The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr Eric Nyamekye, has revealed that he nearly lost his life while living in South Africa.

According to him, his personal encounters with violent crime in the country shaped the church’s strong commitment to supporting and protecting Ghanaians facing distress abroad.

Speaking during a courtesy call by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, at the church’s headquarters in Accra on August 12, 2026, Apostle Nyamekye recounted surviving multiple life-threatening incidents during his six-year stay in South Africa.

“I lived in South Africa for about six years, and I suffered a lot from some of these things. I almost died in South Africa. Twice, I was accosted by armed robbers. The last incident was particularly dangerous. When I was leaving South Africa, my luggage was stolen,” he said.

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The Pentecost Chairman added that his experiences made him uniquely qualified to intervene when crime directly affected members of the church in the region.

“And then recently, about a year ago, I had to rush to South Africa when our national deacon was kidnapped during an offering service. I had to travel there immediately. I was the right person to go, not because I was the Chairman, but because they knew I had also suffered some of these experiences, so I needed to be there and speak,” Apostle Nyamekye stated.

The visit formed part of the government's appreciation to the church after the Church of Pentecost in South Africa generously offered its church premises as safe havens for about 500 Ghanaians who fled the latest wave of xenophobic attacks in the country.

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