“Are the problems in our life from God or from Satan?”  Ransford, our driver this past week, used our time on the road to ask us questions.  This question provoked a long discussion about the false teaching on “prosperity” that is so commonly taught in the churches in Ghana.  

Apostolic Teaching

The Apostles Continuation Church and the Apostle Paul

Mike Harper and I had the privilege this past week (Feb. 12-14) of teaching a conference to the annual assembly of the Apostles Continuation Church (ACC).  The ACC is an African-initiated denomination with no direct connection to any Western denomination.  It is Pentecostal in its teaching, and in its early history was heavily dependent upon prophetic messages from its founder.  However, some of the younger leaders began to insist the church needed to follow the teaching of the Bible.  In time, God led them to Sam Oppong, and through Sam to ELI.  Over the past five years or so, ELI has had a significant impact on the ACC and some of its key leaders have become students in the Sunyani MINTS seminary.

That growing trust resulted in this opportunity to address their annual assembly on the topic of Biblical Church Leadership.  Since their meeting was in Duayaw Nkwanta – about 40 minutes south of Sunyani – the conference also provided Ransford the opportunity to ask his questions.  As we taught through selected sections of 1Timothy, his questions helped guide our emphases.

The nearly 200 ACC leaders – both men and women – listened intently as we explained and applied Paul’s apostolic teaching.  Paul was very concerned about false teachers within the church and he addressed that topic at least four times in his short letter.  He built his case through the letter and culminated his indictment in chapter 6 by asserting that false teachers consider godliness to be “a means of financial gain.”   He went on to resoundingly condemn the obsession with wealth:  “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation…. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.”  1Tim. 6: 9-10

I never cease to be amazed at the contemporary applicability of God’s Word!  Paul’s teaching directly applies to the false teaching on prosperity that has permeated so much of the African church.  The obsession with health and wealth misrepresents both God and the Christian life. God has not promised to do away with all our problems, nor does the Bible teach all our problems come either from Satan or our lack of faith.

Thank the Lord!  These leaders received our instruction and applications on this and many other topics from 1Timothy.  We were blessed by their attentiveness – especially since our teaching was through a translator!  We were also blessed by their hospitality:  every day after we finished teaching we were escorted to a nearby house and treated to fresh pineapple and bananas in such quantities that we could never hope to consume it all.  They then sent us home with the abundance of leftovers!

This conference was a fitting conclusion to a very fruitful and encouraging ministry trip.  The other men on our team were also greatly blessed by the response of the MINTS students in both Kumasi and Sunyani.  God is blessing the teaching of His Word in Ghana, and you – through your prayers and support – are participants with us in this ministry.  Thank you!

It was a long trip home, but by God’s grace all the members of the team have arrived safely.  We look forward to two more trips to Ghana this year and we trust that God will continue to bless this ministry of equipping key church leaders.

For Christ’s Kingdom,
Dan
Equipping Leaders International