The President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries(EAM), Reverend Eastwood Anaba, has called on members of Assemblies of God, Ghana to support and comfort the General Superintendent of the Church, Reverend Stephen Yenusom Wengam, as he mourns his late mother, Deborah Wengam.

Rev Anaba emphasised the importance of the church providing Rev Wengam with the same level of “trust, thrust, comfort, and momentum” that his mother gave him to succeed in life.

Rev Anaba made the call at the Cedar Mountain Chapel of the Assemblies of God, Ghana at East Legon in Accra on Thursday(November 7,2024) when he led a delegation from his ministry to express condolences to Rev Wengam, following the death of his mother on October 6, 2024 after a short illness. A befitting burial for Rev Wengam's  mother is slated for January 25, 2025 in Accra at a suitable venue to be communicated to the public later.

Rev Anaba was accompanied by his wife, Rev Rosemond Anaba, who is also the Vice President of EAM. Other members of the delegation were Chairman of Fountain Gate Chapel Worldwide, Apostle Daniel Asiedu and Former Chairman of Fountain Gate Chapel, Worldwide, Apostle Clement Anchebah.

“At this particular time, we should not make a mistake and think that the replacement is First Lady Monica, Rev Wengam's wife and the children. They will be there, but they also need somebody to replace in that vacuum and that is the church. So, this time around, the Assemblies of God, the Body of Christ, and the believers that are in Cedar Mountain, and anybody who is a believer, the church will become his mother” Rev Anaba further stressed.

He stated that during such moments it was imperative for the church to give Rev Wengam  comfort instead of confrontation, peace and not persecution and to be an answer but not the source of anxiety.

Rev Anaba who is also the Founder of EAM, said it was for that reason, the leadership of his Ministry decided to come and be with Rev Wengam stressing that death must not be taken for granted.

“Death sometimes is not just the personality who departs and how old or how young the person is, but the circumstances around the person who loses a relative. Many times we take that for granted.

What are the circumstances around the person at the time somebody departed? That informs you about the impact of losing a relative and that is why you cannot also sit back” he said.

Scripture

Rev Anaba quoted Genesis 24:7 as a basis to advise the church to stand by the General Superintendent as he mourns his late mother.

“Genesis 24 verse 67 and it says, And Isaac brought her, that is Rebekah, into his mother Sarah's tent. And he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. So, what comforted Isaac after his mother's death was that he took Rebekah and brought her into his mother's tent.

And Isaac is the type of Christ, Rebekah is the type of the church and brought her into his mother's tent. But by that time, the mother had died. So, Rebekah, a type of the church, came into his life and comforted him” Rev Anaba pointed out.

He further argued using other Biblical teachings that “when Jesus was about to die, he looked at Mary, he said to John, this is your mother. And he told the mother, this is your son. So, when people depart, there must be replacements.”

Atmosphere

Rev Anaba was of the conviction that “just like Rebekah was brought into the mother's tent, the church has to be brought into the tent where Rev Wengam's mother used to live. And that tent is the kind of atmosphere the mother created around him to give him, number one, trust. Trust, because he definitely had a mother he trusted.”

He further observed that from his mother's womb, when they gave Rev Wengam breast milk, he was not suspicious stressing that “I have never seen a baby who said, mama, are you sure this breast milk has no poison in it? The baby just comes out. And the first thing is trust.”

Virtues

Rev Anaba indicated that mothers inculcated in their children while they were growing up two key virtues “trust and thrust-to push hard to succeed in life.”

“Our mothers used to push us. We are getting up and they have to push you to walk. When you are sick, they have to push you to eat. So, he will have his moments of discouragement and challenges as a pastor.

And this one, mama will not be there to say Yenusom move. God will help you. So, mama will not be there to give that thrust. And it will be you guys who will do it" he further urged Assemblies of God church members.

Rev Anaba also made references to the story of David in the Holy Bible when he lost his son, Absalom, and was sitting down, and Joab came and told him that if he doesn't stop crying, get up to go and talk to the people, what will befall him(David) will be worse.

