By Rachel Kakraba
Media personality and CEO of Ignite Media Group, Dr. Randy Abbey, has challenged the church to position itself to respond to the changing needs of society in the face of technological advancements.
According to him, in the face of life transformation, which has engendered impatience among the populace, especially the youth, the church ought to devise means to sustain evangelism to win more souls for God.
Dr. Abbey was speaking at a memorial lecture organised by the Faith Evangelical Mission Worldwide in memory of its late founder, Chief Bishop, Dr. Isaac Rex Noi, in Accra.
Describing himself as a mentee of the late founder, Dr. Abbey said, Rev. Dr. Noi lived a life of faith, sacrifice, and humility, which is worth emulating.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Abbey said the late Dr. Noi was instrumental in his formative years, which have shaped his life. He urged the church not to despair in the face of challenges in the 21st century but rather to leverage the opportunities it presents.
“I urge you not to despair, I encourage you to take advantage of multimedia platforms, including TV, radio, social media, and digital advertising. The internet is here to serve you. Short sermons lasting 90 seconds, if packaged in video or audio form, can reach farther than you may ever imagine.
He said the church must endeavour to undertake projects in communities where they are located to bring about development, just as Bishop Noi did, by investing in infrastructure.
“He set up the hospital and the school to serve the people for free or at a very subsidised rate. We have a responsibility to expand these facilities and services to reach a lot more people and meet the needs of the church and our communities.
Dr. Abbey asked the church to invest in sound management practices to promote transparency and accountability.
“As we move into a new era, growing the church means adopting and adapting sound management practices to administer the church professionally. Transparency, accountability and audit has been the norm, not the expectation.”
He also commended successive leadership for their forthrightness, which has seen the church make a lot of gains over the years.
“Let me commend the immediate past and current chief bishops and their respective teams for the improvement that I’ve seen at the school and this cathedral. Well done!!
He said evangelism must not be lost on them, calling for renewed programmes directed at evangelising.
Speaking to GBC NEWS, the Chief Bishop of the Church, Rev. Bobby Harley Neequaye, noted the role the late founder played in the development of the country. He said the contributions of religious leaders and churches cannot be taken for granted.
“I think it’s appropriate that we remember him, honour him and showcase what he has been able to do for Christianity and religion as a whole.”
He acknowledged the late founder as having led an exemplary life, stating that the lectures will be organised annually in memory of the late founder.
“He had a philosophy, the philosophy was that the love of Christ should be practical, not just preaching about peace and winning souls but actually think of their basic needs like education and healthcare. We instituted this lecture, which will be organised annually to commemorate what he has done and the impact that he’s made on society and the community in which we operate.
The late Chief Bishop, Dr. Isaac Rex Nii Noi, was born on 2nd September 1942, at Osu in the Greater Accra region. He attended Presbyterian schools in the community and learnt plumbing at Technical High School. After completion, he understudied tailoring from his father’s best friend and worked as a tailor. After working for a number of years in Ghana, he left for further studies abroad and also to realise his dream of becoming a man of God. Having overcome several challenges, he was determined to start ministry upon his return to Ghana.
In pursuit of this dream, he went to Bible school and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Education. He returned to Ghana the same year and established the World Evangelical Charismatic Mission, known today as the Faith Evangelical Mission Worldwide. The maiden lecture was interspersed with melodious tunes from the church choir, which saw congregants dance.
Dr. Isaac Rex Noi passed away some six years ago, after years of dedicated and selfless service to God’s work.
Funds were raised to support anniversary activities as well as other developmental projects of the church. Some activities lined up for the golden jubilee of the church include donation to an orphanage, health walk, as well as a dinner and awards night.