Rev. Peter Acheampong has successfully retired from active ministry at a ceremony held to celebrate his journey in the ministry on Sunday 28th November 2021 at Firstborn Assemblies of God, Nyankyerenease-Kumasi. The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including the General Treasurer, Rev. Dr. Sam Ato Bentil officiated the ceremony, with the support of the National Pension Administrator, Mr. Felix Boakye, Regional Executives of Ashanti West region, and the District Executives of Kwadaso.
In attendance also were Retired Ministers, Pastors, and members of the AG fraternity across the country. Rev. Acheampong until his retirement was the Senior Pastor of Firstborn Assemblies of God, Nyankyerenease-Kumasi in the Ashanti West region.
He completed his Bible school education in 1985, making him one of the longest-serving ministers in Assemblies of God, Ghana. Below is a brief profile of Rev. Peter Acheampong to highlight major happenings in his ministerial work.
BIRTH
Rev. Peter Akwasi Acheampong was born on 13th August 1956 at Esreso, Lakeroad in the Bosomotwe District to Opanyin Kwabena Adansi and Abena Ampong (both of blessed memories).
EDUCATION
At the tender age of 5years, his father left him in the care of his mother at Atwima Darko and he started schooling at the local Roman Catholic Primary school and completed with MSLC certificate in 1971.
EARLY LIFE
Since Rev. Acheampong’s grandmother was an ardent idol worshipper he might have ended as an ordained fetish priest, had it not been God’s providence that took him away from his grandmother to Kumasi in 1971. Whiles in Kumasi, he worked at LLL, AG Timbers, Kumasi Brewery, and M. Babisoti Ltd. respectively.
He even became a Trotro mate at a point in time all in a bid to put food on the table at the end of the day. Life was not easy at that time so he sought greener pasture by sojourning to Nigeria and spent a couple of years there hustling.
NEW BIRTH
When he returned from Nigeria in April 1979, he began to search for the true purpose of life. He tirelessly pursued religion. He first joined the Jehovah’s Witness but in no time left and joined the Brotherhood of the Star and Cross (Alladura). He finally converted to Islam and become a Muslim, all in vain attempt to seek meaning in life.
It was not until August 1979 when Rev. Acheampong was employed in Anglo Gold Ashanti (AGC by then) in Obuasi as a miner that he attended a crusade organized by the Assemblies of God Church led by Rev. Anthony Cosmos Aboagye that he accepted Christ as his Lord and personal Savior and got baptized in September 1979, receiving rest for his soul.
The Sunday after the crusade, he was the first person at the church premises even before Rev. Cosmos Aboagye came to open the doors of the church for service to begin. This was because he felt a pure sense of satisfaction and joy in his heart and spirit that he had found the right place to grow in the Lord. Within 3 years stay under the tutelage of Rev. Cosmos Aboagye, Rev. Acheampong had become versatile in evangelism. On evangelism, Rev. Aboagye would usually send him on a trip with 10 boxes load of gospel tracts and buy a one-way ticket for him to distribute from Dunkwa-Offin and beyond and told him not to return until he had distributed all the tracts. Sometimes too he buys OSA bus tickets for him to Kumasi for tracts distribution. Obuasi and its environs were not left out as they embarked on massive evangelism in the Prisons, Sec-Tech, Markets, Lorry stations and train stations, and every nook and cranny.
On mission and church planting, Rev. Acheampong played an integral role in the planting and settling out churches at Akrokeri, Dompoase, Dominase, Jacobu, New Edubiase, Fahiakobor, just to mention a few. He was doing all these whiles he was a full-time worker at Anglo Gold Ashanti because of the passion and burning desire in him for the Lord’s work, which was overwhelming.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
In August 1979, on his way home from work, Rev. Acheampong met three (3) young beautiful ladies distributing gospel tracts and one of them gave him her tracts with the inscription “Operation feed your soul” and invited him to a crusade. It was at the crusade that Rev. Acheampong got born again and a few years later proposed to her and they got married at Grace Assemblies of God Bronkong, in the Afigya Kwabre District in September 1981. The name of this wonderful and God-fearing lady was Miss. Janet Antwiwaa now Mrs. Janet Acheampong. Their union is blessed with five (5) children. They are Millicent, Collins, Gideon, Joel, Prince, Isaac, and Hepzibah.
Mrs. Janet Acheampong, his beloved wife needs special commendation for her immense contribution to her husband’s calling into the Lord’s vineyard. Her prayers, patience, understanding, and faithfulness have in diverse ways enabled them to get this far. She has proven beyond human imagination to be a pillar of support and encouragement to her husband and the entire family throughout the journey. God bless, Obaapa Aunty Akosua.
CALL TO MINISTRY
In March 1982, whiles working underground at AGC, Rev. Peter Acheampong had a vision and a hand appeared to him and wrote five inscriptions on the walls and heard a voice asking him whether he could make meaning of the writings on the wall of which he answered ‘no.’ The voice then said “the five lines mean 5 years…you must leave here and go and work for me. If you stay here for 5 years you will die.’ Immediately the hand and the writings disappeared.