He said although in the scriptures Joab used “I swear" to emphatically push David to talk to the people, “we here are not going to swear and we are not going to push Rev Wengam and say, Oga, get up. We are going to encourage him and say, move on, move on.”

He further recalled that in a book he authored titled “Honesty”, and in one of the chapters, he wrote on what he described as “inconsolability.” He explained that he was referring to a situation where people “lose relatives and they cannot be consoled and nobody can console them.”

Circumstances

The Founder of Eastwood Anaba Ministries further observed that sometimes when you consider the circumstances surrounding Rev Wengam's birth and life up to the time he assumed the office as a General Superintendent, “you will understand that the person needs that kind of trust, that push to be able to go on in life. So, all of us around him, must give him that kind of momentum, we shouldn't inject any inertia into him.”

He asked God to grant Rev Wengam the grace to navigate through these difficult times adding that God never allows people to pass away without any replacement.

“God has given you a huge family. You are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. And we pray to the Almighty God that He will keep you. He will comfort you. He will strengthen you. Give you grace beyond measure.” he stated.

Prayer

Rev Anaba later led a prayer session to ask God to grant Rev Wengam long life, to be surrounded by good people, thoughtful people, men and women of discretion.

He also prayed for the bereaved family and his immediate family-wife and children.

Response

Rev Wengam on his part, expressed gratitude to Rev Anaba for visiting him at this crucial time and acknowledged that he is one person who loves people and has “lived the love revolution campaign for some years now.”

“When I heard the message that he was coming I was surprised but not shocked knowing the kind of person he is, he will do anything to let you feel the love of God. Papa thank you very much as well as Mama Rosemond and also the Fountain Gate fraternity” he added.

Rev Wengam reiterated that although his mother went through challenges when she was alive she did not allow them to deter her from becoming a devoted Christian, disciplinarian and an achiever.

He said she loved doing the work of God but preferred to be in the background instead of being in the frontline.

Executive Presbytery 

Earlier, a delegation made up of Executive Presbytery Officers led by the Assistant General Superintendent, of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev Dr Godwin Tito Agyei and Heads of Department called on Rev Wengam to commiserate with him.

The delegation included the General Secretary of the Assemblies of God, Ghana Headquarters, Rev. Dr. Ernest Birikorang ; the General Treasurer, Rev Dr Simon Abu Baba; the National Director of Women Ministries of Assemblies of God, Ghana and National Treasurer of Ministers' Wives Association, Rev Mrs Gladys Abu Baba and the Head of Internal Audit, Assemblies of God, Ghana Headquarters, Mr Gideon Yogah.

Others were Head of Administration of Assemblies of God,Ghana Headquarters, Mrs Gifty Tweneboah; Head of Accounts and Treasury, Mr Kelly Baah and the National Administrator, Pension, Mr Felix Nana Boakye.

Pain, big funeral

Rev Dr Agyei on his part said when one gets older, he will understand the implications of such loss.

“This is very painful but we pray that the lord consoles him and his wife and the rest of the family” he added.

The Assistant General Superintendent, further described Rev Wegam's late mother as an Icon and one who lived a good life and fulfilled her vision.

“As much as we are in pain we give glory for what she has produced for us.

This is a big Assemblies of God funeral so we all have to come together and get a committee or board and give her a befitting burial as soon as possible as this is the least we can do to pay our last respects to her" Rev Dr Agyei stated.

Rev Wengam's team

Present at the meetings were the wife of Rev Wengam, Mrs Monica Wengam; a Pastor assisting the General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev Ernest Adjei; the General Manager of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Television Limited, Mr Abraham Asare; Senior Pastor of Wind and Fire Assembly of God in Tamale, Rev Aaron Fant, other Ministers of God and workers in the Assemblies of God,Ghana fraternity.

Book of condolence

Rev Anaba later signed a book of condolence as well as two of his entourage, Apostles Asiedu and Anchebah. The Assistant General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Rev Dr Agyei also signed the book of condolence opened in honour of Rev Wengam's late mother at the board room of the Cedar Mountain Chapel of Assemblies of God.

Reporter

Vincent Amenuveve