Men’s Week is one of the yearly activities programmed on the Presbyterian Almanac to revive generational groups in the church. At the Koforidua Ascension Congregation, the Men’s Fellowship used the occasion to conduct general visitation, organize prayer sessions, hold Bible discussions, and engage in a talk/debate with their female counterparts, the Women’s Fellowship.
The week’s activities culminated on Sunday with a thanksgiving service featuring one of their own, Felix Owusu Addo-Okyere, the Eastern Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, delivering the sermon. The theme of his message was “Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega: Men, Arise and Build on the Foundation.”
The day coincided with Father’s Day, a global celebration to honor fathers and men. Brother Felix Addo-Okyere spoke on the solid foundation built by Jesus Christ and exhorted men to rise to their responsibilities, building on that perfect and solid foundation to be appreciated and celebrated.
In light of Father’s Day, Felix Addo-Okyere emphasized three pillars that fathers/men should establish to be appreciated and celebrated: providing shelter, food, and clothing for their children. He highlighted that a well-to-do man who neglects his family in favor of others will not be appreciated or celebrated by his children. Similarly, a man who fails to provide shelter or clothing for his wife and children will not receive appreciation and celebration.
Felix Addo-Okyere also cautioned wives who are stepmothers, noting that some may suppress their stepchildren, hindering their progress and the benefits they should receive from their fathers. He gave glory to God, recalling the deep motherly love, care, and concern he received from his stepmother, Georgina Yaa Akotoaa Ababio Addo-Okyere, of blessed memory, and expressed deep appreciation for both her and his father. Despite their meager income, they provided for him and supported him to become who he is today.
In his conclusion, Brother Felix Addo-Okyere admonished the congregation to rise as Prophet Nehemiah did to rebuild today’s broken wall on the solid foundation laid by Jesus. He called on the congregation to live in love, forgive one another, learn the Bible to know the word of God and live by it, exercise self-control, be disciplined and live rightly with God, stop gossiping and backbiting, and follow the directives of the Holy Spirit. He assured that by adopting such attitudes, the broken wall would be rebuilt, and God in heaven would open doors of blessings and prosperity.
Credit: Kumwuramhene Sampson
