The International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) turned forty (40) years exactly on Monday 26th February 2024.
In its four decades of existence, the church has had an impact on many people including me.
It has drawn sinners to Christ, planted numerous churches, helped people to grow in grace and established them to be servants of the Most High God.
This article seeks to cascade some milestones of impact that the ministry of Pastor Mensa Otabil and ICGC has had on my life.
As you read this, I will implore you to also consider the many ways God has used your Pastor and your local church to be a blessing to you.
Five (5) remarkable areas of impacts of the ministry of Pastor Mensa Otabil and ICGC on my life are:
#1. Unsaved
I was born into a casual Christian home where there was no strict adherence to attending church and living for God.
I rarely encountered role models who embodied Christ’s teachings while growing up, and I did not go to Sunday School nor had any training in the way of the Lord as other children reminisce about their formative years.
Moving on to Senior High School and University, I casually made time to score ‘religious goals’ on my score sheet by attending church every now and then.
In all of this, I was drawn to the Living Word broadcast by Pastor Mensa Otabil, whose teachings made sense to me.
He drummed home the truth that God rules in the affairs of men but I was still keeping Him out of my endeavours.
I was not saved unto eternal life. Jesus was not the Lord of my life. Jesus said in Mark 16:16 anyone who believes in Him will be saved but he who does not believe in Him will be condemned.
I held the wrong notion that others probably needed salvation – and not me – since they engaged in very ‘bad sins’. Little did I know that mere good deeds does not qualify anyone as saved. Salvation is in Christ alone.
He who believes in the Son has eternal life. My life outside of Christ was still influenced by the teachings and writings of Pastor Mensa Otabil.
#2. Salvation
The year was 2010. I had finished my final paper for my first degree at the University of Ghana when I accompanied a friend to what I would consider my thanksgiving service at International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) Christ Temple, Abossey Okai, Accra – for successfully completing school.
I fell in love with every aspect of the church service, especially the final leg of the sermon preached on The Dominion Mandate about ‘Replenishing’ by Pastor Mensa Otabil.
I consider this day as my new birth in Christ because I felt completely at home – as if I had found what I had been searching for. I began a journey in Christ that I have never looked back on.
Like the song writer, I decided to follow Jesus, and there was no turning back. The day I got saved was the day I attended Christ Temple and felt an urge to keep going back.
#3. Growth
As I said earlier, I knew very little about the Bible and Christian living before coming to Christ. When I came to saving faith, the pulpit ministry of Pastor Mensa Otabil stirred my appetite for the Word of God; reading it and exercising spiritual gifts to grow in Christ.
Other catalysts like enrolling in the Adult Bible Class (ABC) of the church, which aimed at orienting new members in ICGC distinctives and teaching them basic Christian doctrines, helped me to be grounded in the faith.
Apostle Peter aptly summarized the process of spiritual growth when he said in I Peter 2:1-3 (NKJV) that, “[1] Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, [2] as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, [3] if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
To grow in Christ, Peter says, we must overcome the old man and desire and eat the word of God. That is exactly what my new found church helped me to achieve. There was zeal in me to know and live for Christ.
#4. Service
When I became a Christian, I had no clue about what spiritual gifts were all about. All I had known in my life was talents and skills.
But believers have an advantage because of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God in us, according to Paul, grants each one of us spiritual gift(s) to enable us to serve in His house.
Attending the Adult Bible Class in my church clarified and helped me discover my own gifts to serve the Lord.
I started off serving in the Missions and Outreach department of the church and then proceeded to serve in the Intercessory Department.
When I moved to another branch of the church, I served as an Adult Bible Class facilitator and later as a Children and Youth Ministry Class six (6) facilitator.
All these equipped me to discover my own ministry the Lord had prepared for me. My church gave me the opportunities to serve my Lord and Saviour in many capacities.
#5. Leadership
The final touch point where I can testify of the impact of Pastor Otabil and ICGC in my spiritual journey pertains to the development of my leadership potential.
I started off as an Assistant Covenant Family leader of a location in Accra. Covenant families are area based cell groups meant for fellowship, breaking of bread, praying and studying God’s word.
The next level of leading was regarding my work with the Children and Youth Ministry where I diligently served the little ones.
I came into full time ministry in 2018 and then served in various levels in the local church, district, and regional administration of the church.
When I look back, I can only testify that God made ways for me to be raised as a leader in the church, despite my initial disadvantages about my spiritual upbringing. By God’s grace, I have grown from being a member to becoming a Pastor and actively serving in the church.
The testimony of God’s work in my life through Pastor Otabil and ICGC is verifiable and clear for all to see. Like Nicodemus said: these things cannot be achieved in a man’s life unless God is with him.
Our church, like any other Bible believing church, is turning many people from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ. It is raising leaders, shaping vision and influencing society through the gospel of Christ.
I have been a beneficiary of the power of God at work in the life of Pastor-Teacher, Dr. Mensa Otabil and ICGC. To the glory of God alone, we recount this work of grace in our lives and say: it is marvelous in our eyes.
Psalms 100:5 (NKJV) says,
“For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.”
Eric Otchere is committed to declaring the whole counsel of God through systematic preaching and writing of the word of God. He is an Associate Pastor at ICGC The Royal Temple and also the Regional Administrator of ICGC Central Region.
This article is excerpts from his newly released book titled INFLUENCED FOR CHRIST. Download the eBook for free at https://erikotchere.wordpress.com/ebooks/.
He can be contacted via otchereeric@gmail.com.