Two Renowned Men of God have reminded the Former Senior Pastor of Trinity Chapel, Assemblies God in Tema, Reverend Dr Sylvanus Amegashiti Elorm that although he has retired from active service he should remember that he is still God's Servant.
The Men of God advised him to devote his period of retirement to supporting the Assemblies of God, Ghana anytime his services are needed. He should also bring his wealth of experience to bear on the activities of the church to enhance its growth.
The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God,Ghana Reverend Stephen Yenusom Wengam and the Founder of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams both gave the advice at the Commendation and Retirement Service in honour of Reverend Dr and Mrs Sylvanus Amegashiti Elorm at the Trinity Chapel, Assemblies of God in Tema on Saturday, November 23, 2024.
The service brought together both current and former members of the Executive Presbytery, the clergy from other churches, some members of the General Council of the Church, family members and friends of Rev Dr Elorm.
Among the dignitaries were the wife of the General Superintendent, Mrs Monica Wengam and a Retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Victor Jones Mawulom Dotse.
Commendation, retirement
The General Superintendent commended Rev Dr. Elorm for playing his part in the work of God but reminded him that “you've done your part, but there is more land to conquer.”
He explained that just as Jesus Christ finished His work here on Earth but was still interceding for people in Heaven, Rev Dr Elorm should similarly contribute to the Kingdom of God although he has officially retired from active service.
“Many think that once they retire, they retire from their core functional duties as men of God; Look at Jesus. He was on earth for 33 years. When he was done, the Bible says in Hebrews 7:25, He went to Heaven interceding for us. He's still working. He's finished his work. But Jesus is still working. Doing what? Interceding for the saints. Making sure that his work on earth is not in vain” Rev Wengam stated.
He indicated that there is an unending role of the Man of God stressing that “today, Rev Dr. Elorm is retiring from his administrative duties. But the call of God upon his life will not cease.”
“We need the Moseses, our retired ministers, the Moseses who stayed behind as exhorters, like they said, or they'll go to battle. We stay behind, and we are praying for you, interceding for you, praying in the spirit for you. I tell you, can you imagine the power, the unction, the grace, the resource will get on the field” Rev Wengam further stated.
God's call
On the purpose of God's call into Ministry, the General Superintendent expressed worry that “today, some are pastoring when they are not finding a job. And I'm worried that the high rate of unemployment is pushing many into ministry. God never called an idle person.”
Rev Wengam stated that in the Holy Bible, everybody God called into ministry was busy and working adding that Abraham left everything and responded to God's call.
He therefore eulogised Rev Dr Elorm for leaving behind his management position, a lucrative job and Masters Degree to go to a Bible school to acquire a Diploma certificate when the call came.
He described Dr Elorm's approach to God's call as “humility and making a big sacrifice.”
Another chapter
The Founder of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, on his part stated that one chapter of the life of Rev Dr Elorm’s life has ended, paving way for another chapter to begin.
“I believe 25 years ago, the skill, the wisdom and the experience he had cannot be compared to the wisdom, skill and experience he has today. And I want to say to our General Superintendent that you all got to find a way to still make use of his skill, experience, which he has acquired all these years" he stated.
The Archbishop observed that Rev Dr Elorm “is a better leader today than he was yesterday. I believe that your future shall even be better and greater than your past. I believe that you are just beginning the journey.You are just beginning. And the reason is because you are wiser than you've ever been. I have bishops who have retired, and we call them Bishop Emeritus.”
Complex issues
Archbishop Duncan-Williams revealed that as Founder and General Overseer of his ministry he usually handed over complex and very difficult situations to retired Men of God like Rev Dr Elorm.
“I hand over very complex and very difficult situations to them. Because there are some situations that engage one with the kind of experience and depth that he has acquired for these past 25 years. And I don't want you living here with this mentality that you are retired.
You are not. You haven't retired. You are just beginning a new chapter.” the Archbishop pointed out.
He described Reverend Dr. Elorm as a man with “distinguished and outstanding reputation with passion and commitment to the ministry”
“I've watched him over the years and decades. His consistency, his commitment, the sense of duty, loyalty, dependability, trustworthiness, visionary leadership and I felt like I couldn't have missed this moment to be part of this day because history is in the making.” Archbishop Duncan-Williams added.
Skill, experience
“I believe 25 years ago, the skill, the wisdom and the experience he had cannot be compared to the wisdom, skill and experience he has today. And I want to say to our General Superintendent that you all got to find a way to still make his skill, experience, which he has acquired all these years, you got to put it to use. You can't just have him retire and have him go sit down somewhere” the Archbishop stated.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams was of the view that “age is in the mind, it is a mindset. We need elders like your kind and your type in the House of God. Today, you are moving from where you used to be to a place of eldership in the Body of Christ where you will not just speak wisdom, but you will download the counsel of God. There's a difference between counsel and wisdom. Solomon had wisdom, but his grandfather, Ahithophel, had the counsel of God.”
