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IPCC HISTORY
BY HIS ROYAL EMINENCE, BISHOP OHENEBA R.
AGYEI-MENSAH
I would like to start by narrating a short historical background
of how African Pentecostal Charismatic Churches began in Hamburg and its
subsequent spread in the whole Federal Republic of Germany.
This is very essential because rationalistic Scholars have contributed to
the fact that:
"Without the Knowledge of the past, we will not know our present. If
we do not know and understand our present, we would not be challenged to
have proper planning for the future."
Hebrews 13:8 confirms this Pearl of Wisdom with the TRUTH, it says:
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever."
Jesus Christ the past, the present and the future, eternal, everlasting.
It is good to know the past. It is better to understand the present. It
is best to hope for the future/tomorrow.
For sure because Jesus lives, we can face tomorrow.
Yes, we do not live in the past and we cannot live in the past, FOR YESTERDAY
IS GONE INTO ETERNITY, but at least we can reflect on the past to know where
we are coming from, to see where we are now and probably to have a new sense
of direction as to where we are going from here. Which way forward? Only
we dot need to hang or live on our past successes and failures. We need
to think ahead and move forward.
History is a very important element for every development.
History becomes a Well or a Pool of Stories of Success and Failures.
It becomes a practical University of Experiences, sweet and bitter ones.
One needs to have a Story that will one day become a Hi-Story, which with
the years will be affirmed as HIS STORY - HISTORY.
With us Christians, with Pioneer Spirit, God Himself makes a STORY in our
lives, which becomes His Story to bring Him Honour and Glory.
The conclusion of the matter is: Without a HISTORY, there is no HONOUR and
without a STORY, there is no GLORY.
The Stories make the Stars and the Stars make the Stories.
This is how it all began
When my feet first stepped on the soil of this
wonderful nation of Germany, in the City of Hamburg in the latter 70s, my
heart became heavy with a SPIRITUAL BURDEN right from the Airport.
I sincerely did not know and did not understand why, till l got into the house
where l stayed with people l had never seen before and had never met in my
life.
Indeed to my bewilderment before they even asked me to know about my mission
five of them in the room busted into great laughter for a while.
As my usual Practice is, l was dressed in Ministers Clerical, so later on
one of them teasingly asked me, so Pastor tell us, are you on a visit, passing
through or have you also come to hustle with us?
You know, here in Germany, there is nothing like the Churches we know back
home in Africa.
Some of the Germans even say that, there is no God.
He told me that, the Germans argue that, if there is God, where was He, when
Bombs came down like rain and killed those who even went and hid themselves
in a Church building here in Hamburg to take refuge during the world war two.
He determinedly said to me that, Pastor, if you like, l can go and show you
the ruined Church building now.
He lengthened his cautions subconsciously with some fatigues of concern and
mixed feelings.
He concluded by saying Oh yes! l know that, for you as a Pastor, England or
USA would have been better for you. You know, Germany is for us, the hustlers.
When he finished with his address, l thanked him and politely replied him
as follows:
· I told him that, l have not come to hustle, but to help the hustlers
to be settled but l need to be well settled first so that l can help others
to be settled.
· I told him also that l have come as God's Ambassador to let the Germans
know Christ and make Him better known to others by reactivating their faith
in God.
· I told him again that, l have come to let the Africans here to be
united for our common identity and to maintain our Faith in Christ and with
proven Characters be His witnesses to this Nation.
· I made him to understand that, the going through will not be easy,
but with God on our side, we shall get there.
THE FIRST INTER-DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH IN HAMBURG
In 1981 the Lord gave me a clear Vision to start
and organize in the Free and Hanseatic City State of Hamburg the first ever
International Non-Denominational Church, INDC.
In short the Africans in Hamburg and Germany were a flock without a Shepherd.
The first Church Service of INDC was held on Sunday the 27.September 1981.
The attendance was 27. The service took place in St. George Tower Chapel at
1.00 pm. around the Main Train station in Hamburg. (Hamburg-Hauptbahnhof)
This was Ecumenical in Nature, Evangelical in Presentation and Pentecostal-Charismatic
in Spirituality and Christian Identity.
