Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider celebrated the occasion of the church’s 50th anniversary in Ghana in a festive divine service with 5,120 brothers and sisters. He was accompanied by District Apostles Ehrich and Krausse, District Apostle Helper Soko and 41 Apostles and Bishops from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroun. The service was hosted in Cape Coast and was broadcasted on the national television network (GBC).
The bible text was taken from the gospel according to Luke 6:45, ‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.’
The Chief Apostle shared his joy to be part of the celebrations as he began his sermon, “My dear brothers and sisters, today is a special day and God has prepared a special blessing for all of us. And I am very thankful to our Heavenly Father that I can share this blessing with you.”
The Chief Apostle emphasized that our priority in God’s blessings (strength and Godly wisdom) is to be prepared for the return of Christ. However, we also have a mission to fulfill before Jesus’ return. “We can also be a blessing to people around us; in being witnesses of Jesus Christ, and helping them to find and follow Jesus.” He added we can also be a blessing for Ghana “when we live according to the gospel in our daily lives, live according to the ten commandments and live in the true New Apostolic manner”.
Chief Apostle Schneider further explained that through our rebirth with water and the Holy Spirit, we have been sanctified by God and renewed in the Lord Jesus, “and the Holy Spirit has put in our hearts a good treasure. We are rich and wealthy in Christ.”
He explained that this good treasure, inspired by the Holy Spirit, consists of:
* The knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Son of God
* The fear of God; a deep respect and knowledge that everything comes from Him
* The promise of our heritage and eternal fellowship with God
* The promise of the Lord Jesus’ return
* The love of God poured out in our hearts
In closing his sermon, Chief Apostle wished for all to be richer in Christ, “Let us stay in these spirited treasures, in the way we express ourselves in word and prayer. And as a result, we will become even richer in Christ. That is my wish for all of us. Amen.”
District Apostle Krausse and District Apostle Helper Soko were called to serve. Three Apostles from Ghana and a fourth from Nigeria were retired. In replacement, four new Apostles were ordained respectively.