RATIONALE FOR THEME 2024:
A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were
not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have
received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, NIV).
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, NIV).
While we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus
Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people
that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Tit. 2:13-14 NIV).
Slogan: Possessing the nations: I am an agent of transformation!
Possessing the nations: Transforming my world
To God be all the glory for how far He has brought His Church. In the past five years, He has seen us
through the successful implementation of phase one of the “Possessing the Nations” agenda. He has
indeed proven Himself faithful to His covenant with His Church.
I would like to express my gratitude at this point for the dedicated eorts of the former Chairmen,
General Secretaries, International Missions Directors, past Executive Council members, and other
founding leaders, who laid a solid foundation for this Church. I am particularly grateful to current and
past Executive Council members who were directly involved in the planning and execution of Vision 2023
All heads, ministers, officers, and members are appreciated for their massive support for the
many successes achieved in the past five years.
Dearly beloved, in the last five years, we have focused on equipping the church to possess the nations.
We have carefully but forcefully drummed home the fact that Christ did not come to save individual
sinners but to build a community of believers called the Church. His intent was that through the
Church, the manifold wisdom of God would be demonstrated to the forces that govern nations (Eph.
3:10).
We have not hesitated to bring to the fore the dual purpose of the church – thus, the church is called
out of the world to adore God and sent back into the world to serve His purpose among the nations.
To be an effective factor of change in the hands of God, we have taught that the church must be
credible— a glorious church. It must be beautiful to be looked upon by the watching world. Thus, the
church must be morally beautiful and doctrinally pure. We have also encouraged the church to see
itself as God’s end-time militia to possess the nations.
Last year, anticipating that we would be launching full-scale into the world, we brought to our
attention the need to reposition the local church. This was to enable the local church to continue to
serve as the equipping centre and supply the needed resources and energy to the fighting echelon as
we launch into the world.
It is now time, brothers and sisters, to consciously, intentionally and strategically unleash the vast
potential currently held within the church to descend on the world and transform it with the values
and principles of the kingdom of God. This is the only way we will make our huge numbers count for
the kingdom of God.
It, however, requires some systematic efforts, which will include helping our members to appreciate
who they are as a people of God, the power and resources they are endowed with and their mandate
in the world.
Hence, the theme for 2024 is “A People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World”. This theme
is the first of the second phase of the Possessing the Nations agenda, which has as its overarching
theme: “Possessing the Nations: Unleashing the Whole Church to Transform their World with the
Values and Principles of the Kingdom of God”.
Theme 2024, “a People of God Unleashed to Transform Their World,” serves as the foundation for
mobilising and unleashing the whole Church for the transformation of their world while we wait for
the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
This theme is a call to help every member see himself or herself as a channel through which God’s
grace will flow in blessing to humanity. It is the desire of this theme that the church will see itself as
a people of God, a peculiar people, a holy nation, a people amongst the peoples, with a mandate
to influence their spheres. A people of God unleashed into the world is a call for the Church to be
intentional in sending out our members to every sphere of society to transform it.
To achieve the above, the following topics have been selected to be treated during the period:
a. The characteristics of the church unleashed.
b. The church as a people of God
c. A people living by the principles, values and lifestyle of the Kingdom of God.
d. Raising Godly families to impact the church and the state.
e. Raising Christlike believers to transform their spheres.
f. Unleashing wholistic witness through the local church to impact society.
g. Flourishing life through personal devotions.
h. Sacrificial giving and tithing.
The foundational texts on which this theme premises will be 1 Peter 2:9-10, Acts 1:8 and Titus 2:13-14.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were
not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have
received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, NIV).
The Apostle Peter views the Church as a chosen race, the new Israel or, as Paul will put it, the Israel
of God (Gal. 6:16), for he picks up what is said of Israel in Exodus 19:5-6 and Deuteronomy 7:6 and
applies it to the Church. He further reveals that the Church is superior to Israel, for the Church is not
only a priesthood but a royal community, courtesy of Christ, who serves as both king and priest. As His
representative, we wear both caps. The Church is also a holy nation, God’s special possession (Deut.
7:6), chosen to proclaim the excellencies of the One who summoned them from darkness and ushered
them into His marvellous light (Isaiah 43:21). In 1 Peter 2:10, Peter alludes to Hosea 1:6,9,10; 2:23 , texts
that refer to Israel and see them fulfilled in the New Testament Church.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, NIV).
The disciples’ question and desire in verse 6 was corrected by Jesus with a commission: until the
final liberation comes, it would be, for them, a time of witnessing about what they have seen and
heard of Christ. The scope of the witness was not to be just Jerusalem but to the ends of the earth. It
appears that the instructions of Jesus as to the scope of the witness formed the outline of Dr Luke’s
presentation of the account of the acts of the apostles – Jerusalem (ch. 1-7); Judea and Samaria (ch.
