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Ghanaian Christianity comprises different streams: the Roman Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans and classical Pentecostals as well as the historically younger neo-Pentecostals or charismatics as they are popularly known in Ghana. Priests, pastors, ministers, deacons, church leaders and officers of all these recognizable strands of Christianity have over the years, admired the ministry of the Most Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah, Apostle General of the Royalhouse Chapel churches world-wide. Quite a number of them have publicly declared their high regard for the excellent way in which weddings, funerals, induction and ordination ceremonies and other social functions are performed at Royalhouse Chapel.

They have also expressed the need for a pastors’ and ministers’ handbook which will serve as a guide for conducting various social functions in the manner in which Royalhouse Chapel does them. This book is intended to meet that need. Its timeliness and importance lie in two basic facts: first, the scarcity of contemporary resources for weddings, funerals and other occasions; second, the opportunities offered to pastors, ministers and deacons to reach out and minister to friends, families and loved ones of people who are wedded, bereaved or ordained. Very few occasions offer such great opportunities for a harvest of souls and pastoral care as do weddings, funerals and the other social functions that are covered in this book. On such occasions, people open their hearts to the Spirit of God in ways they have never done before.

Through this handbook, the pastors or ministers on duty can prepare and avail themselves to be used by God as instruments of blessing, comfort and encouragement. They can also be guided to offer professional and godly assistance at such functions. This is one of the hallmarks of the ministry of the Apostle General of the Royalhouse Chapel churches.

Royalhouse Chapel International will hereafter be referred to as Royalhouse Chapel throughout this book.

We believe in the divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Scripture as stated in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”

We believe in the existence of the one true God, Elohim, who is the Creator and the Maker of the whole universe; indefinable, but revealed as the triune Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We believe that “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As a result of the sinfulness or depravity of humanity, every human being is subject to eternal damnation.

We believe that human sinfulness and the inability of the human race to satisfy the demands of a just and holy God made divine intervention imperative. God, because of His great love for humanity, made the world redeemable and reconcilable through the vicarious death of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. By virtue of his deity, virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and physical ascension into heaven, Jesus Christ qualifies as the Saviour and mediator of humanity.

We believe that repentance of sin and faith in the vicarious death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the only means by which human beings can be accepted, justified and sanctified before God.

We believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. We also believe in the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-11).

We believe in the sacrament of water baptism by immersion, on the clear testimony of a convert who has attained the age of accountability and has genuinely been born-again. We do not believe in infant baptism but we fully subscribe to the blessing and dedication of children to the Lord. We also believe in the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the celebration of the Holy Communion by all those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour.

We believe in life after death and the bodily resurrection of both the “saved” and the “unsaved” (see Act 24:15). We believe that the “saved” will experience the Resurrection of Life but the “unsaved” will experience the Resurrection of Damnation.

We believe that faithfulness to God through tithes and offerings, releases His supernatural blessings upon the cheerful giver (Malachi 3:10).

We believe in divine healing as a vital part of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Although the church encourages its members to seek medical attention from qualified medical practitioners, we also acknowledge the healing power of God and actively pray for the physical, psychological and spiritual healing of those who need it.

The Apostle General, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah was born on 23rd February, 1960 to the late Mr. J. O. Ankrah and Madam Victoria Ziddah. As a devoted Christian who dearly loved the Lord, Madam Ziddah had a great and positive influence on young Samuel’s spiritual life. Consequently, when he gained admission into Saint John’s Grammar School in 1974, he became an active member of the Scripture Union. That same year, he encountered the Lord in a very real and powerful way at the Scripture Union and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and personal Saviour. Since then, he has been on “fire” for the Lord.

The spiritual foundation and vision upon which Royalhouse Chapel was established was given to the Apostle General in a divine encounter in Holland on the 19th of June, 1991. In that encounter, the Lord “arrested” him and totally changed the course of his life.

