WATCH VIDEO: TRIBUTE BY REV. DR. STEPHEN WENGAM, GENERAL SUPRINTENDENT OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD TO A CHERISHED SPIRITUAL MOTHER.
TRIBUTE BY REV. DR. STEPHEN WENGAM, GENERAL SUPRINTENDENT OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD TO A CHERISHED SPIRITUAL MOTHER.
"Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel". 1 Corinthians 4:15
My relationship with the late Rev. Mrs. Hannah Animah Amoonsah dates back to 1977 when they were transferred from Lighthouse Assembly of God, Kumasi to pastor Tema Central Assembly of God, Community 4. I was then an infant of five (5) years old. My late Father, Matthew K. Wengam was the then Church Board Secretary and incidentally, our home was adjacent to the mission house. As a result now and then you will find me in their house. Mama Amponsah loved me dearly.
She was my Children's Ministry pastor. The relationship developed over the years to the point that I accompanied Rev. and Rev. Mrs Stephen Amponsah to visit their respective hometowns Berekum and Chiraa on countless occasions. I became familiar with their family relations.
Owning to accommodation challenges my family encountered in the late 1970's we relocated to Nungua. Distance did not affect the relationship to the extent that I was spending almost every school vacation in their home in Tema Community 4. This godly couple were again transferred to pastor Lighthouse Assemblies of God, Kumasi in 1987. I continued to visit them during school vacation.
Owing to my close relationship with Rev. and Rev. Mrs. Stephen Amponsah, I learnt a lot from them. Mama was a disciplinarian. She instilled godly values in me coupled with the virtues my parents taught me. Mama Amponsah ensured my needs were adequately taken care of whenever I lived with them.
I learnt a lot of ministry stuff from them. I buried myself in their "home theological library" when I stayed with them. I read most of the Christian literature on their bookshelf to their admiration.
The late Rev. Amponsah loved my handwriting so anytime he prepared a sermon he would give it to me. me to re-write it for him. That was how I learnt homiletics before enrolling in the Bible School.
When they were pastoring Lighthouse Assemblies of God at Kumasi a rare incident occurred when I visited them on vacation while awaiting my "O level" results in 1991. The speaker for an evening prayer meeting, late Evangelist Akwasi Appiah couldn't honour the invitation at the 11th hour barely four hours before the time of the program. I was in the bedroom close to the living room. I overheard Rev. Mrs Hannah Amponsah suggest to the husband that he should make the preacher for the event. The husband obliged and called me to inform me. I accepted the challenge. I remember preaching from Luke 18 on persistent prayer. By God's grace, the Lord moved mightily. When we got home that evening Mama Ampnsah asked, "Steve, where did you learn homiletics from knowing you have not attended our Bible School?" I answered right here in the house. Subsequently, she and her husband gave me to their colleague pastors to invite me to preach for them.
The husband, the late Rev. Stephen Amponsah officiated my wedding and Rev. Mrs Hanbah Amponsah assisted my wife and me in cutting our wedding cake on the 11th of November 2000. They subsequently invited my wife and me to spend part of our honeymoon in their home in Kumasi.
Rev. Mrs. Hannah Ampobsah was a dutiful wife, a seasoned Bible teacher and a diligent minister of the gospel. She was one of the few early lady pastors to be ordained in the Assemblies of God, Ghana when the General Council approved of the ordination of women as ministers.
Her temperament blended well with her husband who was a quiet person and reserved while she was the opposite. She was prayerful and sought God's face on any issue she deemed critical. Mama Amponsah was a good counsellor and therefore impacted many lives. She and her late husband travelled on several occasions to do ministry outside the borders of Ghana. The first suit ever wore as a teenager was bought for me by Rev. and Rev. Mrs Stephen Amponsah during their visit to Sri Lanka in the 1980s. Presently, a lot of her children's ministry attendees are seasoned ministers of the gospel.
Mama Amponsah was frank and forthright. She did not hide her approach to issues. She laboured with her husband in the ministry for over four and a half decades. They pastored churches in rural areas while sacrificing their comfort. Through their ministry in Tema, seven (7) churches were planted. All of them are thriving not excluding the uncountable number of churches they planted across the country. She also served the national churches in several capacities notable among them being the pioneer Vice President of the Ministers Wives Association for sixteen (16) years and occupied some key positions in the Women's Ministries.
By the grace of God, I related with the husband and herself in their old age till their respective home calls. Rev. Mrs. Hannah Amponsah was on the payroll of my local church, Cedar Mountain Chapel, East Legon. Assemblies of God till her demise.
Rev. Stephen and Rev. Mrs. Hannah Amponsah were sources of knowledge, counsel and encouragement. my wife and me. Today, I can largely credit them for my strong ministry values. Notable among them ate discipline, humility, modesty, a high level of spirituality and an uncompromising stance on the values of Assemblies of God. My passion for holy living and strong preaching on righteousness as well as loyalty was learnt from. them. They taught me how to hear from God, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and live a blameless and flawless life as a minister of the gospel.
When I mentioned to Rev. Mrs. Hannah Amponsah that I was going to contest the high office of General Superintendent she was extremely happy and gave me her blessings.
She endured many afflictions and challenges in. life with a Christlike character and attitude. Mama, as I affectionately called her was always hopeful of heaven and eager to. join the saints triumphant. I am. glad she has achieved the goal now.
Mama, am grateful to you and your late husband for loving me dearly and mentoring Monica and me as well. You are forever in our hearts. Our love for you both is eternal. You and your husband will be sorely missed.
Rest in. perfect peace!!!
WORD OF EXALTATION.
Theme: The Credentials of those who live a fulfilled Life. John 4:1-35
Peaching on his theme on the burial service, Rev. Dr. Stephen Wengam emphasises the food of Jesus. "The food of Jesus Christ was to do the work of God. Jesus said his food is to do the work of God who sent him.
Jesus charged us to send the light to the world and that is his food, he said.
He called on pastors and believers to send the gospel to the world. He said pastors should have the fulfilment of opening churches and sending the light to everyone.
Those who live a fulfilled life are those who sow to win souls for Christ.
He added that those who live a fulfilled life are those who prioritise an attitude of soul-winning.
He explained that, If you have encountered Jesus and you have not sent the light, it means u don't know the Jesus you have seen.
According to him, the Samaritan woman encountered Jesus and began to abandon her earthly mission by sending the light she encountered in her life.
The credentials of those who live a prioritised life are those who are prepared to send the light. The gospel of Jesus doesn't condemn sinners. Jesus never discriminated hence he was able to send the gospel to the whole world.
The credential of a fulfilled life as a Christian is to win souls for Christ. He urged Pastors to start planting churches and send the light to every corner and all sorts of "grabbology" in the ministry, that is acquiring resources must be avoided by Pastors but should focus on soul-winning.
Jesus said his food is not cars or buildings but rather to do the will of the Father.
He stated that the creditiatial of a fulfilled minister is the one who does not procrastinate in sharing the gospel and winning souls and said those who reap souls are always on God's payroll in heaven. The soul winner's crown will go beyond the earth. Soul winners will live a fulfilled life. Church planting brings a fulfilled life.
According to him, what makes angels rejoice in heaven is to win souls. The reaper and the sower will receive the same reward. When you win souls for God, you will enter the heart you did not sow and that is the reward God will give to you after following His instructions.
These were the words of Rev. Dr Stephen Yawosom Wengam at the final funeral rites of his Late Mother-in-Christ at Chiraa in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono region on Saturday, 10th February 2024.
Source: Alrich24newsgh.blogspot.com
Comments
Post a Comment