NATIONAL HOLY SPIRIT CONFERENCE
GO THROUGH THE GATES: THE CHURCH’S MARCH OF FAITH

OPENING KEYNOTE ADDRESS

SYNOPSIS:

This message commands the unified Church to advance through spiritual
“gates,” fulfilling its mission in the world with the Holy Spirit’s power.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your
iniquities, who heals all your diseases, Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of
His, who do His pleasure. Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Let us bless the Lord this day for the opportunity for us to gather as the Body of Christ,
Roman Catholics and Protestants, Evangelicals and Pentecostals, Theologians and
Ministers, Laymen and Students, Saints and all Believers in and worshippers of God, to
share our thoughts, revelations and commandments of God regarding His will, intents
and purposes for humanity and creation in general, Africa and Ghana in particular. As
you already know, the Annual National Holy Spirit Conferences were conceived,
promoted and are being organised by the Ghana Evangelical Society with the express
purpose of Educating on the Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit, and Deepening the
relationship of the servants and saints of God with the Holy spirit thereby equipping
ministers and all for effective Christian Witness in the world. This year conference is
the……….in the series.
Last year however, the organizers extended the Conference to cover a wider field, in
subject and territory. The first West Africa Holy Spirit Conference (WAHSCON ’88)
organised last year was conceived as the first of a series of sub-regional and continental
Africa and possibly, world series to deal with the Spiritual, Theological and Mission
issues the Church faces in her mission in Africa and the world.
The Holy Spirit has come to endue the church with power for her witness to all nations,
all peoples and all creation. It can be suggested therefore that the discussion of the
totality of Christian Witness or Mission in the world at a Holy Spirit Conference is not out
of place. As Jesus has taught us, without Him, Jesus and the Comforter, we can do
nothing. We may appreciate therefore why we must bless the Lord for such a gathering
of the peoples of God. We have assembled in the Unity of Faith for Unity of Action to
liberate Ghana and Africa for the Glory of God. Our banner is “THY KINGDOM COME.”
His banner over us is LOVE. (With the permission of the Planning Committee, may I
humbly request us all to meet and greet our neigbours in the Spirit of the Kingdom).
Now, this year’s conference is a return to the normal national conferences. However, the
1989 conference is designed as a Follow-up of WAHSCON ’88. Many issues were raised
at the 1988 conference that needed further investigation and deeper discussion for the
general guidance of the Church and Nations in Africa.
The organizers had planned a special POST-WAHSCON ’88 FORUM for February this
year. This could not come on due to the Society’s sudden engagement with the special
prophetic mission of Come Back to God Crusades, January through April this year. It
was decided therefore to combine the forum with the usual teachings on the Holy Spirit
in the 1989 Conference. It is for this reason we are gathered.
The theme for the 1988 Conference was STAND UP………. a call on the Church in Africa,
to rise up in the Knowledge and Power of the Word and Spirit of God to wield proper
redemptive influence on African religion, culture and social progress as a whole. We had
this to say at last year’s conference.
“African Theology has failed to produce a sufficiently sharp cutting edge. It has seemed
to advocate disengagement from the hectic business of life because very little has been
offered that is pertinent to say, about the theology of development, poverty, disease and
other equally urgent present-day issues. This is where the abrasive black Theology from
America may have a few lessons, for African Theology should be concerned for the poor
and the oppressed, about people’s needs for liberation from all kinds of bondage to enter
into an authentic personhood which is constantly undermined by pathological religiosity
and by political authority that has whitted away much personal freedom without too
much opposition from the Church. But African Churches and African Theologians do face
specific problems, and they are raising concrete questions. Fundamentally, they must
discover an African identity and an African Personality and a sense of authenticity in their
response to the Gospel. They will do this by affirming the values of the traditional cultural
and religions of Africa, not simply as a way to facilitate the penetration of the Gospel, but
to contribute to the total spiritual richness of the Christian Church (culled from the
African Christian Vol.8)”
The above quotations from last year’s Opening Ceremony no doubt point to a real need
for Divine Light and guidance and open discussions on the Church’s mission in Africa in
our times. It is hoped that the discussions at this conference will provide a basis for a
continental conference to continue the deliberation on the Church’s mission in Africa.
We would pray therefore for the Holy Spirit’s control and guidance of the proceedings
and also the Revelation of Truth, so we do not move in the power and wisdom of man.
We would humbly suggest, in fact we pray, that participants in the Conference, including
our speakers would approach the proceedings with the due sense of mission and
humility, to enable us receive Power and Direction from the Holy Spirit so we can fulfill
God’s purpose for the Church and Ghana, and ultimately contribute to the full
emancipation of the people of Africa and the liberation of the continent from Darkness
and Poverty. (In mentioning poverty, I mean poverty in its widest sense – spiritual,
religious, politico-economic and socio-cultural). Africa is on the whole still in spiritual
bondage and religious darkness with weak and unstable political and economic system
and structures. Africa needs systems that will make the nations stable and viable and
contain superstitious and unprogressive socio-cultural systems. The African culture
needs redemption with the Light and Power of God and scientific realism. It is with this in
mind that I wish to make the opening remarks at this august conference. I make these
remarks under two main assumptions: –
i. That the conference is an investigative conference seeking to know truth and the