8-12); ends of the earth (ch. 13-28).
The statement “You will receive power” is the thematic statement of the entire book of Acts. Something
new was worth waiting for – the power of the Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49). This powerful new work of the
Holy Spirit on and from the day of Pentecost brought several beneficial results: more eective witness
and ministry, victory over sin, victory over Satan and the demonic forces and a wide distribution of
gifts for ministry.
While we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus
Christ,14. who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people
that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:13-14).
Setting one’s mind on the truth of Christ’s return is a sign of genuine conversion, and it impels a
person to a life of holiness. A people who are God’s very own are to be zealous for good work. Work is
exertion or eort directed to produce or accomplish something. In this instance, it is not just anything
but good works. Good works is not only holy living but revealing the love of Christ to the world
through a wholistic witness. Paul here seems to be instructing young Titus to teach his congregation
that redemption is tied to living in a manner pleasing to God and that this must be the preoccupation
of the people of God while they wait for the second coming of Christ.
With the knowledge of who we are as a people of God and the power of the Holy Spirit available
to us, our forward march into the world should generate holy fear in the gates of Hades as Israel’s
advancement frightened the Moabites to the point that they exclaimed, “This horde is going to lick up
everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” (Num. 22:4). Our forward march into
the spheres of society should result in “turning our world upside down” (Acts 17:6).
May the Lord continue to be with us and grant us the needed grace to carry this theme through to
its desired end as we seek to unleash the whole church to transform their world with the values and
principles of the Kingdom of God. Amen!
Aps. Eric Nyamekye
Chairman
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH UNLEASHED
Aps. Eric Nyamekye
(Acts 1:8; Acts 17:6 & Titus 2:13-14)
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.2 See, darkness covers
the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears
over you (Is. 60:1, NIV).
Then all your people will be righteous, and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I
have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.22. The least of you will become a
thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly” (Is. 60:21, NIV).
1.0 Introduction
Isaiah chapter 60 depicts Zion as a mighty force the Lord Himself has planted, a righteous people
destined to possess the land forever. The divine blessing over Zion is that the least of them will become
a thousand, the smallest, a mighty nation. But what Zion needs to do to realise its full potential is to
arise and shine. Until it arises, darkness will cover the earth and thick darkness over the people.
I believe that the Church of today, like Zion, is like a sleeping giant. Sunday after Sunday, church halls
are filled with members who do nothing with their faith except “keeping it” and waiting for the last
trumpet to sound for the church to be raptured. A few who want to make their faith count seem not
to know what to do. Meanwhile, thick darkness covers the earth, and the light is hidden under a bowl.
Once the Church, which is the salt of the earth and light of the world, has become passive and
indifferent to the ills of society (either through ignorance or negligence), the result has been that
society becomes a pitiful victim of the kingdom of darkness. Ghana, Africa, and the world at large
are under heavy yokes of the manifestations of darkness – ignorance, poverty, moral decadence,
corruption, etc.
Meanwhile, the Church stands unrivalled in power, eect, and impact to combat the myriads
of atrocities that bedevil our world today. The Church ought to understand that the panacea to the ills
and troubles of the world today is not just a matter of education, technological hype, or civilisation.
The only remedy to the ills and troubles of the world today lies at the very doorsteps of the Church,
for we are “the salt of this earth” (Mt 5:13). It is, therefore, the mandate of the Church to avert decay
wherever it is planted.
Nonetheless, amid such grave decadence, the Church seems to sit “at ease in Zion”. (Amos 6:1). Like
Eutychus, it appears to have “sunk into a deep sleep” (Acts 20:9). Indeed, the eyes of the Church
are heavy with sleep, her voice has been muted, her limbs paralysed, her soul-anguish intercession
has been sacrificed on the altar of pleasure and comfort, her courage and fearlessness have been
exchanged for cowardice, and its once blazing fire has been quenched to ashes by the waters of hell.
Who can disagree with Leonard Ravenhill when he screams, “hell is no more angry at the
Church!”? Sadly, this is the consequence of the failure of the Church to unleash itself into the world.
What the Church desperately needs today is not just another new denomination or branch of a church;
neither is it conferences and seminars nor better machinery and organisations (although all these are
very important). What the Church needs now is fire – fire to awaken itself from its sleep. Another
Pentecost fire to melt its cold-heartedness, fire to discipline the devil, fire to take up this generation
for God by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we can awaken and unleash the tremendous power locked
up in the church, the talents, gifts, resources, creativity, and energy through the fire of the Holy Spirit,
Christianity will explode with unprecedented growth.