This was the era where the German Churches and their Christian Councils in
Hamburg, and the whole Federal Republic of Germany, had failed even to see
and notice that there were Africans here and some of them were Christians
whose Faith and Believe needed to be preserved, protected, promoted and strengthened.
This truly reminded me that Missions starts from where our door posts end
that is our Jerusalem, according to the original Mission Concept and Principles
of Jesus in Acts1:8.
My Spiritual Burden grew bigger, as some African Christians were reporting
to me and others were complaining bitterly, for example:
· That, when they go to German Churches on Sundays they did not understand
anything because of the language barrier.
· That, no German wanted to sit near to them and after the Service
no one dared to talk to them; not even the German Pastors.
· That they were culturally shocked to see that some of the German
Pastors both men and women immediately after the Church Services lighted their
Cigarettes and Pipes to smoke and to drink Beer and other alcoholic drinks.
This spiritual agony for the sense of belonging of the African Christians,
for mutual Relationship through Fellowship was the paramount interest and
the motivating factor for my Holy Spirit inspired initiatives for my missionary
work with socio-political consciousness.
The spiritual nourishment and vitality to feed the Africans on God's eternal
Word became the driving force with divine promptings for me to start the gathering
of God's people together with clear motive and clean conscience.
Due to poor heating system in the old Church building we were forced to move
to the very Parish of the Lutheran Cross Church (Kreuzkirchen Gemeinde in
Hamburg-Kirchdorf) where l worked as the Youth Director.
In summer 1982 the number of attendance grew up to 120. Many of the attendants
came from the City so due to the distance we had a dialogue with the then
Ecumenical officer of the Christian Council in Hamburg and the Pastors of
the Hammer Kirche in Hamburg-Hamm for us to move to the Central Hamburg again.
This arrangement became positive so in late summer 1982 we moved in the Evangelical
Trinity Church (Ev. Dreifaltigkeits Kirchen Gemeinde). When we celebrated
our first year anniversary in September 1982 we were over 150.
This was not by human enterprise but a Divine prime Assignment in Hamburg
and Germany as a whole; it was to justify the norm that: NATURE ABHORS VACUUM
OR NATURE HATES VACUUM.
This became inevitable according to God's Divine Plan and Purpose for the
precious lives of the African Christians who He has sent here as His Ambassadors
and Missionaries to affect His Salvation Plan for Germany in particular and
Europe in a collective context.
The next Church which started almost 2 years after us was the then Mundsburg,
Christian Church Elim the African wing, which later became CCOM in Hamburg-Bergedorf.
Others who found themselves together later were the Ghana Catholic Society,
The Ghana SDA Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the Ghana
SDA Pentecostals.
In the first 3 years, there was absolute harmony, love and togetherness, call
it UNITY, within and amongst the then existing Churches and the Ministers.
We were even able to organize Joint-, or United Church Services once a Month
in a rotating form despite our different backgrounds.
We were able to develop a common Format as the Order of Worship which was
suitable for this United Church Services, respecting our Unity in Diversity.
In addition to this we initiated Social activities and Sports. We organized
Inter-Church Football Gala with Trophies, Awards and consolation Prices.
Whiles l was initiating all these things, l was still employed by the Evangelical
Lutheran Church Parish Kreuz Kirche in Hamburg.
I sought and had the audience of the then Lutherans Bishop for Hamburg, Dr.
Otto Wölber who after making him to know and understand the acute spiritual
vacuum; appealed to him to release me from the Youth work l was doing in the
Evangelical Lutheran Church Parish in Hamburg, for me to become a Fulltime
Pastor for the thousands of Africans in Hamburg.
This was very important to enable me to concentrate fully on the high demand
for a Counsellor for the many thousands of Africans with no Official Shepherd.
All that l needed was economic stability and not a spiritual Direction or
Dictatorship; for the Vision of God to me was very clear and very explicit
in its contextual and conceptual darling achievement.