basis of divine power necessary for solving human problems in a way acceptable
and pleasing to the Living God.
ii. That I know nothing except Christ and Him crucified, and therefore the remarks I
make are but contributions towards a general whole of spiritual and religious
perception and divine direction for the guidance of all.
INTRODUCTION
This year’s Conference has as its theme “GO THROUGH THE GATES.” (Isaiah 62: 10)
“Go through,
Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway! Take out the stones, lift up a banner for the peoples!”
It might be remembered by participants in last year’s conference that the same scripture
was the basis of the main paper for the workshops entitled, “Confronting the Issues.” We
are gathered here in the spirit of this scripture and last year’s conference to investigate
all the gates of Christian Witness in Africa and the world – to find a path and Construct a
Highway for the people, raising the Banner of Christ and Divine Standard of
Righteousness for the Church and Nations of Africa.
Let me confess at this stage that the scripture was given me in 1984 by the Lord in respect
of His vision for Ghana and the Church’s mission connected therewith. From the whole
of Isaiah 62, we can conclude that God has elected Ghana for adoption for the revelation
and establishment of His Righteousness and Glory. He wants to make Ghana a Beulah
Land, and the people His people. But even if God has not so chosen Ghana, the Church
in Ghana can consciously work towards such divine adoption and blessing of our beloved
country and people. The Holy Scripture in general is a charter for action, for the power of
God for salvation for all who believe. This is faith
For the sake of Divine revelation of His Kingdom Glory therefore, God has raised or must
find in the Church Watchmen over the affairs of the land. Watchmen who would not hold
their peace nor would keep silent till the Living God established His Righteousness in the
country. God wants to redeem Ghana from her woes and make the people His Holy
People, a people for His glory.
“And they shall call them The Holy People, the redeemed of the Lord; And you shall be
called sought out, a city not forsaken.” (Isaiah 62: 12)
But we know, this cannot be until there is a thorough investigation into and cleansing of
the systems and institutions of the country in the light of His Righteousness, so a proper
Standard of Religion and Life is established for the people.
Perhaps this investigation could not have begun at a more appropriate time, when the
Government of Ghana is seeking a criteria and basis for classifying religious movement
in the country. Could the law on Registration of Religious Bodies be part of the Divine plan
of the sifting out religious activities in the country, in Church as in other religions in the
country? It is our hope that the discussions at this Conference can truly begin an
authentic investigation into the Truth of the Christian Faith and the Church’s mission and
witness in the African context. We believe in this connection that it is the wish of every
concerned Christian that the Church can be an effective vehicle of God for the spiritual,
religious and cultural transformation necessary to make Ghana a true Beulah Land.
To be sure, the Ghana Evangelical Society which is hosting this conference launched this
investigation programme at Easter ’84 in Koforidua, Eastern Region under the general
theme: KINGDOM (of God) GLORY followed by a special seminar on Church and Nation
at Kumasi in September 1984. At the end of that seminar, at which the Rev. Dr. Brew
Riverson now General Secretary of the Methodist Church of Ghana, and the Rev.
Nicholas Opuni also now General Secretary of the Assemblies of God Church in Ghana,
were speakers, the Church assembles issued a statement on Righteousness and other
issues in Church and Nation to the Church and the Government of the day.
We give thanks and praise to the Lord that the present Assembly of the Church at this
Conference is far more greater and wider than the Church then assembled. The issues
to be discussed now are equally of deeper and wider significance. It is our hope therefore
that the Church and the Government of Ghana will not only consider the proceedings of
this conference but will in particular pay serious attention to any statement that might
issue from this conference.
The Conference has been structure in a way to permit as much blessings to all as
possible. The morning seminars are designed as teaching sessions on current thoughts
in Theology and Missions, the Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Church and
Today’s World Order. The workshops in the afternoon on the other hand are the
discussion periods when participants will be required to share their insight, and burden
with all on various topics. The evening sessions are a period of teaching and ministry.
THE CHURCH
Perhaps, it would be fitting to start our remarks with a brief comment on the Church
herself. Our burden here is not a definition of the Church. For all of us agree that the
Church is one, that the Faith is one, and the Mission is one. That the Church embraces
all believers in God through faith in Jesus Christ, whose sins are forgiven and cleansed
by the blood of the Lamb of God, born anew of the Spirit of God and baptized into Christ,
His Body, according to the scriptures. What we are concerned with in fact is the Church’s
mission in the world. But suffice to say here that the Church is the representative and
spokesman of God in human affairs wherever it is. Therefore, if the Church’s message
has no divine basis and only re-echoes the philosophies of men, then the Church is no
more than another philosophic or religious club in the land. In that case as we said last
year, she has no right to claim, nor indeed can she receive wisdom and power and
authority to intervene in human affairs.
In fact, this lack of Divine Wisdom, Power and Authority is a pathetic pathological
problem of the Church today as a whole. Men are struggling in their minds and power to
confront Satan and other minds in the name of God. That makes the Church seem to have
rejected Christ, the Holy Spirit and the holy scriptures. The Church is full of strife,
fellowship barriers and disorder today, with all due respect to our fathers and elders,
because men would not seek to hear from the Holy Spirit nor be guided by scriptures. But
beloved, the Church has been called and established by God through Christ and the Holy
Spirit.