In this presentation, I shall draw attention to the need to unleash the church and suggest some
practical ways by which it can be unleashed. I shall dwell extensively on some characteristics of the
church unleashed.
2.0 The Quest for The Church Unleashed
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will
not overcome it. 19.I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:18).
Like Israel of old, the Church is a strategic orchestration of God to fulfil His ultimate purpose on earth.
The Church has been elected and ordained with all the blessings in heavenly places, the purpose of
which is to advance the plans and purposes of God.
The Church serves as the conduit through which the manifold wisdom of God is expressed unto the
principalities and the powers in heavenly places (Eph. 3:10). This is to say that the whole universe,
angels and demons are all observing to see how the Church can express the mysteries of redemption,
enforcing the victories of Christ on the cross of Calvary and expanding the frontiers of the Kingdom
of God.
The Church, therefore, is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians; neither is it a spectator
sport to host and entertain pew warmers, making them inert and docile as religious pawns; nor is it a
social club to merely meet the socio-emotional needs of members. The Church is, instead, a hub for
training kingdom-minded disciples and their ultimate deployment as change agents into the various
spheres of life.
It is time the Church in our generation realises that it has been given a serious mandate, for which
reason it must be unleashed into the world to make God famous in the nations. Gavin Asheden had
said, “Every generation of Christians must determine what kind of culture rules their world”. This
statement by Asheden is directly related to how much of the Church’s light penetrates the world and
how much of its salt permeates the earth. The Church has the responsibility to reveal God’s image on
earth at any particular time. As the Church goes, so goes the world.
2.1 Definition of “Unleashed”
To unleash is to cause a strong or violent force to be released or become unrestrained. The Cambridge
Dictionary defines “unleash” as “to let happen or begin something powerful that, once begun, cannot be
controlled.” It also refers to releasing or setting free a powerful force or emotion. Upon examination of
literature, it becomes evident that the term “unleash” is significantly impacted by its contextual usage.
In the context of Vision 2028, therefore, the word “unleash” is to cause the tremendous power locked
up in the fortress of the church to be released for the transformation of people and society. Simply
put, it is the Church ministering in the world with urgency and intentionality to bring everyone and
every sphere of society to the influence of the values and principles of the Kingdom of God. It is
empowering the church to be more effective in its mission of spreading the gospel and transforming
society with values, principles and lifestyle of the Kingdom.
Unleashing the Church is, therefore, a call to every member of the local church to get involved in some
form of ministry outside the four walls of the church with the sole aim of projecting the values and
principles of the Kingdom of God in their “world” (sphere of influence).
3.0 The Characteristics of the Church Unleashed
The Great Commission is not just about evangelism or building huge churches as in structures and
congregations, but it is about discipling the nations. The focus is not on the church but on the world.
Yet the church unleashed is not unconcerned about what goes on within its walls. The people we go
out to evangelise will have to be invited to “come and see” (Jh. 1:38-39; 46). Whether they stay with
the church as members or not will depend on what they see in the church. The quality of service,
performance of the choir, Bible studies, the church’s attitude towards parishioners and the entire inhouse services or ministries are important. The church unleashed recognises that the church house is
the equipping centre but is partially focused there. In the church unleashed, an individual’s primary
ministry may be within one of the many traditional church programmes or in-house activities like
leading Bible Studies, but there’s is an equal chance that his/her ministry may also be in the prisons
or as a chaplain in an institution.
While numerical growth is an important theme in the church unleashed, it is not the central theme. The
central theme is a certain philosophy of ministry – the kind of church ministry that devises means to
build major ministries extending across the nations, ministries not typically found in the local church,
where members are raised to be channels through which God’s grace will flow to bless humanity.
The following are some of the characteristics of the church unleashed:
3.1 The church unleashed follows a pattern of teaching designed to encourage its members to
influence their spheres with acts of righteousness.
It is important to note that teaching aspects a belief system, and our belief system gives rise to our
conduct (Rom. 6:17-18, Jn. 4:39-42, 2 Cor. 4:13, Acts 17:1-4, Neh. 8:8-9). If we really want the church to
be unleashed, there should be a pattern of teaching that will cause our members to leave the fortress
of the church to do ministry in the world, just as the protestants did.
Max Weber was a German sociologist, economist, and politician. In 1904, Max Weber wrote a series of
essays about the evolution of capitalism in Northern and Central Europe. These essays later became
the widely read book “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.” According to Weber, the
industrial revolution that gave birth to the new economy in Europe and eventually to our modern
civilisation resulted from the teachings of the European Protestants.
