Investigate confinement at church camps - Apostle

Accra (Greater Accra) 16 Nov. '98

Apostle Joseph Atta Coleman, the new President of the General Council for Pentecostal Churches (GCPC) has advocated the setting up of a committee to investigate the confinement of the sick and the deprived in prayer camps by some churches in the country. He said this is because, as the world enters into the 21st century, ''we need a change in thought and attitude to enable us meet and face new events''. Apostle Coleman, who is also the Founder of the Universal Christian Church said this at an induction ceremony in Accra at the weekend for the new executives of the GCPC. The GCPC, formerly known as the Pentecostal Association of Ghana was established in 1962 and embraces about 672 branches of African independent churches. He said the future also demands that ''we learn to forgive and forget, hope for the best in the future and learn to avoid evil and do what is right. ''I...appeal to our traditional rulers to discard some of our outmoded customs as well as rituals and modernise others to suit our present generation.'' He also called on the other Pentecostal and Charismatic groups among other churches to respect what he termed as 'front- line churches, who have been in existence for many years. ''In particular, the foreign assisted churches should neither condemn the African instituted ones nor look down upon them....since we are all following our dear Lord Jesus Christ and He commands us to be one''.

Apostle Coleman expressed the hope that in so doing, God ''will surely bless everything we do and we will eventually have a perfect life''. The Reverend Thomas Oduro, Principal of the Good News Training Institute told the new executives to emulate Jesus Christ who humbled Himself and rather served His disciples instead of being served. He said they should not see themselves above anything and neither should they compare themselves to leaders of the world because their offices are very different. ''Leaders of this world rule the people, but we have been given these positions by the Grace of God, which demands that we love and serve the people''. The Principal also cautioned the congregation not to always look up to the church leaders but to prepare themselves for the day leaders will be no more. The induction ceremony was conducted by the Prophet Jonahs Jehu- Appiah, Akaboha the third of the Mossama Disco Christo Church and Past President of the Council. The Council has the Rev. Dr Simon Peter Freeman as the Vice President, the Rev. Nicholas Tawiah-Mintah, Secretary- General and the Arch Deacon J. K. Ahinkorah as the Assistant Secretary-General.