Posts in category: Pentsos News

The Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social services wing of The Church of Pentecost, has constructed two hand-pump borehole water facilities at Asantekwaa and Ntankoro communities in the Kintampo Area of the church.

The water facilities, which were fully funded by the Headquarters of the church through PENTSOS, were commissioned by the Kintampo Area Head, Apostle Gideon Obeng-Darko Debrah, on behalf of the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, on March 8^th and 15^th respectively.

According to Apostle G.O.D. Debrah, the construction of the boreholes forms part of the church’s Vision 2023 agenda of possessing the nations and social services to deprived communities in the country.

He advised the chiefs and people of the two communities to make good use of the facilities and handle them with care to last for long.

At Asantekwaa, Opanin Kwasi Kuma, speaking on behalf of the chief of the community, expressed their great appreciation to The Church of Pentecost for the timely intervention. Some members of the community also expressed joy and satisfaction for the wonderful gesture by the church.

Nana Fosu Gyeabo, the Chief of Ntankoro, on his part, thanked the church for the timely intervention. He admitted that the community was in a dire need of potable water supply since most of their boreholes had broken down, making it difficult for the community people to access good drinking water.

In attendance at both ceremonies was the wife of the Area Head, Mrs Mabel Debrah as well as ministers of the church and the chiefs and people of the beneficiary communities.

The Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social services wing of The Church of Pentecost, in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Voltic Ghana Limited, has launched a school sanitation improvement project dubbed ‘Waste for Education’ (W4E).

The W4E project, aimed at accelerating the business of collecting and recycling of plastic waste to improve sanitation and wealth in Ghana, was launch by the General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Alexander Nana Yaw Kumi-Larbi, at a ceremony held at the Datus School Complex at Bubuashie, Accra on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.

It attracted pupils and teachers from the Pentecost schools in Accra, officials of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Voltic Ghana Limited, ministers of the Church from the Kaneshie Area led by the Area Head, Apostle Mike Etrue and other stakeholders in education and sanitation sectors.

Speaking at the event, Apostle Kumi-Larbi noted that the overarching goal of the project is to contribute to the improved well-being of pupils in Pentecost Schools through good environmental sanitation.

According to the General Secretary, the project seeks among others, to establish a culture of environmental cleanliness among the pupils through behavioural change approaches, establish plastic waste storage and collection bays in schools, institute a reward system for the collection of plastic by pupils in order for private sector recycling companies to pick up for re-use and recycling.

The project, he indicated, will go a long way to inculcate a culture of environmental cleanliness among the pupils.

This effort at the school level, he said, will be complemented with health and hygiene education programmes and activities. “It is expected that this habit inculcated in the schools with remain with the children beyond the walls of the schools and consequently impact our communities and nation. We hope this initiative will be successful and eventually be replicated in all schools in Ghana,” he stressed.

The General Secretary assured that the project would be packaged for the adult members at the various levels of the church in order to bring the whole church populace onboard to effectively deal with plastic waste in Ghana.

The Director of PENTSOS, Elder Richard Amaning, explained that the project will be implemented in selected Pentecost Preparatory Schools in Accra and Kumasi over a 36-month period with funding support from the project partners – The Church of Pentecost, Voltic and Zoomlion Ghana.

With support from its partners, Elder Amaning noted that annual cleaner cities conferences would be organised to create a platform at the national level for dialogue on general sanitation involving the pupils.

He stated that the income generated by the schools based on payment received from the recycling companies will be channelled to procure text and exercise books for the pupils and in some instances subsidize the school fees of the pupils involved.

The National Programme Officer of Zoomlion Foundation, Mr. Thomas Narh Korley, said that W4E is part of efforts to eliminate plastic litter from Ghanaian schools. This, he noted, falls in line with Zoomlion’s vision to promote clean and green communities in Ghana.

“The Church of Pentecost is encouraging its schools to learn to manage their plastic waste well. Zoomlion Foundation will provide dustbins to the schools and use awareness education to encourage separation of waste,” he added.

Led by the Zoomlion Foundation, he said, over 500 schools have been given assistance to properly collect and segregate waste while thousands of waste bins have been donated to the schools. “The Zoomkids Club approach is used to promote peer-to-peer education in the schools and to generate the needed effects,” he added.

The Public Affairs & Communication Manager of Voltic (GH) Ltd, Joyce Ahiadorme, on her part, stated her outfit’s intention to work together with other stakeholders to set up collection points in communities in line with their ambition of collecting and recycling 100 per cent of their packaging by 2030.