Weber believed that the influence of the Protestant work ethic on large numbers of people to work
in the secular world, enterprises, trade, savings, and investments eventually propelled the economy,
leading to massive development, which underpins modern capitalist economies.
Prior to the Protestants’ teaching, the dilemma of the European economy was the fact that when
landowners employed labourers, they could not make these labourers give their best. The only
incentive widely known and used at that time was an increase in wages, thinking that when there
was an increase in wages for labourers, they would view their work as more valuable and, thus, work
longer and harder. However, in the real sense, the labourers often spent less time working and not
hard enough. They would instead drink and leisure. However, the teaching of the Protestants changed
all that.
The basic teachings of the Protestants were all about values, ethics, and morals. They focused on
building a better world out of what they had. Their teachings, among others, stressed the following:
a. that righteousness must be the basis of the nation, government, and society in general.
b. That ministry was not only meant for the clergy; every believer is a minister. Howbeit, they
minister everywhere they find themselves on a daily basis: at work, at home and everywhere.
c. That secular work is as sacred as the clerical. Hence, you do everything as unto the Lord, and
whatsoever your hands find to do, you do to the very best (Col. 3:23-24).
d. They also taught their people to choose to live for the long term, even to eternity. This perspective
on time motivated them to be far-sighted, sacrificing the short-term for the long-term. They
live with the next generation in mind. They were never interested in amassing wealth at the
expense of the nation.
These values were later transferred to the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
and other countries and continents where the descendants of these European Protestants were
scattered in the 16th/17th centuries. Everywhere the Protestants and their descendants went, they
took with them these same teachings, and they got the same results – a developed economy and an
advanced and civilised society – a generally more prosperous nation. If we do what the Protestants
did, we will most certainly get the results they got – the transformation of our society.
Harold B. Jones, Jnr., pastor and former US Army chaplain, attributes America’s economic
transformation and development to the religious revivals that peaked in the 18th century. For him,
Christian leadership contributed greatly to building America with future generations in mind. Many
could engage in the right activities not for self-interest but for the love of God and country. Patriotism,
he says, “became a religious duty and a call of God.”
The Protestant Work Ethic, the Calvinist Work Ethic or the Puritan Work Ethic is a concept in theology,
sociology, economics and history that emphasises that hard work, discipline, and frugality are a result
of a person’s subscription to the values espoused by the Protestant faith, particularly Calvinism.
In seeking to unleash the church, our members should be taught:
a. To see their “secular jobs” as opportunities for ministry and a call to serve – a call to be a
teacher, lawyer, banker, medical doctor, farmer, trader, driver, etc.
b. To understand that as people of faith, they should seek to practice all that they have learnt from
Scripture in whatever context they find themselves.
c. To allow God’s word to shape their conscience, disciplining themselves to bring all that they are
involved in under the scrutiny of Scripture.
d. To know that their life in its entirety must reflect Scripture. As a result, they must apply their
understanding of God to every sphere of life, seeing the church, the family, the state, the arts
and sciences, and the world of commerce and industry as spheres in which God must be served
and honoured.
e. To have a holistic view of life and that the Creator is Lord over each department of it.
f. To understand that their domestic life is a calling and worship to God – a call to be a husband,
father, wife, mother, child, servant, etc.
g. To always remember that, as Christians, they should be the best in everything – best husband,
best wife, best teacher, best judge, etc.
3.2 The church unleashed is built to spread
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The mandate was to start from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the earth’s ends. The church must
spread from person to person, from community to community, from town to town, from city to city,
from country to country, and from continent to continent till the earth is filled with the knowledge of
the glory of God as the waters cover the sea (Hab. 2:14). Yet the gospel which gives birth to the Church
is not like pollen grains. It does not travel on the wings of the wind. Some men full of Pentecost should
carry it. Any church that really wants to grow must be evangelistic in nature and pursuit. The church
should be itinerant in nature and operation. All her members should do the work of the evangelist as
Paul instructed Timothy (2 Tim. 4:5).
An excellent illustration of this is Paul’s account of the church in Thessalonica, which provides valuable
insights:
And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8
The Lord’s message rang
out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere.
Therefore, we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception
you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to
wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming
wrath (1 Thess. 1:7-10, NIV).
Achaia and Macedonia were two of four provinces in the Roman Empire that Paul focused on, in addition
to Asia and Galatia, although he also visited and taught in many others on his missionary journeys.
According to Apostle Paul, not only has the message of the gospel rang out as in proclamation of the
gospel (evangelism) from this vibrant church in Thessalonica, but also their faith in God as in conduct
has become known everywhere, to the extent that they had become a model to all the believers in
Macedonia and Achaia.