The Bishop comprehended the challenge and referred the matter to the Missions
Department of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hamburg-Orthmarschen as well
as the Old Church District in Hamburg, (Alt Kirchenkreis Hamburg) and the
Christian Council in Hamburg (ACKH).
When these three Institutions invited me on separate occasions, l implored
them to hear my spiritual Burden, the Cry of my Heart, for the Souls of the
African Christians in Hamburg.
My Challenges and the uncompromising Appeals l laid bare with spiritual constrains
made them to discover that with all their many missionary and ecumenical methods
and activities there were still some lapses, so far as the African Christians
in Hamburg were concerned.
These three Church Institutions saw the spiritual need and challenge but then
strategically brought in economic or financial issues and excuses with the
question, who will finance the new office?
Prof. Hollenweger
These three Institutions invited Prof. Hollenweger the Initiator
of the Black and White Theological Forum in Birmingham, England in 1983/84
to advice them on what to do with this growing need.
In addressing this dying need, Prof. Hollenweger, related his experiences
with the Black Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements in England and at the
rate they were growing and spreading enormously.
He cautioned vehemently that, the Lutheran Church must support the then existing
Initiative to consolidate the beat of the hearts and the Spiritual Burden
for Full- time Pastor or may be Pastors for the over 10.000 Africans in Hamburg.
He said, the absence of proper co-ordination with competence and spiritual
authority for the situation at stake, in the next 10 years, African Pentecostal
and Charismatic Churches will be spreading in Hamburg/Germany like Mushrooms.
What the experienced Professor meant was the spreading of African Pentecostalism
and Charismatic Churches without ROOTS and QUALITY TRAINING TO EQUATE QUQLITY
LEADERSHIP, in Germany.
In other sense, he wanted the Church in Germany to find precautions to prevent
and protect a Divine course, to be a part of a solution and not a part of
a problem which was likely to be created as a result of their failure to follow
suite the advice.
Today, after almost 20 years of the Prophecy of Prof. Hollenweger, since the
three Church Institutions failed to comply with the Original Divine Concept
of God there is a great spread of the New Mushroom Churches of the African
Pentecostal Charismatic Churches here in Germany. These are Churches without
roots, No quality Training and no Quality Leadership.
New Mushroom Churches
I want to be very explicit and emphatic here that, we the
International Migrant Pentecostal Charismatic Christians in Germany do not
really need new mushroom Churches here in Hamburg with no quality trained
Leadership. We also do not need new Christian Councils with new names. The
spiritual fact here is that, every new Church and new Council is just a duplicate,
a carbon copy of an already existing one. I am very sure that, true Christianity
does not need any by-product.
Many of us have not understood their Calling and therefore are just copying
others.
What we need is to help the already existing ones to receive proper Leadership
Training, proper Structures, proper Ministerial or Pastoral ethics and healthy
Relationships to rightly educate our members to properly get rooted and grounded
in the faith and well equipped.
All over the world it is well known, believed and said that, German made products,
brands and fabrics are of high prospects and desirable QUALITY.
I am very sure to say that, the ONLY German made product, which has no such
unique QUALITY are the African German Made Pastors.
Every new Church and new Council is just additional problem and an increase
of hatred to our spiritual jeopardy caused by the evil spirit of splitting
Churches violently leaving deep wounds in many unhealed broken Relationships.
The rampant splitting through irrelevant fighting over the so called "Church
Money" was and still is the cancer of evil tormenting our Unity and Stability.
What we need is a machinery to be able to ensure that Spiritual Sanity, Spiritual
Scrutiny with Spiritual Maturity to sharpen and to transform our Pentecostal
Charismatic Churches to be the Church that Christ is building on the Rock
here in Hamburg, Germany and Europe as a whole.
The spiritual direction for the gathering of the African Saints in Hamburg
together and even the initial name we were led to choose tells that we were
inter-African Christians without any usual name of a particular denomination.
Many of us were also Asylum seekers and few Students.
THE EXODUS
Around 1983 and 1984 when the German Government started to
reject and molest many of the Asylum seekers many of them migrated from Germany
to Holland, Belgium, France, Italy, Great Britain and Canada.
