About Our Church
Welcome to Pentecost International Worship Center Lancaster — a Christ-centered church family committed to worship, fellowship, spiritual growth and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with our community.
A Place of Faith & Hope
PIWC Lancaster of The Church of Pentecost was established in 2016 under the leadership of Pastor Thompson Eduful.
Rooted in the vision and mission of The Church of Pentecost Worldwide, PIWC Lancaster was founded to create a dynamic, Spirit-filled community where believers could worship, grow in faith and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today, PIWC Lancaster continues to grow in faith and numbers, embracing new opportunities for ministry and outreach while raising Spirit-filled believers who will impact their families, communities and the world for Christ.
Our Mission
To raise Spirit-filled believers who will impact their families, communities and the world for Christ, through worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The History of PIWC Lancaster
From humble beginnings to a growing community of believers, our journey is a testimony of God's faithfulness.
The Beginning
PIWC Lancaster of The Church of Pentecost was established in 2016 under the leadership of Pastor Thompson Eduful.
Responding to the call of God, he initiated the establishment of PIWC Lancaster to serve the growing number of believers in the area.
A Foundation of Faith
The first meetings began with a family at Ephrata Lancaster — Mrs. Ama and Mr. Dr. Ernest Yeboah — together with Madam Cynthia Mensah and a small group of committed members.
The church's humble beginnings were marked by fervent prayer, outreach and a strong commitment to biblical teaching.
Growth & Expansion
Due to the increase in membership, the church rented space at Holiday Inn Hotel.
Through the vision of leadership, brothers and sisters were brought in to assist with the growth of the church.
A New Home
As PIWC Lancaster continued to flourish, the church moved a year later to a new location situated at the First United Methodist Church building in Lancaster.
Deaconess Hannah Ampofo Bediako served as Presiding Deaconess from 2017 to January 2022.
Continuing the Mission
Elder Benjamin Essel succeeded on 31st January 2023 as the Presiding Elder for the assembly.
Through consistent leadership and the move of the Holy Spirit, PIWC Lancaster has become a beacon of hope in the community.
The Church of Pentecost
A heritage built through faith, sacrifice, prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Humble Beginnings
The Church of Pentecost had very humble beginnings dating back to the dedicated ministry of Pastor James McKeown, an Irish missionary sent by the Apostolic Church, Bradford, UK, to the then Gold Coast, now Ghana, in 1937.
Pastor McKeown came to nurture a group of believers of the Apostolic Faith yearning for the fruit and power of the Holy Spirit.
A Growing Movement
The group was based in Asamankese, a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana, led by Peter Newman Anim.
The group split in 1939 under doctrinal differences into the Christ Apostolic Church and the Apostolic Church, Gold Coast.
A New Identity
A Constitutional crisis in the Church in 1953 led to the founding of the Gold Coast Apostolic Church with Pastor James McKeown as leader.
Following Ghana's independence in 1957, the church was renamed the Ghana Apostolic Church.
The Church of Pentecost
The Church later adopted the name “The Church of Pentecost” on August 1, 1962.
This heritage continues today through assemblies around the world, including PIWC Lancaster.
Our Beliefs (Tenets)
The foundational beliefs that guide our faith, worship and life as followers of Jesus Christ.
The Bible
We believe in the divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures. We believe that the Bible is infallible in its declaration, final in its authority, all-sufficient in its provisions and comprehensive in its sufficiency.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21The One True God
We believe in the existence of the One True God, Elohim, Maker of the whole universe; indefinable, but revealed as Triune Godhead — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — one in nature, essence and attributes.
Genesis 1:1; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14Man's Depraved Nature
We believe that all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God, are subject to eternal punishment and need repentance and regeneration.
Genesis 3:1-19; Isaiah 53:6Divine Healing
We believe that the healing of sickness and disease is provided for God's people in the atonement. The Church is not opposed to soliciting the help of qualified medical practitioners.
2 Kings 20:7; Matthew 9:12; Luke 10:34; Colossians 4:14Tithes & Offerings
We believe in tithing and in the giving of free-will offerings towards the cause of carrying forward the Kingdom of God. We believe that God blesses a cheerful giver.
Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; Malachi 3:6-10; Matthew 23:23; Acts 20:35; 2 Corinthians 9:1-9The Second Coming & The Next Life
We believe in the Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection of the dead, both the saved and the unsaved.
Mark 13:26; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 1:11; Romans 2:7-11; 6:23The Saviour
We believe that man's need of a Saviour has been met in the person of Jesus Christ, because of His deity, virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection and ascension; His abiding and Second Coming to judge the living and the dead.
Matthew 1:2; John 4:42; Philippians 2:6-11Repentance & Sanctification
We believe that all men have to repent of and confess their sins before God and believe in the vicarious death of Jesus Christ to be justified before God. We believe in the sanctification of the believer through the working of the Holy Spirit and in God's gift of eternal life to the believer.
Luke 15:7; Acts 2:38; Romans 4:25; 5:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3Baptism & The Lord's Supper
We believe in the Sacrament of Baptism by immersion as a testimony of a convert who has attained a responsible age. Infants and children are dedicated to the Lord. We also believe in participation in the Sacrament by members who are in full fellowship.
Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Luke 22:19-20Gifts & Fruit of the Holy Spirit
We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit for believers with signs following; also in the operation of the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.
Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11; Galatians 5:22-23Marriage & Family Life
We believe in the institution of marriage as a union established and ordained by God for the lifelong, intimate relationship between a man as husband and a woman as wife as biologically defined at birth. We believe that God instituted marriage primarily for mutual help, fellowship and comfort, and for the honorable procreation of children and their training in love and obedience to the Lord.
Genesis 2:18, 21-25; Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 7:1-2To God Be The Glory!
With a strong foundation laid through prayer, faith, biblical teaching and the work of the Holy Spirit, PIWC Lancaster looks forward to an even greater future — trusting in God's faithfulness and the power of the Holy Spirit to lead the church into new dimensions of growth and impact.