He was visibly shaken and trembled with fear as he didn’t know and understand what had just happened. He went quickly to his pastor Rev. Aboagye to narrate the encounter to him after the close of work and the Pastor affirmed that it was the calling of God to ministry.
Doubting the calling of God to enter into full-time ministry, the Lord gave Rev. Acheampong three (3) assurances in another vision that:
- “If you accept my call, I’ll provide you with everything that will necessitate the success of your ministry “
- “I’ll make sure you will bury none of the flock I give you to take care of”
- “There will be no barren couples under your shepherd rod”
In 1983, Rev. Peter Acheampong fully surrendered to the calling of God by enrolling in the then Southern Ghana Bible Institute at Saltpond and graduated with a Diploma in Biblical Studies in 1985. And low and behold, in his thirty-eight (38) years in full-time ministry, the Lord has kept His promises and none of these assurances had failed (Heb. 6:17-18).
FULL-TIME MINISTRY
Whiles, he was in his second year at the Bible school in 1984. Rev. Cosmos Aboagye requested from him to choose between two towns that is Adansi Fomena and Dunkwa-Offin, for him to plant a church for him to Pastor after graduation.
Though Rev. Acheampong was contemplating Adansi Fomena as number one choice at heart but had a dream one day and in the dream, he saw himself standing by a river and something like an egg fell from the sky and cracked open and plenty of chicks hatched out from the egg and they started following him everywhere he went even into his room.
After narrating the dream to Rev Aboagye, he interpreted that “because there is Offin River at Dunkwa, I meant that his calling was to that place and the chicks represent the souls the Lord was going to save”. In the first semester of his second year in 1984, the Obuasi Church organized a crusade at Dunkwa-Offin and planted the church for him to start his full-time ministry. Even though the Assemblies of God as a church had been over 50 years in Ghana, the gospel had not then reached the Upper Denkyira enclave, so the Lord used him and his wife as pioneers’ missionaries to the area and some parts of the Western Region. It is worthy to note that in their seventeen (17) years of missionary work in the Upper Denkyira enclave, they were able to establish a total of twenty-one (21) churches in major towns and villages including Wassa Akropong.
MINISTRY IN ASHANTI REGION
From 2004-2005, he took the pastorate of the Apatrapa True Vine Assemblies of God, Church. The Lord led him to establish a new church in Nyankyerenease on 4th June 2006 and named it ”Firstborn Assembly” a name which was coined from Hebrews 12:23. Even though the church started in a classroom, it has now moved to a permanent place of worship by the ever-abounding grace of God.
After the Annual convention of the Bantama District which then included Kwadaso and Santasi Districts headed by Rev. Stephen Yaw Manu, now Ashanti West Regional Superintendent, in the year 2012, a proposal was considered and approved for a District status for Kwadaso and its environs.
In 2013, Rev. Acheampong was elected as the first District Pastor for the newly created Kwadaso District. He held and served in this office for five (5) years.
HIGHER LEARNING AND TRAVELS
After acquiring his Diploma in Biblical Studies at SBGI, Rev. Acheampong attended the West African Advanced School of Theology (WAAST) Lome, Togo from 1998-2000 and successfully graduated with a Bachelor of Theology Degree.
Some of his mates include; Rev. Professor Paul Dapaah (Snr. Pastor, Faith AG), Rev. Moses Sumaila (Rtd). Rev. Charles Appiah Boachie (Rtd), Rev. Dr. Tito Agyei (Ashanti North Supt.), Rev. Stephen Yaw Manu (Ashanti West Supt), and Rev. Dr. Ato Bentil (General Treasurer).
He then attended Reinhard Bonke Conference that was held in Accra in 1997 and attended the Billy Graham conference in Amsterdam dubbed “Amsterdam 2000.”
MINISTERS TRAINED
In the cause of his ministry in the Lord’s work, God used him to train and mentor the following ministers in the Lord’s vineyard. They are:
1. Rev. Kingsford Asamoah
2. Rev, Godwin Dela Bosso
3. Rev. Gyamera Acquah
4. Rev. Emmanuel Baba
5. Lay Pastor Kwabena Manu
All of them are actively working in various capacities in the Ministry.
POSITIONS HELD
In Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Peter Acheampong has served in the following capacities:
i. Area Organizer-Adansi District-1986 -1992
ii. District Secretary-Assin North District-1992-1998
iii. Secretary -Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (Dunkwa Chapter) 1994-1996
iv. Secretary-Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (Nyankyerenease Local) 2008-2010
v. District Pastor-Kwadaso District 2013-2018.
Rev. Peter Acheampong’s ever readily open arms always gave much of God’s assurances, comfort, love, and protection to his family members, church members, and everyone who came his way. Rev. Peter Acheampong, may the good Lord who called you from the wilderness into His fold and worked with you and through you for these 38 years, continue to shine His face upon you as you retire today.
