providing guidance to ensure its success.
He, therefore, charged ministers and other church leaders at all levels to engage the youth meaningfully by loving and involving them in all church activities.
His exhortation, inspired by Joshua 13:1, is founded on the belief that it is the youth who possess the energy needed to take territories for the Lord.
Speaking on a three-divisional topic with “Building the Church of God” as its broad theme at a meeting with the Antwerp Zone of the Church in Belgium, Apostle Nyamekye emphasised that today’s youth must be assigned roles in the church’s operations because they represent the strength and greatest hope of tomorrow’s church.
While focusing on the first sub-topic, “Build the Church to Last,” Apostle Eric Nyamekye emphatically stated that building a lasting church requires intentional involvement of the youth at all levels of leadership. He noted, “The youth are the strength and greatest hope of tomorrow’s church.”
Consequently, he urged church leadership at all levels to nurture, love, and involve the youth in church programs to better position them to take over from today’s generation. He referenced a statement by E. Pinto: “The society that hates its youth has no future.”
“Let’s love them; make adjustments in our programs for them; involve them in the choir, choreography, recitations, and reading of the scriptures; let’s support them and adjust our programs sometimes to help them,” he said.
Referring to Judges 2:10, Apostle Nyamekye reminded the congregants of Israel’s failure to prepare their youth to take over from Joshua’s generation and its repercussions on the nation. He warned that the church could face a similar grim reality if today’s leadership fails to prepare tomorrow’s leaders.
“If we fail to do so, they will go through the back door. Let’s create interest in them and encourage them because we need to build the church to last,” he remarked.
The call to involve the youth in all activities of the church does not mean compromising the church’s treasured beliefs and core values. Quoting 1 Corinthians 3:9-14, he cautioned, “When we are building, let’s be mindful about how we are building and the quality of materials we use, knowing that fire will test it one day.”
“Let’s be mindful of the quality and integrity of the materials we use to build. We must remember that the churches we are building are not for self, but for God’s glory,” he stated.
“We need to know that leadership is not a marathon, but like a relay race, which has to be gauged and run to win; it is not a marathon. Leadership is about tomorrow.
“Human beings expire; we come into the world in phases, and we will go in phases. So, anytime we are building a church, we must be mindful of the materials we use and recognize the limits of what we can achieve in our generation,” he said.
Explaining why today’s church leadership must be futuristic in their operations, Apostle Nyamekye stated, “No generation possibly finishes the work because every day sinners are born onto this planet. Every generation comes with its own challenges, and it takes the people of the same generation to deal with the challenges of their generation.”
Referencing Deuteronomy 6 and Psalms 78, Apostle Nyamekye urged the congregation to ensure a proper handover to the next generation. “Let’s enjoy our local church, but let’s build a church that will last,” he added.
Beyond the church, he urged, “Pay attention to your family; they are your greatest asset. If you want your name to outlive you, bring your children to God. Let’s change our minds concerning the young people,” he concluded.
Report by David Tagoe, Antwerp