Presbyterian Moderator in Accra, Ghana, Urges Lord’s Pentecostal Church International to Stay Faithful at 65

The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), the Right Reverend Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, urged The Lord’s Pentecostal Church International (TLPCI) to stay focused on the mission of Jesus Christ and guard against complacency as it marks its 65th anniversary. He delivered the keynote address at the opening of the Church’s 65th Annual General Conference in Accra last Thursday, where he was the special guest of honour.

Dr Kwakye congratulated TLPCI on six and a half decades of Christian witness in Ghana and beyond, calling the milestone “no small achievement” and noting that, if the Church were a person, it would have retired five years ago. He said his relationship with TLPCI General Overseer Apostle Eric Essandoh Anim Otoo began at the University of Ghana, where Apostle Otoo researched the Church’s history. He also praised the Church’s successive leaders, from founding General Overseer Apostle John Sam Amedzro to the current leadership.

Tracing the Church’s development, the Moderator said TLPCI began as an African independent, or initiated, church known locally as “Sunsumsori” and grew under successive leaders into one of Ghana’s mainline Pentecostal denominations. He described its members affectionately as “nieces and nephews” of the Presbyterian family, noting that the Church’s pioneers had links to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Speaking to the conference theme, “Celebrating the Unfailing Faithfulness of God,” Dr Kwakye said faithfulness was a moral attribute that believers must emulate. He urged members to keep their word and to remain committed to the Church’s four core functions: worship, the edification of believers, evangelism and social action. He also warned against allowing partisan politics to divide the Church, stressing that TLPCI existed before the major political parties and would outlive them. “Do not allow politics to divide your church. Stay focused on Jesus Christ. Stay united,” he said.

Drawing on his postdoctoral experience in Basel, Switzerland, and figures from the Pew Research Centre, Dr Kwakye pointed to Christianity’s shift towards the Global South. He said Africa now has about 667 million Christians, compared with 143 million in 1970. He warned, however, that numerical growth without faithfulness could produce the decline seen in parts of Europe and North America, citing the biblical church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14–22) as a cautionary example.

Earlier, Apostle Otoo formally opened the conference and reviewed the Church’s 65 years. He said membership had grown from 35 at the Church’s founding to 32,536 across 285 branches worldwide. He gave the current membership breakdown as 4,386 men, 9,557 women, 6,326 youth and 12,269 children. He highlighted evangelistic crusades held under the “Jesus the Light” banner in several Ghanaian communities, and a mission to South Sudan that combined gospel proclamation with practical support, including clothing donations, pairing the message with care for those in need (Matthew 25:35). He also cited the dedication of a mission house in Malawi and a new chapel at the Ashaiman Washington Branch.

On education, Apostle Otoo said the Church’s five schools enrolled 902 pupils. Its scholarship scheme has supported 160 tertiary students since its inception, and about GH¢78,821 was spent on 37 students between October 2023 and September 2026.

Academic excellence awards went to Miss Paula Elinam Sowu, who placed second overall among the 2025 WASSCE candidates in West Africa and is Ghana’s UN Youth Observer for 2026–2027, and to Dr Henry Elom Quarshie, the first doctoral graduate in mathematical and computational physics at KNUST.

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