Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Church of Pentecost

The Church of Pentecost was founded in 1937 in Ghana by Rev. James McKeown from Ireland. Sixty years later, because of its close links with Elim, churches formed in the UK for the immigrant Ghanaian community eventually became known as ELICOP churches (Elim Church of Pentecost) and in 1996 they had a thousand members in the UK.

Eleven years later in 2007 the then Chairman of Church of Pentecost in Ghana, Rev. Dr. Michael Ntumy and I signed a deed and accord that made COP the closest Denomination in fellowship with Elim. Under Ntumy's leadership COP had become the largest Denomination in Ghana with a membership of 1.4 million members worldwide.

In the UK all ELICOP property was held within Elim's Charity. However it was mutually felt that because of their continual expansion it was right that they should apply for charitable status in their own right. This momentous milestone was celebrated by a service in their thousand seater auditorium in Dagenham, London. I was was the speaker and also in attendance representing Elim were Lionel and Ruth Currie, John and Trish Waller and Regional Leader for the area, David Campbell. The service was led by Apostle S.K. Baidoo from Ghana and Apostle M.S. Appiah resident missionary to the UK.

In the past thirteen years COP in the UK has grown from a members ship of 1000 to 8,500 and the ties bectween COP and Elim have never been stronger.

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