The gospel must spread by word and deeds — by the proclamation of the Gospel and a transformed
lifestyle. It must spread everywhere till there’s no room for expansion (Mk. 16:20; Rom. 15:23).
3.3 The church unleashed is multi-racial, multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-generational
In its quest to spread, the church unleashed, makes every eort to reach out to everyone, regardless
of nationality, race, culture, or age. The target is, therefore, not a particular nationality, tribe, culture,
or race but whosoever believes (Jh. 3:16). The Church is a community of holy people, not a particular
group of people, walking in love and advancing into the world with the Gospel of salvation (Eph.
2:13-18).
The church unleashed is, however, not against ministering to a targeted group if the circumstance so
demands.
3.4 The church unleashed translates religiosity into morality to make it more impactful and
influential
Religiosity and spirituality do mean different things. Religiosity has to do with the practices of the
external customs, rituals, and traditions of a religion. Spirituality, which leads to morality, on the other
hand, involves the translating of religious beliefs into spiritual principles that guide morality (life
conduct) and leadership. The journey from religiosity to morality has to be an intentional one if we
want to impact the nations, as Daniel did in his day.
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional
qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4.At this, the administrators and
the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government aairs, but
they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and
neither corrupt nor negligent. 5.Finally, these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges
against this man, Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God” (Dan. 6:3-5).
Just as yeast permeates dough (Mt. 13:33), so should the church, through its conduct, cause the
Kingdom of God to flow to the workplace, the streets, the corridors of authority, homes and wherever
the Christian is. This will make the church more impactful and influential.
Mere religiosity does not transform a nation, but a changed life does. It proves the power of the
Christian faith and attracts the world to our Christ. There are many religions in the nations that have
high religious activism yet are bedevilled by many social vices. The discipline of living out one’s faith
as in conduct has to be intelligent and intentional. The church in Thessalonica demonstrated this.
for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from
idols to serve the living and true God, 10.and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:9-10).
The Greeks from other areas reported that the Thessalonians had repented from their idolatrous past,
had committed themselves to serve God, and were waiting for Jesus’ second coming. These are the
key traits of genuine Christian conversion. They translated their faith into righteous living. The church
unleashed must, therefore, conduct itself well in the world, authenticating its conversion for credible
testimony. Its parishioners should be taught to be Christlike and to embody Jesus and His values
and principles so that in everyday life, they operate from a godly perspective (Eph. 4:13). This is the
purpose of the Church, and this is why we go to church on Sunday. Our preaching, teaching, fasting,
worship, etc., should achieve this purpose.
3.5 The church unleashed grows broader in ministry
The church unleashed, builds major ministries extending across the nations. It devises means to carry
on numerous and new ministries not typically found in the local church in an attempt to be channels
of the grace and love of God to humanity. The church unleashed has a pioneering spirit. It is not afraid
to tread on unfamiliar territories. For such a church takes God by His word.
As churches grow bigger, their ministries must grow broader. Mike Stachura, a pastor with Community
and Global Ministries, had said, “the mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending
capacity”.
The church unleashed targets groups in the community for ministry. In other words, it looks for
groupings in the community within which it operates and designs ministries with their lifestyles in
mind, such as ministry to ex-convicts, blue or white colour job workers, diverse ethnic groups, drug
addicts, prostitutes, etc. The church unleashed, becomes all things to all men so that by every possible
means it will save some and, in eect, share in the glory of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:22-23).
The church unleashed has majority of its population involved in ministering outside the fortress of
the church. If The Church of Pentecost, for example, wants to make its huge population count in
the communities in which it operates, then it must equip and unleash its teeming membership into
ministering outside the walls of the church, representing Christ in their workplaces, on the streets, at
home and everywhere they exist.
If ministry is limited to the clergy, the CoP will render more than 99% of its population redundant. As
of June 2023, the church had as little as 0.07% and 0.05% of its members serving as clergy worldwide
and in Ghana, respectively. Therefore, the church must, of necessity, equip its members for works of
service (Eph. 4:13). The good news is that people progress when they are in front-line ministry.
3.6 The church unleashed is not lopsided in its approach to ministry
Some churches focus solely on saving souls, while others are more focused on providing social services.
The church unleashed is involved in both. The Great Commission requires that the church abandons
its fortress mentality and get its people actively engaged in ministry to a hurting world, considering
all target groups within a given population. This is done with the understanding that persons are not
isolated individuals but are persons-in-community embedded in complex socioeconomic structures.
You cannot, therefore, save the soul of an individual and be unconcerned about the society they live
in. Both have to be evangelised.