This exodus reduced the number of the attendants drastically. Also around
1984 and 1985 more Churches sprang up from the then existing few Churches.
Those who found themselves to be members of their mother Churches back home
in Africa then decided to have branches of these mother Churches here in Hamburg,
Germany.
There were also some "One man Churches" and the "my wife and
I Ministries" for some Leaders it became a means of survival so it created
a lot of negative competitions which led to very bitter and dirty Church politics.
The German Lutheran Church which initially had no concept for the African
Christians then capitalised on this our spiritual dilemma that weakened our
Unity and togetherness. They developed a strategy and twisted the Divine Agenda
to look as if they have devised a new concept for the African Christians in
Hamburg. They also manipulated upon our intelligence, confused and used the
disorderliness amongst the African Christians as a state of emergency and
smuggled a Pastor from Tansania to serve their one way Partner traditional
Mission work interest.
Honestly speaking they had no interest and no working concept for the spiritual
Welfare of the thousand of the souls of the Africans in Hamburg where the
majority of African population in Germany till today are living. They started
experimenting as a project without God's given vision and spiritual direction
at the cost of the precious lives of the Africans. More about this in my manuscript
- (The Rise and Spread of African Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement
in Germany; the Advantages & Disadvantages)
The poor developments both on the side of the African led Churches and the
German Evangelical Lutherans with their Ecumenical Alliance and the dirty
Church politics practiced had very little to do with what God intended to
do with His Original Agenda with the African Churches, the God's given vision
for their Mission here in Hamburg, Germany and Europe.
In fact many were playing games with the Church. I also discerned that on
the part of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church with their Ecumenical Alliance
the spirit of Religion was strongly opposing the Spirit of Christ, a spiritual
battle that those who walked by sight could not see.
The African Mainstream Churches e.g. the Presbyterian and the Methodist members
in the past 15 years ago started coming out of the Pentecostal-Charismatic
Churches and especially from the One-man led Churches as well as the my wife
and l Ministries to constitute branches of their mother Churches here. The
impressions created initially were that they were not comfortable with these
Mushroom Churches without roots and proper structures and methods.
Their coming into being has not brought any visible change to the quality
Christian life style in Hamburg and in the Republic. Among them also, despite
the fact that they send trained Revd. Ministers and Bishops periodically to
oversee their Churches the evil cancer of the in-fighting, disputes over "Church
Money" and in some cases splitting are on the increase. Numerically they
are spreading in the other German cities.
Upon my return from America the same year 1985 as a result of all these unpleasant
atmosphere of blackmailing, antagonising, assassinating of character, blacklisting
and labelling to tarnish my image because of God's Spirit and God's Vision
in and upon my life, I understood in my spirit that I was a target for the
enemy.
As I sought for spiritual counselling again l had a spiritual intuition to
make a radical and evolutionally decision which in some way seemed very unpopular
to many people, but l still heard God saying yes to me in that difficult situation.
To hear God's Voice alone was enough for me. The Act was that l spoke with
the rest of the Saints who were still standing with me to find suitable and
sound Churches to go and share fellowship as I was suspending all my Christian
activities indefinitely.
I suffered bitter human and institutional rejection from the German Lutheran
Church in Hamburg and many of the African led Churches and their Leaders;
Like Joseph and his half Brothers. The Holy Spirit of the Lord Divine made
me to understand that l am carrying God's Given Vision for Hamburg, Germany
and Europe and would not have it easy but l should not be afraid for He shall
certainly be with me in all my physical and spiritual predicaments.
I therefore remained cool, calm and collective because l later understood
that l suffered that human and Institutional rejection because l was not competent
or qualified. The Truth came out later that they did what they did against
me because l was originally not a Lutheran Pastor but Pentecostal-Charismatic
full of the Holy Spirit, well equipped with Sound Doctrine and that they could
not make a new Lutheran out of me to serve their Church and traditional Mission's
interest.
