Retirement and thanksgiving has been held for Rev. & Mrs. Charles Kinn Agyapong-Essibrah to bring to an end their 10 years in active ministry. The occasion was held on Sunday 1st September, 2019 at New Life Assemblies of God, Tema New-Town, Bankuman in the Greater Accra East region. Until his retirement, Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah was the head Pastor of the above-mentioned church. The occasion brought together several high profile ministers and well-wishers across the country including Rev. Peter Bandim, the National Pensions Administrator and Rev. Dr. Alfred Akumbie, the Regional Secretary of Accra East region.
Various goodwill messages were read on behalf of Assemblies of God Ghana, from the region, district and local church where he served. In his goodwill message, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso in a statement acknowledged Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah’s contributions to Assemblies of God Ghana in supporting to plant several churches in the Tema and its environs. He also recognized his humility and dedication in the propagation of the gospel and expressed his appreciation on behalf of AG Ghana for such commitment and congratulated the couple for their selfless service. Rev. Frimpong-Manso concluded by wishing them good health, long life and a fulfilling retirement. The regional Superintendent also eulogized the faithfulness and diligence of Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah.
Several gifts were also presented to the couple including an end of service package delivered by Rev. Bandim to the couple on behalf of AG Ghana. The region, district and the local church as well as the departments took turns to show their appreciation and also made donations to the couple.
Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah in his closing remarks expressed his appreciation to the Almighty God for beginning, sustaining and ending ministry with me from places he has been and worked. He also acknowledged his lovely wife, Mrs. Monica Agyapong-Essibrah and children for their immense contribution both at home and in the ministry. Finally, he expressed his profound gratitude to pastors and individuals who had supported his ministry.
Assemblies of God Ghana in 2014 reviewed and implemented a revised policy to retire Ministers who turn 65. This policy seeks to give retired Ministers a befitting retirement package after serving the organization and this has been an improvement on the old policy.
PROFILE OF REV. CHARLES KINN AGYAPONG-ESSIBRAH
Rev. Charles Kinn Agyapong-Essibrah was born at Agona Nyakrom in the Central Region to Mr. John Essibrah and Madam Kate Araba Buduwah Odoom. He started his elementary education at the Urban Council Primary School in his hometown and continued at the Municipal Council School (Antem) in Cape Coast with his uncle. Mr. J.W.K. Odoom, a Sales Manager in G.B, Oilivant Ltd. He ended at Methodist Boys Middle School in Agona Nyakrom, where he obtained his Middle School Leaving Certificate in 1966. He proceeded to Tema Secondary School and obtained General Certificate of Education (ordinary Level) in 1971.
After Secondary Education he desired to go professional with Kwadaso Agricultural College in Kumasi, but ended up as an office clerk of United African Company of Ghana Ltd at the Unicom House in February 1972. While working with UAC of Ghana Ltd, he studied marketing with International Correspondence School (London) and afterwards gained sponsorship to study Marketing Strategies and Planning at Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) in 1976. His hard work earned him rapid promotions and good reputation in the company and even became the youngest elected Vice Chairman of the local union of TUC/IUC branch of UAC General Merchandise Group in Ashanti Region in October 1978.
Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah left Kumasi to settle in Tema in 1986 as the Administrative Manager of J.K. Aidoo and Sons Ltd (a Marine Engineering Company). He later worked as the General Supervisor with Estod Construction Company and afterwards ventured into Herbal Medicine as a certified practitioner.
Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah’s desire to know and serve God led him to many churches and prayer groups, until a friend recommended Assemblies of God to him in 1979; miraculously, the very first time he fellowshipped with the church, which was an all-night service. The Lord touched him and he was baptized in the spirit and began to speak in tongues. After this spiritual experience he decided to be a member of the church, and was baptized in water by Rev. Nicholas Opuni, the then head Pastor of the Central A/G, Akwatialine in Kumasi. There was one member of the church, brother Owusu-Menkah, whose ministry impacted his life so much, as he personally devoted his time and resources to teach and nurture him to be well established in the faith.
When eventually Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah came to settle in Tema, he joined Tema New-Town A/G (now New life) in 1987. The pastor, saw the potentials in him and soon made him the teacher of the new converts class. He was elected the Secretary of the church board in 1989 and held that position until 2001, when he stepped down in order to have enough time to render Bible teaching classes to a growing Pentecostal church in Nungua. He was however elected back as a member of the church board in 2003 till 2006. .