She said that Voltic is engaging various stakeholders to create an ecosystem that drives collective sustainable action towards managing post-consumer plastics.

“Voltic believe that sustainable environmental management is a shared responsibility of the industry, policymakers, waste pickers and consumers alike.

“As we act responsibly to manage our post-consumer waste, we will like to see all consumers becoming environmentally conscious. An empty Voltic bottle and any other plastic for that matter do not belong in the gutter, streets or in the seas, it belongs in a bin where it can be recycled,” she stated.

The Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS) is set to distribute some medical logistics among seven (7) Pentecost health facilities outside the Greater-Accra region following clearance from the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The items are to help protect health workers at the facilities, especially the frontline staff, and persons who patronise the facilities from contracting the novel COVID-19, thereby curbing the spread of the deadly virus in the country,

The seven (7) health institutions, spread across six regions in the country (Oti, Western North, Central, Western, Ahafo and Bono, are Pentecost Hospital, Tarkwa, Pentecost Hospital, Ayanfuri, Pentecost Clinic, Kpassa, Pentecost Clinic, Enchi Kwahu, Pentecost Clinic, Twifo Agona, Pentecost Clinic, Yawmatwa and Pentecost Clinic, Kasapin.

The items include 21 sets of personal protective equipment (PPEs), 70 packets of nose masks, 14 infrared thermometers, 270 packets of examination hand gloves, and 7 cartons (140 pieces) of 2-litre hand sanitisers.

Pentecost Hospital, Madina, on the other hand, has taken delivery of some medical supplies donated to the hospital by The Church of Pentecost in the Greater-Accra region.

The PENTSOS Directorate has also given each of the seven health facilities an amount of GHS 2000.00 to support their preparedness towards the fight against COVID-19.

The Church of Pentecost remains committed to playing a critical role in the national fight against the coronavirus disease.

It will be recalled that the CoP Headquarters on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, donated PPEs to the Ministry of Health (MoH) and released 12 vans to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) for nationwide public education as part of efforts to combat COVID-19. Among other donations by the church, the CoP-Ashanti Region (comprising 11 administrative areas) and the Ho Area have also made separate donations to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Ho Teaching Hospital respectively in support of government’s efforts in dealing with the pandemic in Ghana.

In addition to the above donations, CoP-Greater Accra has also presented PPEs worth GHS 150,000.00 to 13 selected health facilities, namely LEKMA Hospital, Amasaman Hospital, Kaneshie Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, St. John’s Hospital, Ga South Municipal Hospital, Tema Polyclinic, Mamprobi Polyclinic, GA East Hospital, Ashaiman Polyclinic, Amanfro Polyclinic, Kasoa New Market Clinic and Oduman Polyclinic, through the Ministry of Health.

The church has also made separate donations of PPEs to La Clinic, Raphal Medical Centre, Tema and the Ghana Prisons Service.

The Chinese Christian community in Ghana has donated 10,000 pieces of surgical face masks to The Church of Pentecost to be distributed to people in deprived communities in Ghana.

Ida Ho, leader of 3 Bridges International, a group of Chinese Christian missionaries who minister to Chinese nationals in Ghana, presented the face masks to the Church through the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS) at the Headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, June 9, 2020.

She explained that the face masks, which are packed with gospel tracks and public information on COVID-19, was part of the effort by the group to collaborate with the Church to reach out to the poor in the hinterlands who could not afford it.

According to her, The Church of Pentecost has been of enormous support to the Chinese Christian community in Ghana since they started their operations in the country, describing the Church as her mother church in Ghana.

The Teshie-Nungua Are Head, Apostle Dr Alfred Koduah, who led the group to the Head Office, said that members of the group fellowship at the James McKeown Worship Centre in the Area. He explained that the group expressed their intention to donate the face masks to the church’s health facilities to benefit people in rural communities.

Receiving the donation, the PENTSOS Director, Elder Richard Amaning, thanked the group for the kind gesture and indicated that the items will be used for the intended purpose.

He noted that PENTSOS, which is the social services wing of the Church, will distribute the face masks to about seven of the church’s health facilities in rural communities across the country so that those who patronise the facilities without nose masks can have them for free.

He indicated that the collaboration with the Chinese Christian group formed part of the medical evangelism effort of the Church through its health facilities. He disclosed that 106 souls were won to Christ in 2019 through medical evangelism.