The church unleashed, therefore, understands that, unfortunately, but inevitably, since, as humans,
we are persons-in-community, human sin has permeated our social structures and institutions. Our
depraved minds produce brilliant rationalisations for our self-interest —economic exploitation, sexism,
judicial biases, or racism. In this vein, the church unleashed does not only minister relief to victims
of social or natural disasters or support the development of individuals, families, or communities by
providing the appropriate tools, knowledge, and skills; it is also committed to changing evil social
structures that incarcerate sin. It is, therefore, important to recognise that since we are personsin-community, we cannot solve all societal problems solely by converting individuals to Christ and
meeting their bodily needs only. Exposing and correcting evil social systems and structures are
equally important. This, however, cannot be achieved if our light does not penetrate the darkness of
our world. The church must get involved in the aairs of the nations; otherwise, its light and salt wil
be of no eect.
The church must be unleashed to aect society with its salt and light. It must not be blind to the ills
of society, nor must it hide from public discussion, leaving sensitive areas of society in the hands of
people of poor integrity. The church’s members must transfer the principles, values, and lifestyle of
the kingdom of God to the workplace to transform it. However, since we also know that the root of
the problem is the continuing rebellion against God, merely transforming corrupt systems cannot in
themselves create an entirely new, whole person. People must be born again by confronting them
with the gospel of salvation.
In achieving the above, the church unleashed, recognises its limitations and thus partners with likeminded Government institutions and agencies as well as para-church organisations in serving its
purpose in the world, which is the transformation of society. Through these collaborations, the church
is able to widen its impact in the pursuit of its mandate.
3.7 The church unleashed raises its members as priests and deliverers (rescuers and saviours)
for the nations (Exo. 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:9-10, Oba. 1:17-21)
The ambition of the church unleashed is bigger than just building a church; it wants to possess the
nations. In doing this, the church raises and releases parishioners to take nations for Christ. The
assumption that converted people automatically change society is naive. Born-again Christians are
indeed less likely to be involved in corrupt practices in society. However, as social beings, we are
moulded in powerful ways by the societal structures surrounding us. Exclusive attention to inner
conversion is inadequate without a call to discipleship and biblical teachings on what our new faith
demands of us in the face of corrupt sociopolitical structures, the poor and the needy, the salvation
of others, etc. Mere conversion oers no automatic guarantee of social transformation. The church
must, of necessity, create that consciousness and raise its members as priests to the nations, such as
raising politicians, lawyers, accountants, medical doctors, business men and women, etc., to serve the
purpose of God in the world.
In too many instances, however, we have shirked this responsibility to a needy world and have turned
inward, ministering to ourselves. We dare not underestimate our potential for eective ministry to a
wide variety of people when our members’ gifts, talents, and experiences are released and directed
into ministry.
Members must be made to know that they are an integral part of their nation. It is true that we are
citizens of heaven (Phi. 3:20-21), but we should not neglect our call to disciple the nations beginning
from where we are. You are part of your nation, and as Daniel and Nehemiah teach, you are responsible
for its sins and righteousness (Daniel 9:1-19; Neh. 1).
We should not excuse ourselves from working for the good of our country and the nations because
God has linked our peace with its peace, our prosperity to its prosperity, and our security to its security
(Jer. 29:7; Ps. 122:6-9). As a priest to the nations, the church must constantly stand before God for
the nations and bring its needs before God in prayer (Exo. 18:19-23). Again, it must intentionally raise
capable members who are trustworthy and hate dishonest gains and unleash them into the various
spheres of society to bring the culture of the kingdom of God to bear on it.
3.8 The church unleashed is a prayerful church
Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession (Ps. 2:8,
NIV).
So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by
my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.7. “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you will
become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”
(Zech. 4:6, NIV).
In the Old Testament, God intended that through Israel, He would be glorified among the nations. In
the New Testament, through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God is demonstrated to the rulers
and authorities in the heavenly realms. The Church, therefore, is more of a spiritual entity; hence, “the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds”
(2 Cor. 10:4).
The devil is the mastermind behind all the evil in the world. In Scripture, he is called the “ruler of the world”,
who seeks to influence and control governments, world powers, and those in authority at all levels of society.
That is why the church is to pray regularly for rulers and all in high positions (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
Again, the devil is the “prince of the power of the air”, who seeks to manipulate the philosophy, the
thought-forms, and the moral standards of our life, often through the influence of the media. He
is also described as the angel of light who works through false teachers and false prophets, often
infiltrating into the heart of the church, twisting and distorting the gospel of Christ.
