WHEN AND HOW IT BEGAN

From the 1980’s to the end of the 20th Century, the City of Kumasi and the Country at large was set ablaze for Christ. A wind of spiritual revival blew across the length and breadth of the nation where the zeal of the youth in the churches was consumed for evangelism. In the highways, streets and corners the wave of evangelism was ongoing. On the chests of the youth were such inscriptions: “I am an Evangelist, Christ is the Answer, Be Aglow, Christ is coming” and the like. Christian Fellowships sprang up from the orthodox churches in particular with the youth dominating. You could hear of such names “The Reapers, HOVCEA, CPC Fellowship, Standing Together, Upper Room, Aflame for Christ and many others. These Fellowships combined choral ministration and evangelism moving from school to school, suburb to another and even moving to the villages and towns in the Country. The emergence of HEM in 1984, therefore, was no new news.

HEM began as a Christian Fellowship, or a para[1]church group, at Bantama, Kumasi. Members were mostly the youth drawn from different churches in the Kumasi Metropolis. The Fellowship began with Bible study programs organized on Sunday evenings at the premises of Perpetual International School, North Suntreso. Crusades were also held at the invitation of some Churches particularly the Christ Apostolic Church (C.A.C).

On Sunday 29th November 1987, a declaration was made by the leadership to the effect that the Fellowship had from that day turned to a “Church”. The name remained same, so was the worship-centre. Some members maintained their membership; others also moved back to their mother churches. Although the declaration came from the mouth of Pastor Stephen Agyen, he did it with the knowledge and consent and on behalf of the entire leadership. The leader, Pastor Ola, had travelled to Nigeria, his home-country, at the invitation of his family,

The late Rev. Gregory Ola Akin was the founder and therefore the first Chairperson of HEM. Taking him for a Case-study, I present the profile of this faithful minister of Christ to readers many of whom might be his spiritual sons and daughters. I hope to touch on how consumed his zeal for the work of God was, his selflessness, commitment to HEM and the church in general. Pastor Ola, founded the Ministry as a Fellowship in 1984 at Bantama Kumasi. As a leader and the founder he was made the life Chairman when the Fellowship became a Church. He was also the head pastor of the Bantama Assembly. He held these positions until his demise in 2013.