In his zeal to serve, he accepted and held other responsible positions concurrently with the board secretarial task, prominent among the additional positions held was; being the chairman of the Committee that drafted the constitution for the local church welfare in 1995, and subsequently the first chairman of the committee; chairman of the fundraising/building committee in 1997-2005 and also the president of the evangelism ministry from 1996 to 2005. During his leadership, the local evangelism ministry embarked on aggressive and regular weekly house to house evangelism throughout the Tema New-Town community, organized crusades at vantage points, and made frequent visits, preaching and praying at the hospitals with his team.
Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah’s zeal to plant churches became so strong that on 1st January, 2004, he personally embarked on what he termed “first missionary journey,” walking from Afariwaa Junction (a suburb of Tema) to Afienya intending to discover areas for church planting. In his second “missionary journey” that came a week later, he was accompanied by Rev. Joshua Agbodekah who was then a member of the Evangelism Committee. They walked hours and miles through Michelle Camp area, Mataheko, Afienya and its environs. In the third journey, the two chose some specific areas, but realized later that those areas had been earmarked for church planting by the district for some trainee pastors. Notwithstanding the apparent wasted efforts, the two worked relentlessly and located a convenient area at Abonkor in Tema New-Town. So in March 2004, Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah led the committee to hold a crusade and planted a church (Gateway Worship Centre) after which he devoted much of his time in nurturing it.
His call into the ministry first came to him as far back as 1981 in a trance, but did not pay immediate heed to it. However his desire to know and serve God appropriately led him to enroll and study in Victory International Bible School from 1996 to 1999, where he earned Certificate in Bible Training and Diploma in Biblical Studies and in ministry. Thereafter, he applied to go to Assemblies of God Bible College in order to enter into full time pastoral ministry in fulfillment of the call but was disallowed to take entrance examination apparently due to the set age limit.
Undaunted by this setback, he decided to do refresher courses and further studies to enhance his knowledge and was awarded a certificate of Achievement in leadership training for pastor and ministry leader by More Than Conquerors International; Certificate in Church Leadership training by The Lion of Judah Ministries and Training Center International in 2003 and Bachelor Degree in Theology from Friends International Christian University of Merced (FICU), California, USA in 2007.
In 2006, he was given a tent Minister Credential and thus, became the pioneer pastor of Gateway Worship Centre A/G. However, in the course of time, God made a way for him, as the process and requirements for entering the A/G Bible College was reviewed and that afforded him the opportunity to enter the Southern Ghana Bible College in 2007, where his affability and hard work earned him the class prefect and eventually became the Diploma School Prefect (2008). He still remembers with gratitude, the overwhelming support he had from his mates.
Besides the task of shepherding a new church, Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah offered some notable services to the district. He was a member of the district mission team mandated to visit and exhort the newly planted churches in Ningo and Ada areas. He was a secretary to the committee that planned the district Easter convention in 2011. A substantive Member of the District Missions Committee which successfully planned district conventions and crusades in Community 2, Community 5, Dawhenya, Miotso, Community 9, PS Global and New Dawhenya Estate, from December 2011 to 2015. And in fact, most of the written reports about those events were done by him. Again, he was a member of the committee that planned the induction services of both the immediate past Tema District Pastor in 2015 as well as the current one in March this year. Furthermore, he got involved with the District Prison Ministry at the Akuse Prisons in the Eastern region.
Shepherding a church from the scratch has its attendant challenges, of which Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah was not spared at all. In spite of these challenges, he opened his doors in aid of whosoever came for help. Thus, he readily and enthusiastically welcomed new ministers who needed to gain some requisite experiences for field work, and was always helpful and supportive to prospective ministers of the gospel. He has nurtured and mentored leaders and pastors who are currently ministering in various denominations of the Christian faith. Among these are Pastor Anthony Rockson who is currently the Associate Pastor of Gateway Worship Centre A/G and Pastor Michael Armah of Rhema Calvary Church.
Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah is married to an efficient prayer intercessor, Monica Chicka Morgan, and they are blessed with four children: Freda, Jeffrey, Suzzy and Doreen.
Though Rev. Agyapong-Essibrah is being retired as a Pastor he earnestly intends to continue with his evangelism and mission ministry in accordance with the Lord’s instruction to him personally to “GO AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST AND HIS LOVE”. He therefore, requests for prayers and the support of all who have the Great Commission at heart, to enable him keep the charge successfully.