The Great Commission’s agenda is, therefore, to salvage the souls of our nations from the onslaughts
of these strongholds and bring them under the Lordship of Christ. Jesus Christ should be given the
honour due to His name. For God has exalted Him, in order that every knee should bow, and every
tongue confess Him as Lord (Phil 2:9-11).
Behind the corrupt social systems of our world, according to Apostle Paul, are satanic powers and
influences (Eph. 2:2). Modern secularists may find this dicult to accept, but the Bible is clear on
this matter. These evil forces of darkness (fallen angels) work to twist and distort social systems by
seducing people, especially those in authority, into wrong choices and actions that create corrupt
systems and cause chaos.
Admittedly, the devil does well when he succeeds in making the system evil and oppressive. After all,
Satan’s aim is to kill, steal and destroy (Jn. 10:10). We need to, therefore, stand in prayer and bring
God into the equation; otherwise, victory will be hard to achieve. Let us ask for the nations as our
inheritance; as promised in scripture, God shall surely give them to us (Ps. 2:8).
We are Christians, not humanitarians; thus, if we neglect prayer, we will surely lose the game. The
church that will touch the world must be a praying church. There are bondages and strongholds
in the lives of many that no amount of money and advocacy can liberate. The devil has held our
young men captive under the heavy chains of lust, addictions, gambling, aimlessness, visionlessness,
gangsterism, alcoholism, drugs, pornography, masturbation, sexual perversion and the like; our
young ladies are victims of sex and rape; prostitution, drunkenness, poverty, and the like. This calls for
flaming-hearted prayers to put the devil in check. Nothing but genuine love and prayer of the church
can salvage the woes of the land.
In its quest to possess the nations the church unleashed, also needs to carry nations before God on
its knees (Ps. 2:8). Intercessory prayer is a powerful way the church can bring God into the centre of
aairs of nations (Jer 29:7).
Social activities and interventions are impotent in the face of addictions and strongholds, for our
struggle is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), and the weapons we fight with are not carnal
either (2 Cor. 10:3-4). The church must be fired up by the Holy Spirit’s power in prayer to achieve its
mandate.
3.9 The church unleashed is fearless in confronting the evils of the world, whether as a corporate
body or as individual members of the body.
There is no greater waste of potential than believers locked up in the fortress of the church (John
20:19) for fear of the world. Just as the nations trembled at Israel’s advancement (Num. 22:1-5; Jos.
6:1), so are the forces of darkness terrified when the church is on the move (Acts 17:6, Mt. 16:18). Let us
allay the fears of the church by careful orientation on who we are and the greatness of the God who
is with us (1 Jn. 4:4).
I believe that prayer, much prayer and proper orientation change us, and we, in turn, change situations
and circumstances.
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I
serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Ki. 17:1, NIV).
It takes courage to confront a king like Ahab, but Elijah did it because of prayer and the conviction that
he was doing the right thing. Esther broke protocol to speak to the king after much prayer, fasting,
and conviction upon proper orientation by Mordecai (Est. 4 & 5). The same can be said of Peter when
he and John confronted the Sanhedrin’s threats with much boldness and wisdom (Acts 4:1-20).
The Bible says when the Holy Spirit comes upon the people of God, they will receive power to be
witnesses of Jesus Christ in every part of the world (Acts 1:8). This Holy Spirit is not a Spirit of fear
but of power, love, and sound mind (2Tim. 1:7). Those who are led by the Spirit are the people of God.
Such people should not be under any form of slavery or intimidation.
Jesus knew the world could be intimidating and fearful to God’s people. That is why He commanded
that we wait to encounter the Holy Spirit before embarking on His mission. Often, fear is the reason
people do not pursue the needed transformation in their spheres by confronting the various vices in
these spheres with virtues and godly values. This threat from the world is real.
Mike Johnson, the 56th Speaker of the United States House of Congress, has been subjected to media
attacks for his Christian beliefs and principles since he was elected as the 56th Speaker of the House
on 24th October 2023. In response to the attacks, Mike Johnson spoke to Fox News, as reported by the
Daily Mail News, UK. He said:
Look, there are entire industries that are built to take down public leaders – eective political leaders
like me. I’m not surprised by that. I mean, it comes with the territory. It doesn’t bother me at all.
In this same interview, he noted,
I’m OK, I’ll take the arrows. I understand it comes with leadership, and when you step into the fray,
that’s what you take.
It is, therefore, helpful for both the leaders and the led to remember that the work of the Great
Commission is warfare. Even though victory has been proclaimed beforehand, there would be
casualties, but the price must be paid, for, as it is often said, “there are no victories at bargain prices.”
Many Christians in the public space are going through similar attacks for their Christian faith (1 Pet.
5:8-10). However, I believe these attacks will reduce considerably when many of us go into the world
with our light.
