“When we are determined to serve the Lord, we can, yes we can” Words of hope expressed by Lead Apostle when a choir comprising a group of ministers and wives set the tone for a festive divine service on 9th October 2021 at the Central Church in Kumasi.

He was assisted by Apostles Asampong, Nortey, Osei-Du and some District Rectors. In attendance were ministers and their wives from Kumasi and Konongo Apostle areas. The bible passage for the service was read from 1 Peter 5:2 – 4 : “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock, and when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away.”

“In the face of the current pandemic, you have not abandoned the works of the Lord, in times of hardship, you have demonstrated your love and supported and still do for the church. We are trusting the grace of the Lord that He will save us. It has brought hardships and we plead the Lord to shorten the days and come and accept us in grace”

On the thoughts on the bible passage, the Northern Ghana leader explained the role of Apostle Peter in following Jesus Christ, his denial at a point, the encounter with him after His resurrection and the authority to fend for His sheep. “We as ministers and our wives also have our imperfections and weaknesses but as ministers, we have been called into this Holy office which is Holy and will continue to be Holy. Let us allow this holiness to reign in our lives because darkness and light have nothing in common”.

Fend for the flock…
“Let us remain faithful in our holy offices as servants of the Lord and fend for the congregation. No shepherd will like to expose his flock to predators or stray animals. He feeds them regularly and gives them shelter. Let us imitate the good shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ and feed the souls entrusted to our care, feed them with the word and the Holy Communion”. The apostle continued, “The church continues to exist due to the word which helped to build our faith till now. Woe unto you to deny the souls with the words of the Lord, how many souls have you added to the congregation under your care, the lead Apostle asked. If the souls are satisfied with the word, they won’t seek for any other food elsewhere.

Shepherd the flock with incessant prayer
Though sleep is good but you have a responsibility to protect souls under your care with continuous fervent prayer. The growth of our various congregations requires our regular prayer for the members since we do not want to lose any soul.

Serve with humility and love
The Lead Apostle admonished the ministers to serve with humility and love and create the atmosphere for souls under our care to receive their deserved blessings. Let us be vessels of blessing to the congregation and make every member feel at home to be prepared for our Heavenly goal. We are not serving for any material gain and thankfully we freely received and we freely give.

Be an example to your followers
The Apostle explained that our greatest Shepherd is Our Lord Jesus Christ and that we shall receive a greater reward when Christ appears. “We shall be called the Faithful, the Righteous, the Priesthood, the children of the Lord, the Victors” for our labour and sacrifices in the work of the Lord. Let your members be happy and be proud of you as their minister.

The Apostle thanked the wives for their support and encouraged them to continue to support the work of the Lord. He admonished both ministers and their wives to love, respect and support each other.

Concluding the sermon, the Lead Apostle tasked the ministers to go forth and take care of the souls under their care. The Lord will see us as faithful stewards if on His return we present to Him more “talents” than what He has entrusted to us.

In attendance were 558 members and the newly assigned District Rectors by the District Apostle were introduced to members.