My decision was not an act of resignation or relinquishing. It was not an
act of giving up upon my faith. It was not a matter of fearing competition,
opposition or adversity. It was not a case of running away from the battlefield
or abandoning my Holy and Heavenly Calling; No, No. The only truth is that
I prayed and said to the Lord that if these poor developments both on the
side of the African led Churches and the German Evangelical Lutheran Church
with their Ecumenical Alliance who were playing games with the Church through
the dirty Church politics practiced, were all that Christianity was about
then without me.
Like the Prophet Jeremiah l also said radically to the Lord that if for sure
that was all that Christianity was about then I will never make mention of
His Name and will not preach and teach again here in Hamburg and Germany because
I was not ready to be a part of the problem. Spiritually I was deeply convinced
that any attempt to have continued with my active Christian services would
have been with painful compromises, total hypocrisy and serving under religious
Bondage
As l prayed about all these miss-happenings l understood in spirit that God
says His Spirit will no longer struggle with man. In my deep spiritual meditation
in 1985, as l turned to find comfort and counsel in the eternal living Word
of God, l heard an audible Voice and the Holy Spirit of Most High opened my
spiritual understanding not to make the poor situation subjective for He was
in control and it will come to pass in accordance with Psalm 118:22-23 thus
"The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord's doing; It is marvellous in our eyes".
7 years silent period
My absence from the active Christian Ministerial
Arena took 7 good years from 1985 - 1992. It was a very hard course. Honestly
speaking, to live in the midst of chaos and to see and hear people messing
up with God's messages and walking and working through ignorance and carrying
tons of Experiments to stamp down and out the power of Competence and Experience
is a great pain. Praised the Lord that l later understood it better by and
by that it was a great gain.
I thank the Almighty God that He gave me the courage to make that step of
Boldness to come out from among them according to 2 Corinthians 6:17 which
says "Therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you".
No wonder that the Prophet Jeremiah said in Chapter 20:9 thus "Then I
said, I will not make mention of Him. Nor speak anymore in His name. But His
word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary
of holding it back; And l could not".
These 7 years were years of spiritual agony. They were years of active waiting
but not wasted. The All knowing God was still behind the scene working out
His plan and purpose for my life to catch His spiritual momentum. During this
time I was fully engaged in Import and Export Business travelling far and
wide and also running my own Taxi Business with success.
To bring me back into the active Christian Ministry again the Lord designed
a miraculous stomach Tumour to give me a living Testimony and a True Story
which is my own true Story; God's own Hi-Story and History in my life.
On my hospital sickbed in Hamburg in 1991 where l spent 90 Days (Agyei-Mensah
90 Days) and was operated upon 3 times in my Stomach, l had a heavenly Vision
and l was in a dialogue with the Archangel Michael who told me clearly that
"You have not finished your work go back". Still in the Vision the
Archangel accompanied me from heaven down to the earth; whiles we were about
to touch the earth the Graves were opened to receive me. I understood that,
the opening of the Graves meant my death but the Archangel shouted to the
Grave thus "He is not for the dead, he is for the Living" in that
moment the Grave closed up and l came to myself.
After my rehabilitation process the Lord has fully restored my health and
totally transformed my life. In summer 1992 He brought me back into His active
Christian Arena again with new, fresh and the Original Anointing. The Lord
through His Holy Spirit has since given me a new sense of spiritual Direction.
He has opened my eyes of Faith to have deep insight into His living Word.
Every word He drops into my heart gives me a new meaning and a new understanding.
I have fully understood Psalm 118:17 that, "I SHALL NOT DIE BUT LIVE
AND DECLARE THE WORKS OF GOD".
Since l resumed, the Lord has truly confirmed and performed His word in me
and through me. Whiles l was still on my sickbed at the hospital after the
heavenly Vision, the Spirit of the Lord Divine gave me a spiritual Assignment
to initiate "The General Council of Ghanaian Churches in Hamburg for
Germany". This Council was officially formed in 1992. Also few believers
who were still around me all these 7 years came together and we constituted
ourselves and formed "The International Evangelical Church" - IEC.
We got it officially registered with the Hamburg Registration Court also in
1992.