He further told the gathering that in the Holy Bible whenever you heard the counsel of Ahithophel, it was as if a man had heard “the oracles of Adonai.”
He observed that Rev Dr Elorm is now walking in that realm right now stressing that “when you speak, it will not just be words, but it will be the oracles of Almighty God. People will have to take heed because you've walked a difficult and a very complicated and a challenging path. You have survived many things that could have killed many. You survived the pandemic. You survived a lot of things. God has spared your life up to now. And today, you are a better man of God.”
Archbishop Duncan-Williams pointed out that Rev Dr Elorm's “voice should not be silent in the land of the living. That even as you move on, that we will still hear the sound of your voice in the corridors of power. That you will still remain relevant to the Kingdom, your generation and to the powers that be.”
Crisis
He reminded him to always make himself available whenever there is a crisis and a situation in the church.
“The General Superintendent will send for you and say, Elder, you have come into the state of eldership in the kingdom. Today, you know things that you didn't know 25 years ago; That the fountains of the deep within you shall break forth. And that the deep wells in you, which you have acquired and received all these years and decades in the ministry, shall be unblocked. And that rivers of living water shall flow out of your belly across the length and breadth of the land.” Archbishop Duncan-Williams stressed.
He prayed that Rev Dr Elorm's legacy will be a blessing and that whoever takes over from him will build upon the foundations he has laid.
Prayer
The two Men of God prayed fervently for Rev Dr Elorm so that his expertise will be felt in the Assemblies of God fraternity even though he has retired.
Message
Rev Dr Elorm on his part said serving the church was an honour done him by God and when he was called to serve he had no knowledge of how he would navigate through the challenges.
He explained that there were times that his faith was tested and commended the entire church for their unwavering support for his leadership.
On the activities of the Trinity Chapel he stated that the church carried out a number of medical outreach programmes in health at the Tema General Hospital and also reached out to orphanages as well as retired pastors.
“The work of God in this church is far from over and although I will no longer be in the pulpit every Sunday I will always be around” he added.
Legacy,profile
Rev Dr Elorm and his wife, Olivia will undoubtedly be remembered for six legacies that have impacted positively on the Assemblies of God fraternity. With support from his wife, Rev Dr Elorm pioneered missionary work in Ghana and West Africa through One Hope, a missionary organisation to spread the Gospel to over 60 million children and youth across West Africa within 20 years.
He initiated a youth leadership development programme dubbed “Lead Today" and an oral discipleship programme for children known as “17 stories".
As an entrepreneurial leader he started and built a thriving Church, Trinity Temple Assemblies of God in Tema Community 10.
He was also a great teacher and mentor dedicated to nurturing future leaders and has mentored over 20 ministry leaders into great men and women of God. He teaches at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and contributes towards strengthening the Assemblies of God, Ghana’s governance system.
Rev Dr Elorm was a church planter par excellence and a pillar behind the Assemblies of God, Ghana's Church Planting Movement. As the Secretary and Coordinator of the Vision 3,000 initiative, he spearheaded the fund raising efforts of the programme resulting in the successful planting of over 3,000 churches across Ghana within five years.
Finally, he was a man of compassion for the vulnerable as he brought joy each Christmas to children at the Tema General Hospital Children's ward, sharing hope and love. His annual outreach reflects a legacy of selfless giving, inspiring others to serve with a heart for those in need.
Rev Dr Elorm stands as a towering figure within the Assemblies of God,Ghana as an exemplary church administrator, visionary leader and a dedicated educator.
In addition to his administrative duties, he was appointed Chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the Assemblies of God Literature Centre(Press) overseeing the production of critical Christian literature that had nourished countless believers across Ghana.
Rev Dr Elorm has also been at the forefront of several strategic initiatives. As the Secretary of the Constitutional Review Committee he played a vital role in shaping the governance structures of Assemblies of God,Ghana.
Born on June 16, 1956 at Keta in the Volta Region, he obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of Cape Coast and a Master of Business Administration(MBA) from the School of Administration at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Rev Dr Elorm is married to Mrs Olivia Elorm for 36 years and have been blessed with many children and a grand daughter. Mrs Elorm is a registered nurse and Midwife and has been a professional nurse for 35 years. She specialised in Ophthalmology and practised with passion and diligence as an Ophthalmic nurse for 22 years.
