The Pentecost Church in Finland

Last week, the 27th Pente­costal World Conference was held in Helsinki, Finland, from June 4-7, 2025. The Conference fea­tured powerful and anointed speakers in thought-provoking sessions designed to ignite the passion for evangelism, mission, and discipleship. It was organised by the Pente­costal Church of Finland, and the Pentecostal World Fellow­ship, among others.

The conference was cli­maxed with a church service last week Sunday (June 7, 2025) in Helsinki. The church service was led by the Global Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye. Attended by many pastors and church leaders from Ghana and other parts of Europe, it was hosted by the Church of Pentecost Finland (COP Finland), led by its National Head, Apostle Francis Owusu Kwaah.

Also in attendance were Apostle and Mrs Gordon Opoku-Boakye, Pastor Samuel Awugya of COP Darkuman (Accra), as well Rev. and Mrs. Daniel Sey, of the COP in Dansoman, Accra.

A Powerful and inspiring ministration

Organised under the theme, “Unleashed to live a life worthy of your calling”, the church service was indeed an unforgettable experience, at­tended by many worshippers in an occasion of powerful worship and ministration with spirit-filled songs of praise.

Apostle Nyamekye preached a powerful message on a topic from 1 Thessa­lonians 5: 19, where Paul exhorts the Thessalonians: “Do not put out the (Holy) Spirit’s fire”, which was also undoubtedly significant as last Sunday marked Pentecost Day, when the Holy Ghost filled the Apostles in the Bible.

The COP Chairman ser­monised on the significance of that quotation, about the fact that without the (Holy) Spirit’s fire, we would live in darkness. It is extremely difficult to achieve holiness without the Spirit’s power, he said.

He sermonised further: “Now it is important to note that the purpose of the com­ing of Christ Jesus, our Lord, is to rescue us from our ene­mies, that we would be able to serve him without fear, in holiness and in righteousness all the days of our lives”, quoting Luke 1:74 & 75.

In Christianity, the church’s goal therefore is to become a beautiful and a perfect new society brought into existence by God himself, the anticipat­ed perfection of the church is a moral perfection expressed in a visible holiness, he point­ed out. The Church of Pen­tecost, he said, strives to be one whose members uphold values and lead lifestyles that should turn others to God.

Growth of the Church of Pentecost in Finland

Apostle Nyamekye said currently the Church of Pen­tecost is found in 190 nations with over four million mem­bers worldwide. He expressed gratitude and the excitement that members are committed to the Church of Pentecost, even in the diaspora, praying it will continue to multiply in the service of God.

The Church of Pentecost in Finland was established over 20 years ago. It started in September 2000 as a prayer group with a small number of devoted persons in Helsinki (see www.copfinland.fi).

The Church has grown and spread to other cities and towns in Finland, with two branches in Helsinki alone— the Akan Assembly where worship is done mostly in the Twi language and the other branch is the English Assem­bly (or the PIWC) which is at­tended by other nationalities and African immigrants, aside Ghanaian immigrants.

In a short interview, Apostle Nyamekye noted that in 21 years of the church’s exis­tence in Finland, there has been increase in its mem­bership, including ministers, deacons, and other leaders of the church.

Apostle Nyamekye revealed that during the Conference in Helsinki the church leaders also had an important meet­ing with the Finnish Pente­costal Council in order to be affiliated with them.

In 2013, the COP Finland had Apostle Edmund Appiah as its National Head and saw growth during this term, including re-organising the Vaasa branch. The growth has continued under Apostle Francis Owusu Kwaah, who took over from Apostle Ap­piah as the National Head of the Church in Finland around 2020.

Integration

Let us do reverse mission, for God has not brought us here in the diaspora for noth­ing. He has brought us here so that we can also knock on the doors of those (from Europe) who brought the Gospel to us (in Africa). “We are not here only for greener pastures. We are here for a purpose. Beyond work, we must know that there is a divine agenda for all of us”, he pointed out.

He exhorted members, especially the youth of the church to learn and sing Finnish songs during church services. “The church is in Finland; let’s balance things”, he said. Apostle Nyamekye encouraged the closing prayer to be said in Finnish by a Finnish woman who rose up to the occasion.

This is significant in the sense of integration efforts, and portrays the COP Chair­man as supporting integration efforts by Finnish authorities and institutions. As I have been pointing out, Finland encourages efforts to inte­grate migrants into the host Finnish society through mi­grants’ own participation as one of the efficient ways to improve their inclusion.

Indeed, COP Finland has been one of the major channels for integration, also enabling the Ghana Union Finland (GUF), an association for Ghanaian immigrants in Finland, to make more contacts with members of the Ghanaian immigrant commu­nity. Thank you!

Email: perpetual.crentsil@yahoo. com

By Perpetual Crentsil