In 1993 just one year after the Lord restored me the word of God came true
and l was comforted with Psalm 118:22-23 thus "The stone which the builders
rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; It is
marvellous in our eyes". The joy of the Lord which became my strength
was that, the All Powerful God elevated me and gave me a Title of Honour to
the High Office of a Bishop. This was on the occasion of my 20th Graduation
and Ordination Jubilee. I learnt a spiritual lesson here that, what the world
rejects, the Lord receives and recognises and uses to His Glory.
The Lord Himself transformed me and has empowered me to be the First canonical,
constitutional and gazetted Pentecostal-Charismatic Bishop of Germany. The
International Ministerial Council of Great Britain - IMCGB is the Ecumenical
Institution that consecrated me to my Bishopric and it was officiated by His
Grace, Archbishop David Douglas who was the International Moderator.
l became obedient, remained quiet throughout the 7 years and allowed the Lord
of Host to fight His own battle. The truth is that no one has ever fought
against the Lord and won. Yes, Jesus is the winner man. Indeed the word of
God abides for ever and changes not. In Romans 8: 28, the Bible says,"
All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, those who are
called according to His purpose".
It also came true just as Joseph told his Brothers, "But now do not therefore
be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent
me before you to preserve life"
THE NAME OF OUR CHURCH WAS CHANGED FROM IEC TO IPCC ON 30.Nov.
1998.
The positive developments in our Church since
the 21st of May 1998 which did usher us in a new era with special and fresh
Anointing of the Holy Spirit with God's Spiritual Timing made the changing
of the name of the Church to fit into the plans and purposes of God for His
Universal Body for the year 2000 and beyond.
We wrote to announce that time as follows: "It is our delight in the
Lord to announce to you officially that, since the 30th of November 1998 the
name of our Church is changed from International Evangelical Church - IEC,
International Pentecostal-Christian Church - IPCC. This Divine Revelation
has undergone all the registration requirements and the proper scrutiny of
regulations or rules of the Hamburg Registration Court. This was a total group
transformation.
Through the annals of God dealings with Mankind, records of biblical experiences
teach that three spiritual significances did happen when God called certain
people to establish His Covenants with them. 1. He changed their names 2.
He changed their places of origin (separated them from their families) 3.
He changed their directions, goals, concepts, He even transformed and expanded
the scope of their visions and sometimes radically relocated them. He reconstructed
and reshuffled their endeavours to suit His perfect will, plans and purposes
to bring glory and honour to His powerful Name.
There is a spiritual break-through which is really shaking the kingdom o the
enemy, no matter how hard he is fighting back. With the new name, the Lord
has given us a new spiritual enablement, new identity and the sure sense of
belonging as Pentecostal-Charismatics with sound Evangelical presentation
in Preaching and Teaching the Word of God with practical deeds. Our International
contacts are also getting more intensity to the glory of God. The Lord is
expanding our ministerial tentacles.
It all happened on the 4th October 1998 as l was returning from IMCGB Bishops
Forum in London with BA 964 from Heathrow to Hamburg flying over 37.000m above
sea level between the atmospheric and the starry skies during when l was meditating
on the glory of God's handy work seen in the natural beautiful colours up
there.
In this harmonious state in my meditation l entered into spiritual dialogue
with the Holy Spirit and l saw clearly in the clouds an inscription thus "And
the name of the Church shall be called "International Pentecostal-Charismatic
Christian Church". I was also made to understand that the new name had
a Trilogy package for the new spiritual Dimension as an expansion of the original
God's Given Vision for Hamburg, Germany, Europe and the Universal Body of
Christ.
The Trilogy is:
· "International Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian
Church - (IPCC-Church)"
· "International Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian Centre - (IPCC-Centre")
· "International Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian College - (IPCC-College")
When this spiritual dialogue was over l thanked the Ancient
of Days for His awesomeness. The Holy Spirit of the Lord revealed and gave
me a heavenly wisdom. Whiles we were still tenants by the Evangelical-Reformed
Church in Hamburg it was obvious that even the change of our name would not
be quiet pleasant to them. I was therefore instructed to leave out for sometime
the word "Charismatic" to let it be "International Pentecostal
Christian Church". The reason was that many German Christians were not
conversant with the word "Charismatic" even till today many do not
feel comfortable with the term "Pentecostals". When our name had
the word "Evangelical" they could somehow identify themselves with
us.
