Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Eric Nyamekye
Despite the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Church of Pentecost recorded a growth rate of 4.3% in its total membership worldwide compared to the previous year.
The church, which currently operates in 109 nations including Ghana, has a total membership of 3,623,011.
This is according to the 2020 State of the Church Address (SOCA20) delivered by the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, at the opening ceremony of the ongoing 45th General Council Meeting on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
Addressing councillors via a Zoom video conferencing, Apostle Nyamekye stated that, within the period, 195,636 persons were led to Christ, which resulted in the opening of 746 new Assemblies worldwide and 124 Districts.
“It is gratifying to note that despite the challenges that we were confronted with, 99,120 of the souls won were baptised in water. This means that 50.7% of all adult souls won in 2020 were baptised in water,” he said.
He further stated: “In the area of Holy Ghost baptism, a total number of 135,061 members received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Of this number, 69,398 were new converts, representing 70.01% of converts baptised in water. Very encouraging!”
On the pursuance of Vision 2023 agenda, the chairman said that the year 2020 witnessed an appreciable number of implementation activities at all levels of the Church in spite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the new ministry interventions such as the Home and Urban Missions, Ministry of Persons with Disabilities (MPWDs) and the Chaplaincy, the Church was able to reach out to people groups that were hitherto not reached by the church.
“To the glory of God, the Home and Urban Missions (HUM), in its activities, won 12,331 souls. This was made up of 416 commercial sex workers, 1,194 street dwellers, 3,713 drug addicts, 3,205 northerners in the south, 544 African migrants, 101 expatriates (non-African migrants), 527 Fulanis, 50 Chakalis, 91 Kotokolis and 12 Challa with 800 Others. During the period, 2,183 of the converts received water baptism and 723 were baptised in the Holy Spirit,” he said.
He further noted: “In Walewale Area, the Chieftaincy Ministry has impacted the Bunbuna Nasuan community of Jimbale District to the extent that when a nearby community attacked them, they did not retaliate. When asked why they did not retaliate, they responded that they knew the Jimbale District Minster, Pastor Daniel Tetteh, who had been offering chaplaincy services to the palace would be disappointed to hear that they had retaliated the attack by their opponents. Praise God!”
The Chairman, therefore, commended all the various ministries, including the traditional ones (women, men, children, youth and evangelism), for the great work done in what was otherwise a difficult year.
Apostle Eric Nyamekye also led councillors to observe a minute silence for ministers and ministers’ wives who were called to glory during the period.
The Chairman also acknowledged the services of all ministers who will be going on retirement this year.
They include Apostle Rene Coco (Benin, 38 years), Apostle Dr. Alfred Koduah (Ghana, 37 years), Apostle Mark Obeng Andoh (Ghana, 37 years), Apostle Robert C. Ackon (Ghana, 35 years), Apostle Komi Edina Agbavitoh (Togo, 33 years), Apostle Dr. Francis Kofi Bonsu (Spain, 32 years), Evangelist Stephen Omane Yeboah – (USA, 27 years), Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Anthony Owusu (Canada, 26 years), Apostle Ekow Badu-Wood (Ghana, 26 years), Apostle Peter Owusu Amponsah (USA, 24 years), Apostle Joseph Adekoya Onile (Nigeria, 23 years) and Apostle Antonio R. Da Silveiro (Brazil, 11 years).
The State of the Church address provides a report on the achievements under the various intervention areas of the Church’s Vision 2023 agenda of “Possessing the Nations”, as well as all major developments that took place in a particular reporting year.