“PENTSOS envisages enhancing nose mask use and coverage in the country through the intentional distribution of free nose masks to patients of our healthcare facilities across the country and also to populations living in deprived and rural areas,” he said, adding, “The strategy is to use the free distribution of nose masks as an entry point in preaching the gospel to people.”

He added that the overarching purpose of this intervention is to propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through the sharing of personal protective equipment (PPEs) in rural and in deprived areas.

Present at the ceremony which was chaired by the Finance and Administration Director (FAD) of the Church, Pastor Dr Nicholas Darko, were the Resident Minister of James McKeown Worship Centre, Pastor Daniel Danso, and the Teshie-Nungua Area Secretary, Pastor Ebenezer Agyapong.

Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social services wing of The Church of Pentecost, has donated 200 pieces of dual and mono desks to three schools in the Sawla Area of the Church.

The beneficiary schools are Bole Pentecost Preparatory School (PPS), Tuna PPS and Sawla PPS. Bole PPS received 55 dual and 10 mono desks, Sawla PPS received 55 dual and 20 mono desks while Tuna PSS received 40 dual and 20 mono desks.

The Area Head, Apostle William Ohemeng-Kwakye, receiving the desks on behalf of the management of the three schools on June 18, 2020, thanked the PENTSOS Director, Elder Richard Amaning, and the leadership of the church for responding positively to their call.

Apostle Ohemeng-Kwakye entreated the schools and their management committees to ensure that the chairs are maintained to serve the intended purpose.

It will be recalled that the PENTSOS Director, as part of his tour of the church’s educational institutions in the Area, expressed worry about the state of the chairs in the schools and promised to do something about it to turn the situation around.

The chairs are, therefore, expected to enhance teaching and learning in the schools.

In attendance at the presentation ceremony were Overseer Samuel Essien (Area PENTSOS Coordinator), Pastor Maxwell Nti, Pastor Benjamin Addo Boateng and Overseer Isaac Kwadwo Asare, the Local PENTSOS Managers for Sawla, Bole and Tuna respectively.

Also present was the Area Deacon, Elder Joseph Puorimah, as well as the heads of the three schools.

The Pentecost Hospital, Tarkwa in the Western Region has commissioned an ultra-modern Operating Theater and a Recovery Ward to help improve on healthcare delivery in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality.

The commissioning of the two facilities which cost GH¢ 328,397.00 to construct has brought great relief to both staff and patients of the hospital. The ceremony which took place on November 25, 2019, was chaired by the Tarkwa Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle John Appiah Aidoo.

Hitherto, the facility had been working without a functional operating theatre, which led to limitations in providing some essential healthcare, especially in the surgical discipline and more importantly with maternal care. This resulted in cases where many pregnant women had to be referred out of the facility at the least complaint of morbidity because the hospital was not equipped to handle any complication.

Due to the situation, other minor and major general surgical cases too were not attended to, which led to a loss of revenue to the facility as well as a loss of patient confidence in its healthcare delivery capabilities.

With this great addition, the Pentecost Hospital, Tarkwa is now positioned to be an excellent healthcare centre in the Tarkwa Municipality and its environs.

Speaking at the ceremony, the General Manager of the hospital, Pastor Dr. Suleman De-Graft Issaka, thanked the leadership of the church and other stakeholders for their immense support in making the theatre project a reality and thus bringing hope to patients, especially pregnant women.

Brief History of the Project

The project began in 2014 by Pastor Dr. E. Arko Koranteng, former General Manager of the hospital, together with Dr. Mrs. Agnes Asare, who saw the need to manage the surgical cases that came into the facility without referring them to other medical facilities in the municipality.

Before Pastor Dr. Koranteng was transferred to the Pentecost Hospital, Madina in 2019, the project had reached an advanced stage with some theatre equipment such as autoclave, patient monitor, and theatre bed having been acquired.

Pastor Dr. Suleman De-Graft Issaka, who took over from Pastor Dr. Koranteng in January 2019, completed the project and furnished it with state-of-the-art equipment. The facility is furnished with an anaesthetic machine, theatre light and other modern theatre equipment.

Dr. Frank Amankonah Dartey who chairs the Theatre and Recovery Ward Committee and Mrs. Esther Issaka, the Theatre and Recovery Ward in-Charge, took the Area Head and the guests round the facility.

