A retired minister of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Micheal Collins Asiedu, has stated that the local assembly is the strength of the church and, therefore, must be given the needed attention by ensuring that each member has a sense of belonging.
He indicated that before the church can achieve its goals, members should have inner satisfaction and that one of the key areas to consider is visitation to members and their families.
Apostle M. C. Asiedu said this at the opening of a four-day La Area Officers Apostolisation at Dr Thomas Wyatt Temple on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.
With scripture reference to Acts 20:20, he stated that the church is a family, and so one of the best ways to shepherd the flock of God is through visitation, saying, “Leaders must be intentional in visiting members to know them better in deeds, speech and actions.”
He revealed that visitation is in two dimensions – top-down approach where leaders visit members, and down-top approach where members also visit their leaders.
According to him, visitation is based on the love of God which is revealed in Christ and exhibited to one another. As shepherds of God’s flock, God expects leaders to be keenly concerned about the welfare of the flock entrusted to them.
The former Evangelism Director of the church hinted with biblical references to Jeremiah 23:1-2, Lamentations 4:3-4, Job 39:13-15 and Ezekiel 34 that, the Lord is strictly against leaders who ignore the flocks since it is part of their responsibility.
He cited Acts 20:28 and stated: “Visitation was part and parcel of God’s nature and is a reflection in His name Emmanuel. Jesus also replicated what His father did when He came to the earth.
“Our service should be modelled after that of Christ. Christ’s disciples in the early church had time for both group and individual ministrations through visitation.”
Apostle Asiedu mentioned that Christian visitations may include routine visitation which is open to everyone and emergency or circumstantial which is mostly unplanned but based on issues at hand.
There is also scheduled visitation which is backed by a plan, he added. He indicated that visitations can be done in homes, offices, and schools but should be at the convenience of those being visited, stressing that one should follow the ethics and principles of visitation.
“Visitation should not pose problems in homes and families. Advance notice, confidentiality and respect for boundaries are key during visitations,” he stated.
He commended officers of the church for their diligence towards the work of God in ensuring the growth of the church. In an earlier presentation, the La Area Head, Apostle Dr Dieudonne Komla Nuekpe, gave a summary and rationale behind the five-year vision of the church, dubbed ‘Vision 2023’ of possessing the nations.
He noted that due to Israel’s failure in its mandate to possess nations, God expects Christians to fulfil that by making an impact wherever they find themselves.
“It is in this view that The Church of Pentecost is repositioning itself to have a positive influence in the nations,” he said, adding, “The Church wants to consume the nations with Kingdom’s values and principles.”
He noted that the three approaches to the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda are as follows: Equipping members with the required resources through the teachings and practices of the church; Strengthening and realigning existing institutions and structures of the church to serve as implementation units, and Creating a conducive environment for the vision to thrive.
Report by Gina Akua Padi.