My heart leaped with joy when the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost remarked in his State of the Church address (SOCA) that the Church’s finances remained unshaken in 2020 despite the destructive winds of COVID. That alone in itself is evidence that He who is firmly grounded in Christ should be rest assured that the promise of “Immanuel” in both the good and difficult times is still true.
As I skimmed through pictures and read the glowing tributes to the Church for fully financing and constructing the Ejura Correctional Facility, I could not help but praise God for the visionary leadership of CoP and for His constant supply of resources.
In a generation where the finances of the body of Christ is always under attack yet channelling the same resources into self-gratifying activities is justified, it is expedient for the impact of the church to be felt in the society. It is therefore justifiable that despite its unending expenditure in meeting the demands of its exponentially increasing church planting rate the CoP still invests heavily in social interventions.
In Praising God, join me recount the faithfulness of God to COP in its social interventions as mentioned in the State of the Church Address by the Chairman. In a CoVID season where some institutions withdrew their resources, business folded up, here are a few interventions that were funded with the tithes and offerings of the church to the Glory of God:
i. Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) was handed over to the Government of Ghana to be used as an isolation centre COVID patients. This costed the Church over GHS 39,000,000.00 during the period.
ii. 11 of the church’s Cine vans were given to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to undertake public education exercises on COVID-19. Expenses covering the vehicle maintenance, fuel, allowances and accommodation for the drivers who used the vans was catered for by the church.
iii. GHS100,000.00 was donated to the Ghana COVID-19 Fund and GHS 75,201.22 worth of medical supplies to the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Police Service, and the National Commission for Civic Education to combat COVID-19.
iv. Needy members were supported at the cost of GHS 23,920.50 at the National level. Aside these, the Areas, Districts, and local Assemblies also supported the fight to the tune of about GHS5,412,653.20, in providing relief support to vulnerable members and non-members. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) were also provided to some public institutions.
v. One clinic in Bawku area was completed
vi. GHS2,313,859.09 was spent on health care support to members, at various levels of the Church in Ghana.
vii. A two-bedroom semi-detached staff bungalow was constructed to house the Medical Doctor and the Clinic Administrator at the Pentecost Clinic, Kpassa.
viii. A total of 44 boreholes were drilled in 2020 to provide water for communities without water
ix. An amount of GHS1,300,000.00 was received from the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (NEIP) to support the training of about 3,500 youth in employable skills and 2,500 in ethical business management. As at December 2020, a total of 1,500 unemployed youths in the Church had been trained and provided with start-up support in Fashion, Catering, Electronics, and Dressmaking.
x. PENTSOS trained 54 youths in Sawla Area in Beekeeping and Honey Production.
xi. organised training for 60 youths in dry season vegetable farming. Through Bawku Area, a 20-acre land has been acquired for 25 years for the establishment of an irrigation farm.
xii. PENTSOS has set up a bakery project at Busunya in the Techiman Area of the Church to provide direct employment and train the youth in bread making.
xiii. construction of drainage and toilet facilities, footbridges, a community library, rest stops/shelters at bus terminals, drilling of boreholes, and the painting of public buildings, etc. These social interventions at the various levels of the Church continued to provide significant inroads for the Church in the preaching of the gospel to politicians, chiefs and opinion leaders in our towns and cities. To God be the glory!
xiv. It is gratifying to note that in the year 2020, the Districts, Areas and Ministries in Ghana, together with the Headquarters, spent GHS3,669,464.97 to sponsor the educational pursuits of members of the Church at various levels.
This is where majority of your tithes and offering goes to in CoP. I really hope these highlights will inspire us to give more to support the Church to touch lives.
#PossessingtheNations
#TheChurchIsMarchingOn
By:
Eld. Alexander Kumi-Larbi Jnr
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