Regional News of Saturday, 7 August 2004

Source: GNA

You will be accountable to God - pastors reminded

Accra , Aug. 7, GNA - The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Ghana the Reverend William Dontoh, has reminded pastors to be mindful of their deeds as they lead the flock of God and the church. He said all pastors would one day be accountable to God so they should be careful how they lead the people of God.

"Many pastors are extolling money from people and misleading people to hell and you should desist from such acts," he told newly ordained pastors, deacons and elders of the New Light Pentecostal Church at an ordination ceremony at Sowutuoum in Accra on Saturday.

The six pastors, 26 elders, 33 deacons and 37 deaconesses were ordained as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of the church on the theme: "Occupy Till I Come".

The celebrations, which started from August 1, with various church activities including talk shows, musical concerts and gospel film shows, would be climaxed on Sunday August 8.

The ordination ceremony was attended by representatives of the various Christian bodies including the Ghana Pentecostal Council and the National Association of Charismatic Churches and members of the church from the Greater Accra, Central and Volta regions.

Rev Dontoh who performed the ordination service advised the newly ordained to be ready to serve the people wherever their services were needed in order to reach out to majority of people in need of God's word and salvation.

The Reverend Christian Gawugah, Founder and Leader of the Church, advised the youth to abstain from pre-marital sex and the married to be faithful to their spouses to help halt the spread of HIV/AIDS. He also urged Christians to go out and vote massively in the upcoming general elections "to elect a good leader who can lead the country in peace and in tranquillity".

He said the church expected to raise 100 million cedis during the anniversary celebrations and this included levies from each of the 15 branches of the church to complete a two-storey church auditorium for the head quarters.

He also disclosed that the church had acquired a plot of land at Omanjor in the Greater Accra Region, which would soon be developed into a nursery and preparatory school block to cater for the educational needs of the people in the community.