The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), the Right Reverend Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has challenged The Lord’s Pentecostal Church International (TLPCI) to remain focused on the mission of Jesus Christ and guard against complacency as it celebrates its 65th anniversary.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the Church’s 65th Annual General Conference in Accra last Thursday, Dr Kwakye, the special guest of honour, congratulated TLPCI on six and a half decades of steadfast Christian witness in Ghana and beyond.
He described the milestone as “no small achievement,” noting that if the Church were a person, it would have retired five years ago.
An academic in African Christian history, Dr Kwakye recalled that 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 celebrated TLPCI’s successive leaders, from founding General Overseer, Apostle John Sam Amedzro, through to the current leader.
Church’s development
Tracing the Church’s development, the Moderator said TLPCI began as an African independent, or initiated, church, known locally as ‘Sunsumsori’ before growing under successive leaders into one of Ghana’s mainline Pentecostal denominations.
He affectionately described its members as “nieces and nephews” of the Presbyterian family, noting that the pioneers had links to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Turning to the theme, “Celebrating the Unfailing Faithfulness of God,” Dr Kwakye said faithfulness was a moral attribute believers must emulate. He urged members to keep their word, remain committed to the Church’s four core functions: worship, the edification of believers, evangelism and social action, and avoid being distracted by either failure or success.
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 dramatic shift towards the Global South.
Africa now has about 667 million Christians, compared with 143 million in 1970, he said.
However, he warned 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.
General Overseer reviews 65-year journey
Earlier, General Overseer Apostle Otoo formally opened the conference and noted that membership had grown from 35 at the Church’s founding to 32,536 across 285 branches worldwide.
The current membership comprises 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.
He also cited a mission to South Sudan that combined gospel proclamation with practical support, including clothing donations, as well as the dedication of a mission house in Malawi and a new chapel at the Ashaiman Washington Branch.
On education, he said the Church’s five schools currently enrolled 902 pupils. Its scholarship scheme had supported 160 tertiary students since its inception, including approximately GH¢78,821 spent on 37 students between October 2023 and September 2026.
He also honoured pastors for outstanding church planting and growth.
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 Dr Henry Elom Quarshie, the first doctoral graduate in mathematical and computational physics at KNUST.
He paid tribute to ministers and members who had died during the period under review and urged the Church to safeguard its unity, describing its diversity of gifts as a source of strength rather than division.
The conference, which formally launched the 65th anniversary celebration, continues with deliberations to set strategic priorities for the next phase of the Church’s ministry.
