The President of Assemblies of God Church Bible College in Italy, Reverend Paul Frimpong-Manso, has cautioned new graduates of the school to guard against greediness and arrogance in the discharge of their duties to serve God.

He was speaking during an interview after a joint service of the church in Reggio Emilia to award certificates to six students who passed out of the church’s Bible College after a 3-year course.

The Rev. Minister who officiated at the service indicated the biggest challenge the new graduates will face at the onset of their Ministry after graduation is seemingly overwhelming. “While this phenomenon is true, it takes reliance and faith in God to faithfully discharge their duties in the Ministry. Faithfulness to God, to the community they serve as well as to the State should be their priority,” he said

Rev. Frimpong-Manso noted that as young Ministers there is always a temptation to derail from the mission and vision they have set for themselves and adopt the norm of the day, following and looking for cheap popularity and wealth. He backed his comments with quotation from 2 Timothy 4:3 which says: ‘For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear’. “They should be compassionate, kind, prayerful, faithful to the WORD of God by their continuous study of the Bible and also people of vision,” he went on.

The Rev. Minister, who is also the President of Mid Bible College in Kumasi, Ghana, admonished the new graduates the same way Apostle Paul admonished his student, Timothy, in Timothy 4:2, ‘Preach the WORD; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction’, adding Pastors should not sacrifice their families on the altar of their Ministry.

When asked what the church should do to attract more people to the Kingdom of God, he replied: “Our primary purpose is obedient response to the great commission, making disciples who will fulfil the threefold mission of the church – evangelism, worship and discipleship. Our strategy is the intentional, systematic developments of leaders who can carry on the work of the Ministry in the local church and to insist on those they lead for spiritual responsibility to fulfil the great commission. The goal is to encourage the participation of every person in a local church to share the message of God’s Kingdom and to bring them in.”

In the concluding part of the interview, Rev. Frimpong-Manso mentioned that the A/G Bible College offers an ideal place for ministry and leadership. “Our classes deal with specific Ministry skills. It’s impossible to make disciple without getting them into the Bible and getting the Bible into them. We, the lecturers adhere to this passionate and nonnegotiable value: THE WORD OF GOD. He also pointed out, without ministerial training, the local church will lose its primary effective in reaching, winning and training its effective community and that the Italy Bible College has a vital role in helping the various branches of the church to grow and thrive, adding the school is open to people from different denominational background and independent ministries.

“Our courses are scheduled to help the working folks to attain the best of education that will aid them fulfil their call,” he added.

Rev. Frimpong finally said of the new graduates not to let anything stop them from the work of the ministry. “Satan will like to knock anybody off the road with discouragement, self-doubt, fear, problems and difficulties. They should stand together as a united body, not to compete but compliment each other. Give their resources and time to the Ministry, avoid unnecessary gossip and share Christ,” were his final comments.

Rev. Solomon King, the Dean of the school and Mid Bible College in Ghana and also one of the lecturers, in a separate interview, said he was impressed about the service and participation at the Graduation Day. “The A/G Church in Italy is helping train its Pastors and believers who wants to work in the church or in the House of the Lord. This is a laudable idea and will give the church a solid foundation for Teaching and Preaching. It’s one of the best programmes leaders can offer their people and I will advise anyone who wants to work in the church to take advantage of this training programme”, he noted.

Rev. King said he is carrying to Ghana a message of hope and growth of the work in Italy and what God is doing in the life of the church is sounding in the ears of all but they should not despise, however, the day of little things.