The Church of Pentecost has paid the fines of 40 inmates convicted of various crimes and serving in some of Ghana’s prisons.
Chairman of the church’s Prison Ministry, Witness ADP James Tetteh, spread the word about this during a four-day Re-integration Conference held by the Church of Pentecost Prison Ministry at the Pentecost Convention Center a fortnight prior.
The freed prisoners attended the conference and shared their moments of joy with the participants at the conference. They joined in dancing and singing praises to God.
Explaining the church’s motion, Messenger James Tetteh said the prison ministry is about sharing the word of God with the prisoners without neglecting their own requirements.
Speaking on the topic, “Doing an effective prison ministry”, he said the church has chosen to intensify its efforts in the prisons in light of the fact that many prisons don’t have chaplains while false religions and cults are reaching out to prisoners.
“We must therefore get there first,” he charged the participants.
The chairman of the prison ministry said the gospel offers prisoners God’s forgiveness of sins, and also gives inmates new qualities and viewpoints throughout everyday life. The gospel also offers coping mechanisms and strategies to manage tough spots and close to home instabilities.
To this end, he said the church intends to give lawful guide to prisoners and also support their welfare, reformation and rehabilitation.
The conference held from 5-10 December 2022, also brought together professional counselors and experts in reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration who took the Prison Ministry Committee members and other Prison Ministry laborers drawn from the various Areas of the church through meetings, so they can appreciate the elements involved in relating with prisoners.
The participants held a gathering discussion on “How to Improve The COP Prison Ministry For Maximum Impact” and “What is your understanding of the offender’s social reintegration process?”
Every one of the ex-convicts went through private counseling meetings drove by Dr Noble cause Kuwornu.
Intensive petition meetings were held with the ex-offenders. During the Heavenly Phantom meeting drove by Ps. Supt. Moses Animah, each of the 29 of the released inmates present at PCC, got the baptism in the Essence of God to the magnificence of God.
In an interview meeting with Pastor Supt. Moses Animah, the Secretary of the Prison Ministry Committee, he explained that the conference was done in pursuance of the (Vision 2023) agenda of the Church of Pentecost aimed at Possessing the Nation, by instilling godly principles in each sphere of society.
The inmates, however isolated from the bigger society have not been forgotten about.
The Church has been concerned about their transformation and has made such a lot of investment in such manner.
He communicated appreciation to the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost and the initiative of the Church for the kind signal as well as the continued love the Church has shown to inmates and the Ghana Prisons Administration as a whole.
The Church has proactively completed of a state of workmanship two Camp Prisons at Ejura and Nsawam (Ejura and Nsawam Pentecost Reformation Focuses) with two at various phases of completion to help lessen overcrowding in the prisons as well as assist in the inmate’s reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration process.
The Secretary of the committee said the conference has molded the ex-convicts for a fruitful re-integration into the bigger society.
Contacts were made with their families for them to be gotten with joy as they rejoin with them.
Every one of the former inmates got an undisclosed measure of financial help to begin a business or enterprise as they begin their reintegration.
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Witness James Tetteh took the chance to introduce the members of the Prison Ministry Committee. They are
Aps. ADP James Tetteh – Chairman
Ps. Supt. Moses Animah – Secretary
Dns. Mrs Juliana Owusu – Member
Eld. James Nyann
Eld. Richard Amaning
Eld. Augustine Sarpong (PENSOS)
Eld. Kumah Isaac (PU) – Member
Dns Eunice Obeng
Eld. ADP Charles Ameyaw
Ps. ASP Thomas Owusu Brefo – Co-opted Member