Ho, Feb. 6, GNA - The New Covenant Apostolic Church, after 50 years of existence, will discard its founding doctrine of strict self-reliance, and open its doors for external assistance and affiliation.

Apostle Frank Avorkliya, Chairman of the Church, announced this when he launched the golden jubilee celebration of the Church that will be under the theme, " Going on to perfection: 50 years with the Lord", at Ho on Thursday.

He observed that the previous doctrine stifled the Church's ability to have access to other sources of funding for development and expressed the hoped that the change "will give the Church the necessary oxygen that it has been denied for a long time to enable it grow and expand across the whole of Africa".

Apostle Avorkliya said consequently, the Church had opened up to foreign organisations from which it is deriving financial support in conformity with "the new wind of globalisation ". He said the Church would establish branches in Europe and America so that "Our brothers and sisters who have moved there" could join the Church.

Apostle Avorkliya announced that the Church would lay a foundation stone for a University in the country by July this year after securing accreditation.

He also said the Church had initiated a programme for the building of a clinic at the Afram Plains adding, "this and other plans now on the drawing board will help transform the Church into a people centred Christian institution, dedicated to serving the needs of the under-privileged in the society".

Apostle Martin Agbemabiase, General Secretary of the Church, urged members of the Church to live by Apostle Paul's injunction to Christians to forget the bitter past and forge ahead while holding on to the gains made.

He said the Church's jubilee celebration should be an event for restoration by which members must rather embrace those who owe them an apology or payment of some sort.

Apostle Agbemabiase urged the members to lift up the banner of the Church wherever they were.

Togbe Asamoah Keteku II, Asafofia of Ho, gave the assurance that he would assist the Church to acquire land for the building its National Secretariat at and schools at Ho.

He requested the Church to dedicate a week of prayers on behalf of the region for the redemption of those who were spiritually lost adding, "As people of God, we were misled to worship the devil".