This is why it is necessary to unleash the people from whatever fear or hindrance they may face that
could prevent them from engaging with and transforming their world by equipping them with the
right tools through careful instruction, orientation, and prayer.
3.10 The church unleashed is accredited with signs and wonders
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every
town and place where he was about to go. 2.He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers
are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.3 Go! I am
sending you out like lambs among wolves. 17.The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even
the demons submit to us in your name.” 18.He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19.I
have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the
enemy; nothing will harm you (Lk. 10:1-19, NIV).
Until Jesus sent the seventy-two disciples out to do ministry (Lk. 10:1), they had never, on personal
levels, experienced such power of God. They came back rejoicing that even demons submitted to
them. When the Apostles heeded Jesus’ command to go into the world and make disciples of the
nations, the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word with signs following (Mk. 16: 17-20). As
He was with the disciples, so will He be with us when we unleash the church into the world. When
we take a stand for Him as Daniel did, He will release to us such uncommon grace that the world has
never witnessed.
3.11 The church unleashed is heavenly-minded
The church unleashed lives with eternity in mind, sacrificing the short-term gains for the long-term
reward the Lord will give to the faithful (2 Tim. 4:6-8). Its members endure hardship and pain as they
go out of their comfort zones to meet needs, solve problems, and answer questions that others are
confronted with. They go wherever the Lord will have them go, motivated by the knowledge that
when they suffer with Him, they will reign with Him. They do not love their lives even in the face of
danger (Heb. 11:35-40).
They live as strangers in this world, looking forward to the city whose architect and builder is God
(Heb. 11:9-10). They desire to share in the glory of preaching the gospel and being channels of God’s
blessing to humanity (1 Cor. 9:21-22). The church unleashed see their secular jobs as service to the
Lord from whose hands they will receive their reward (Col. 3:23-25).
4.0 The Implications of the Church Unleashed for the Chaplaincy Ministry and Workers’ Guilds
“Chaplaincy” in this context is not limited to The Church of Pentecost’s ministry to the Ghana Armed
Forces, the Police, Prisons Services, CEPS, or other law enforcement entities. Rather, chaplaincy here
refers to a marketplace ministry of the church where members are trained and unleashed to oer
pastoral, prophetic and priestly ministry to people in various spheres of society and thereby draw
them to Christ. The key is that where two or three people gather, chaplaincy ministry can be oered
to share the love of God. The local church is expected to explore all creative ways to gain access and
send out equipped members to do ministry in organisations and institutions in their catchment areas.
The Church of Pentecost Workers’ Guild, on the other hand, is aimed at bringing brethren who
are professionals together with the purpose of fellowship, networking and equipping to impact
and transform their spheres with Kingdom values and principles. The Guilds aord the Church the
opportunity to bring members in the same or similar professions together for the needed support so
that they can be the ethical compass for their professional spheres and bring about positive change.
4.1 The role of the chaplaincy ministry and workers’ guilds in the unleashing of the church
While the Chaplaincy Ministry is concerned with training and sending people to minister to people
in various spheres of life, the Workers’ Guild aims at equipping members who are professionals to
transform their spheres with Kingdom values and principles. The role of both ministries encompasses
a three-pronged approach of equipping members, that is, to minister, model and mentor people in
the marketplace with Kingdom principles and values.
a. Ministering: Jesus Christ our Lord came not to be served but to serve and give up his life as
a ransom for many. Members of the Professional Guilds and the Chaplaincy Ministry will be
expected to exhibit high ethical standards, professionalism, competence, and hard work in their
professional and ministry life so as to be good examples to others and also make a difference
in their spheres.
b. Modeling Christ to the World: Believers are to model Christ to the world by espousing
Kingdom values and principles. The entire church membership and particularly those in the
Workers Guild, are to model godliness, integrity, faithfulness, and all that Christ stands for in
their professional life to the world as an epistle of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:3). Our members
deployed to serve in the Chaplaincy Ministry are also to lead by example in the organisations
and institutions into which they are sent to minister. They are to model Christlikeness in their
personal life, model authentic Christianity in their public life and model ideal Christianity in the
workplace or professional environment. This will then challenge the hearts of the unbelieving
world and bring them to the saving knowledge of Christ. Such a lifestyle will also transform our
world and cause righteousness to reign.
c. Mentoring the Nations: Mentoring resonates well with our call as believers to disciple the
nations (Matt. 28: 18-20). It is incumbent upon our professionals and chaplains to take up
the role of mentoring. Through their experience and godly counsel, they are to raise the next
generation of professionals and young believers to reach their full potential in their career
progression, impact society, and walk with God.