The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Stephen Yenusom Wengam has cut the sod to kick start the construction of Legacy Temples for the church at a ceremony in Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region.
The Legacy Temple Project is an initiative within the vision of the General Superintendent dubbed the Transformation Agenda. This is aimed at championing the construction of church buildings to be called Legacy Temples in newly planted churches, especially in rural communities.
The plan is for individuals, groups of persons and agencies within the church to put up these buildings in places of their choice.
The ceremony coincided with the sod cutting for the construction of one such legacy temple at Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region.
Addressing the gathering to cut the sod for the project, Rev. Wengam recounted the genesis of Assemblies of God in Yendi in 1931, which was then within a rural area of the Northern Region. He noted that most Assemblies of God churches in rural areas are not blessed with decent places of worship, hence his vision to encourage members of the church to build temples in rural areas.
He hoped that people would respond to building thousands of church buildings for Assemblies of God churches in Ghana.
He cited the example of the Centurion in Luke Chapter 7 who built a synagogue for the Jews and King David who had purposed in his heart to build a temple for God, saying, such persons have a special place in the heart of God.
Rev Wengam noted that there is no such time as the perfect time, and called on members to begin to exercise faith and take the step to do it. He stressed the point, that no church deserves to worship under trees, and that every church deserves a decent place to worship.
He announced that church members who take the initiative to build temples for churches shall be honoured at General Council meetings. They shall receive special awards, and have their names immortalised on the walls of the church buildings.
The General Superintendent and his wife showed the way for the construction of legacy temples when they sponsored the construction of a 300 seater Chapel at Goaso in the Ahafo region. They are currently sponsoring the completion of the temple of the first Assemblies of God Ghana Church in Yendi, where missionaries first set up the church in Ghana in 1931.
Rev Wengam paid special tribute to the Adansi Asokwahene, Nana Ofori Kusi Ampofo II, for giving the land free of charge to build the temple.
In response, Nana Kusi said the land belongs to God and so, he could not refuse to give it back to him for the building of the temple.
Special prayers were said for the chief and the people of Adansi.
The Lead Sponsor of the project, Deacon Kwabena Adu-Boahene said the decision to build the temple came from an observation made by his mother during the funeral of his late father. He said upon realising that the temple was in bad shape, his mother pledged to find sponsors to build a new one.
He said the vision of the General Superintendent gave further impetus to the plan to put up a decent place of worship for the people of his native land.
On why he would not rather invest his money in ventures that would result in direct financial returns only, Deacon Kwabena Adu-Boahene said he has had some difficult times in his life which took only the miraculous hand of God to intervene.
These have taught him that it is better to put his interests and investments in the things of God as well. He recounted, that even when he did not have the money to undertake a project for God, once he took a step of faith, God provided the needed resources. He expressed the hope, that God would provide the resources to complete the Adansi Asokwa project as well.
The 500-seater auditorium has an office, an upper terrace and a children’s chapel. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Present at the ceremony were, the Assistant General Superintendent of Assemblies of God Ghana, Rev. Tito Adjei and his wife, the General Treasurer, Rev. Simon Abu Baba and his wife, and the President of the Ministers Wives Association of Assemblies of God Mrs. Monica Wengam.
Also present was the Regional Superintendent of the Ashanti West Region of Assemblies of God, Rev. Kofi Bempah. The Secretary of the Legacy Temple Commission, Deacon Aguriba also addressed the gathering.