Present at the ceremony were the Board Members, Internal Management Team (IMT), Staff of the hospital and the clergy, mostly from The Church of Pentecost.

Pentecost Hospital, Tarkwa is one of the eight health institutions of The Church of Pentecost run by the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social arm of the church.

The Kaneshie Area of The Church of Pentecost, headed by Apostle Mike Kwame Etrue, has launched a Scholarship Scheme aimed at assisting brilliant but needy students in the Area through their education or apprenticeship.

The launch, which took place on Monday, June 25, 2018, during the Area’s Monthly Officers’ interaction and prayer meeting Darkuman Central Auditorium at, was well attended by ministers, ministers’ wives, officers and members. The scheme was launched by the Area PENTSOS Board Chairman, Elder Ebenezer Tagoe on behalf of the Area Head.

Elaborating on the need for such a scheme to be instituted in the area, Elder Tagoe stressed that if the church does not assist such students through their education or apprenticeship, they may not be able to achieve their goals and serve humanity well. He, therefore, appealed to members to give wholeheartedly to support this worthy cause.

In his remarks, the Area Head, Apostle Etrue, explained that a management team would be set up to manage the funds and ensure that the money is used for its intended purpose. Again, he stated that student members in the area who would like to access the scheme would be taken through a transparent and systematic process to ensure that they genuinely need the support.

Apostle Etrue, however, clarified that the launch of the Scheme does not signify that it has begun operation, adding that there was the need to grow the fund to a level and put all structures in place before members can begin to access it.

Exhorting the congregation on the topic “Trust and Leadership” (1 Timothy 3:1-12, ) later at the launch, Apostle Etrue stated that members trust their leaders to be fair in judgement, fully involved in programmes they organise, loyal and faithful in handling church finances and to resolve conflicts (difficult situations) amicably and peacefully.

He, therefore, charged church leaders to be transparent in all their dealings and to lead lives worthy of their calling since it is difficult to restore trust when it is broken.

A newly constructed 25 unit classroom block for the Ashaiman Pentecost Preparatory School (PPS) has been dedicated.

The 2-storey block with modern facilities such as offices, computer laboratory, Basic Design and Technology (BDT) laboratory, washrooms among others was constructed at a total cost of GH¢641, 890.00, with financial support from Area, districts, individuals and the school.

The classroom block was dedicated by the outgone Area Head, Apostle Patrick Kingsley Ennin (now retired), on August 16, 2019, assisted by Pastor Emmanuel Yaw Akwaboah (outgone Ashaiman Estate District Minister) and Elder Anthony Nnuro (the Headmaster), among others.

The school which is adjacent to the James McKeown Temple at Ashaiman Estate was established on September 18, 1990, by the late Elder J. W. K. Obodai with 24 pupils and two teachers. Meanwhile, the idea to establish the school was conceived by the late Elder M. O. Danso.

In 2004, it received the Ghana Education Service (GES) identification number. Its first badge of students, numbering ten who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in 2005 recorded a 100%  pass with distinction between grades 9 and 16.

In 2012, the then Area, Apostle Nene Ofoe Amegatcher with support from the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS) provided funds for the school’s wooden structures to be demolished for the construction of some permanent blocks.

Apostle Patrick Kingsley Ennin who took over from Apostle Amegatcher decided to give the school a facelift by constructing the 2-storey 25 unit classroom block. He performed the foundation stone ceremony on August 4, 2017.

Present at the ceremony were Apostle Emmanuel K. Akpabli (Rtd), Pastor Daniel Nii Okaija Sackey (National Executive Committee Member of the Youth Ministry) and the Area pastorate.

Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS), the social services wing of The Church of Pentecost, has constructed two boreholes for Kwesikrom in Ellobankata District and Essaman in Adum Banso District in the Takoradi Area of the church.

The facilities were constructed at a total cost of GH¢32,000.00, received from the Headquarters of the church through PENTSOS.

Commissioning the boreholes on behalf of the Area Head on March 26, 2020, at the two communities respectively, the Area Secretary, Pastor Charles Arthur indicated that, although the borehole will provide physical water to quench the thirst of people of the communities, he recommends Jesus Christ who is the living water that never runs out and that whoever receives Him will never thirst.

He emphasised that anyone who receives Jesus, receives hope, because without Jesus in the life of an individual no one has the hope of eternal life.

“The thirst of every person can be quenched by Jesus who is the living water,” he affirmed.

