“You don’t come to church to clap your hands and jump around. You come to church to be educated and inspired.” Those words spoken by the pastor of Christ Temple, the flagship cosmopolitan assembly of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in Accra, Ghana made an indelible imprint on my mind. Every week Pastor Mensa Otabil stands behind his pulpit and speaks what I would describe as words of insight and inspiration. He eloquently uses biblical concepts to propose practical solutions to the perplexing challenges of mankind, especially those in Africa and other third world settings. For me, it is this aspect of the ministry that fascinates me significantly.
At ICGC Christ Temple, emphasis is placed on personal responsibility. I consider the message of personal responsibility so crucial in the African context; a place where we easily blame former slave masters, colonialists, and witches for our national and personal woes. Instead of carving for ourselves initiatives that will lift us out of the doldrums of poverty, diseases and illiteracy, we mostly prefer to look through the window and expect that some people in Europe and America would use their taxpayers’ money to rescue us. Those of us who are religious will spend countless hours praying and believing that things will work out. At ICGC, I’ve learnt that God has given me wisdom, talents and power to manage my life productively. I’ve understood that what happens to me is not as important as how I respond to what happens to me. Instead of looking through the window and pointing fingers at external forces, I must look at the mirror and use my power of imagination to adopt a creative response to situations that I face in life.
Additionally, I have come to appreciate that life is a purposeful existence and that every human being has a contribution to make to the world. We have all been endowed by God to fulfil a mandate on earth. To have a meaningful experience of life, one must come to terms with what their God-given assignment in life is and strive to fulfil it. Through the message of ICGC, I have discovered my purpose in life. In this regard I have been able to get a leadership development organization running. I have also published two books and I am presently working on three others for publication in 2010. Today, I am able to function as a personal development consultant, media columnist and motivational speaker – thanks to the ministry of ICGC.
I am also particularly impressed with the church’s commitment to excellence. As a deliberate policy the church’s affairs are marked with excellence, precision and professionalism. Church services and conferences are organised with finesse, musical groups sing with utmost professionalism while the protocol services are top notch. Lessons gleaned from this aspect of the church have enhanced my expertise as a conference architect and author.
Since inception, the 25-year old church has been active in the social fabric of Ghana. Strategic social intervention programmes pursued by the church especially in the area of education have been quite relevant. The Central Aid Educational scholarship scheme has over the years offered assistance to several needy students to pursue their education in various second cycle institutions. My fascination here stems from the fact that these scholarships are offered to people from or walks of life regardless of religious or ethnic background. Again, the Central University College – another initiative of the church – is gradually emerging as the leading private university in Ghana. The clean water project unveiled by the church in 2009 has also gone a long way to provide potable water to some deprived settings in the Ga West Municipality. As a tithe-paying member of the church, I am satisfied that my financial contributions to the church are being put to good use. Aside that, I feel terrific that I’m part of an organisation that is adding value to people’s lives and augmenting government’s efforts at making lives better for Ghanaians.
Finally, I would like to make mention of the inspiring leadership of Pastor Mensa Otabil. Since inception, Otabil has offered insightful and exemplary leadership to move the church from one level of growth to the next. Beginning in a small classroom in Kanda, a suburb of Accra, International Central Gospel Church has evolved to become a multi-faceted network of over 100 churches and ministries spread across several parts of the world. The story of ICGC is a story of good leadership and purposeful commitment. It’s an inspiring story of what every person can achieve if we set our minds on a definite objective. Whenever I step foot on the premises of Christ Temple, I get encouraged to persistently pursue my aspirations irrespective of the challenges I face.
I consider ICGC an inspiring place to be. It’s a place where life is discovered and I have no regrets being part of this remarkable church.