Due to some funny developments and clear scenarios, we saw that our relationship
with them was distorted. Whiles l was away in Canada on a mission in December
2004, l got a message from my Personal Assistant that they have given us quit
notice till the end of March 2005 to leave their premises because of one of
my Lectures l gave at a Conference in Berlin about "Integration"
where l was asked to speak on the topic "Discrimination in the German
Churches". Honestly speaking the Lectures caught great Momentum and was
very appealing. The organisers later put it in the Internet.
This created the opportunity for us to come out openly now as it was designed
by God to meet His Divine appointment for the correct, perfect and proper
use of the Trilogy and their spiritual connotations for the positive impacts
and difference they are given to make in Christendom with the twin meaning
"Pentecostal-Charismatic". This we did constitutionally in may 2005.
In the year 2000 we registered a Branch of the Church in Ghana, West Africa.
We sent 5 Pastors to be trained at the Shiloh Bible Training Centre for Pastors.
In the year 2003 we started in Hamburg the IPCC Bible College, a Training
Centre for Pastors and Church Leaders, our Bible College is in working relationship
with BTCP- Bible Training Centre for Pastors in Georgia, Atlanta - USA. Our
excellent Study Manuals are designed by Dr. D. J. Mock.
At the moment IPCC is operating with two branches in Hamburg and one Branch
in Munich. 1. The International Headquarters which is known as the Central
Church with German-English speaking Assembly and Twi-English speaking Assembly.
2. Hamburg-Bilstedt English speaking Assembly. 3. Munich English speaking
Assembly.
IPCC is internationally connected with the International Communion of Charismatic
Churches - ICCC with the Headquarters in Georgia, Atlanta - USA.
IPCC is also the Mother Church of "The International Ministerial Council
of Europe - IMCOE" and has of late hosted the two Empowerment Conferences.
IPCC Leadership has also functioning roll in the Council of Christian Churches
with African Approach in Europe (CCCAAE) with the Head Office in Berlin. Again
IPCC Leadership shares fellowship and is a member of South Hope in a Europe
without Barriers (SHEBA) with the head Office in Utrecht / Netherlands
In September 2006 we celebrated our Silver Jubilee, "25 Years" and
were blessed to have Bishop Dr. S.E. and Revd. Dr. M.J. Arnold Church of God,
Administrative Bishop for New Jersey, USA. The Couple were Missionaries in
Ghana from 1967 to 1974. They founded the Ghana Bible Institute (GBI) of the
Church of God in Ghana. They were the Renowned Lecturers of His Royal Eminence,
Bishop Oheneba R. Agyei-Mensah.
For more information see our website for IPCC Church Networking
& Photos.
"The General Council of Ghanaian Churches in Hamburg
for Germany" was also vehemently opposed humanly and religiously. In
as much as this Council was so strongly opposed, the Lord was preparing a
new way for a far greater and bigger Organisation for His Kingdom Business
for Germany and Europe: the International Ministerial Council of Germany -IMCOG
which was established in 1994.
It is very interesting to note the powerful spiritual developments in the
Church IPCC and in the Council IMCOE
In the year 2006 we saw the need to link IMCOG to the rest of Europe so we
amended the constitution to accommodate the other European countries for Ministerial
networking with the caption "IMCOG goes Europe". According to the
new Registration, the Council is now known and called "The International
Ministerial Council of Europe - IMCOE. It is a Uniting Body for Pentecostal-Charismatic
Churches in Europe with the Headquarters in Hamburg, Germany.
We invite all Ministers to our yearly "IMCOE Empowerment Conferences"
Check the dates at our site for Events.
Responsible for the authenticity of this History
is His Royal Eminence, The Rt. Revd. Oheneba R. Agyei-Mensah: The Presiding
Bishop. |
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