He used the opportunity to encourage both communities to accept and receive Jesus the Living Water who is far more valuable than the physical water which has been provided to them by The Church of Pentecost.

The Area Secretary informed the communities that the initiative forms part of the church’s community development efforts in line with Vision 2023.

The Chief of Essaman, Nana Kwesi Aboah II and the Chief of Kwesikrom Nana Kwesi Angrah took their turns and expressed gratitude to the church for the facilities and entreated the people in their communities to take good care facilities to ensure a longer lifespan.

Present at the ceremony were the Takoradi Area Deacon, Elder Daniel K. Quaye, Pastors Augustine Bacho (Adum Banso District), Ransford K. Baah (Ellobankata District) and some selected officers and members of the church.

The successful implementation of every policy, to a large extent, is dependent on the understanding and commitment of all stakeholders involved.

It is against this background that the leadership of The Church of Pentecost, as part of strategies towards the achievement of the 5-year strategic vision of the church dubbed “Vision 2023: Possessing the Nations,” is engaging with all the stakeholders to achieve the stated objective associated with the vision.

The 7th edition of the annual Ministers and Wives’ Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh, near Kasoa, therefore, provided an opportunity for ministers of the church to be informed about the progress of the implementation of the various interventions, as outlined in the vision document.

Elder Dr. Yao Yeboah (National Coordinator for the Pentecost Workers’ Guild (PEWG) began the session with a presentation on the PEWG. He explained that the PEWG exists to operate as a transformational organ to unite all professionals of the church to become “Salt and Light” in the world in order to possess nations for Christ.

He indicated that the guilds have been created to raise role models to mentor the young ones at the workplaces to become responsible and Christ-like adults while serving as a synergy to create jobs, grow businesses and share professional ideas as well as provide career guidance for career progression. He stated that membership of the guilds was opened to all professionals as well as non-professional in the church. He said the PEWG was committed to soul winning through the transformed characters of the guild members and community outreaches like free medical screening and legal aid. He encouraged Area Heads to stimulate ministers to support guilds in their respective jurisdictions.

Taking his turn, Apostle Lt. Col. B. G. Kumi-Wood, on behalf of the Chaplaincy Board, said the board has been tasked to provide the framework for the operations of a robust chaplaincy system in the church.

He said various strategies are being deployed to unleash members as chaplains into institutions, organisations, business entities that serve the society, including hospitals, prisons and correctional facilities, schools and educational facilities, emergency services, orphanages and aged homes, chieftaincy, etc.

The Chaplaincy Ministry, according to him, shall operate with the broad goal of providing God-guided perspective and support to the people driving operations as well as influencing decision processes at the various institutions.

Making a presentation on behalf of the Pentecost University College (PUC), Apostle Dr. Daniel Walker, the Rector of PUC and Executive Council Member of the church, said the university has been identified by the leadership of the church as a unique mission field to train students with the fear of God to possess the nations. He informed the participants that the Charter Application to become a full fledge university was at an advanced stage.

He was hopeful that the PUC will receive the Presidential Charter before the end of 2020. He was grateful to the church for the financial support to the university and to the Areas for sponsoring some students into the university. This, according to him, has boosted the university’s enrollment, which, hitherto had dropped significantly.

Apostle Dr. Walker also enumerated a number of awards received by the PUC for 2019. The Rector was adjudged the Most Outstanding CEO among private universities in Ghana whilst PUC was awarded the Best Private University in Ghana, among other awards.

There were presentations from the Pentecost Social Services (PENTSOS) Directorate by the Director, Elder Richard Amaning, the Counseling Board headed by Probationary Overseer Professor Joseph Osafo Adu and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Church of Pentecost Chairman Education Foundation (COPCEF), Apostle Prof. Peter Ohene Kyei (Rtd.).

Presentations on Home and Urban Missions (HUM), Ministry to Persons with Disabilities (MPWDs) and PENSA International were made to enable participants have full grasp of what the interventions were all about for easy implementation at their respective stations.

A 2-member delegation from the Ghana Statistical Services also graced the conference on Thursday to interact with participants on the impending 2020 Population and Housing Census. They made a passionate appeal to the ministers to encourage the church members to make themselves available to census officials and cooperate with them for a smooth and effective exercise.

They also informed members to be vigilant and not to divulge any information relating to Bank Account, SSNIT and Visa Card Personal Identification Pin (PIN) to officials who request them. They advised that such officials should be reported to the security agencies for them to be apprehended.