Recounting his experience, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah stated:

The visitation occurred at 2:00 am; I was fast asleep when suddenly I heard persistent knocks on my door. I woke up, thinking it was my Indian landlord who had come to harass me at that ungodly hour for his rent which was overdue. To my surprise, when I opened the door, no one was there. With a sigh of relief, I went back to bed. My sleep was interrupted a second time that night. This time, I felt a human hand touch and wake me up. To my amazement when I awoke, there was no one in the room. I however felt an unusual presence and knew instinctively that the effective, tangible and supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit had invaded my apartment. While pondering the experience, I suddenly heard the audible voice of God call my name. When I responded, He instructed me to pray; for the next three hours I was enveloped in an atmosphere of fervent prayer and supplication amidst tears.¹

I did not know exactly why I was weeping or what had prompted the profuse tears in the first place. In retrospect, three things come to mind. First of all, I had missed my wife and two children – Nana Akos and Paapa – and was greatly concerned that for a whole year, I had not been able to remit them adequately because of the hostile conditions that confronted me in Holland. Secondly, my aspirations for travelling to Holland to further my education had not been realized; I was still doing menial jobs and working from “hand to mouth.” Thirdly, God was dealing with me seriously and making me aware that I had placed my desires and ambitions ahead of His. The Holy Spirit convicted me of the fact that I had been disobedient to God’s call upon my life and taken His grace and mercies for granted.

Hence for three hours (from 2:00am to 5:00am), I wept and prayed my heart out, asking for forgiveness and divine enablement. I also pleaded with God to empower me to fulfill His mission for my life. I needed supernatural grace to return to Ghana and continue from where I had left off as an evangelist and revivalist. Right there and then, I rededicated my life to the Lord. My greatest desire from that moment forward was to do His will and offer Him unreserved obedience.

Around 5:00am, God spoke to him again audibly and directed him to read the Bible. He did not know exactly where to turn to, but as he picked his Bible, it flipped open to 1 Timothy 3:1 which immediately engaged his attention. It states: “This is a true saying, if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work…” As he read this verse of scripture which he was already conversant with, it ministered to him powerfully like never before. He felt a strong impression that God was calling him into full-time ministry. In his own words:

I cannot forget what I felt that day when I read 1 Timothy 3:1. Although I knew it very well and could easily quote it from memory, the impact it made on me that day was totally unprecedented. It was as though the Lord Jesus Christ Himself had physically appeared and spoken those words directly to me. I knew without a doubt that the Lord was calling me into full-time ministry and that I had to abandon my secular ambitions of pursuing law and politics in favour of propagating the gospel.

The Apostle General’s conviction was confirmed almost immediately, when the Lord spoke to him audibly for the third time that night and instructed him to return to Ghana without delay and establish Royalhouse Chapel International.

The Apostle General’s divine mandate was clearly communicated to him by God in a three-fold vision:

His firm belief was that by following this vision closely, he would succeed in affecting his generation positively with the love and power of God. Thus “Touching Our Generation with the Power of God” became the theological paradigm or mission statement of Royalhouse Chapel. Having followed his God-given vision closely, passionately and unswervingly for over two decades, the Apostle General has significantly affected the lives of many people, including street children, ex-convicts, drug addicts, commercial sex workers, single parents, homeless people, widows and widowers as well as vulnerable senior citizens.

His philanthropic initiatives include a Scholarship Foundation for needy but intelligent students. Beneficiaries of this Foundation range from primary school pupils to post graduate students. Through his televised ministry, Power in His Presence, his daily radio broadcast, Powerline, his live streaming, podcasts, print, electronic and digital media, the Apostle General ministers God’s Word and mediates the power of God to millions of people in Ghana and abroad on a daily basis. The remarkable testimonies of countless people whose lives, marriages, businesses, financial situations and dire conditions have been transformed by his ministry bear abundant witness and proof of his calling. Francis G. Ndoo, the editor of a Ghanaian Christian magazine made the following observation of the impact of the Apostle General’s ministry in Ghana and abroad:

[Royalhouse Chapel] is a life-transforming church where sin is openly rebuked and the works of the devil are destroyed through the power of God. In Royalhouse Chapel, the battle line in the heavens are drawn, as members constantly engage in spiritual warfare through prayer and fasting, thus ensuring that deliverance of Satan’s captives is a daily experience. Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah, who is the [Apostle General] of the Royalhouse Chapel Group of Churches, reflects an explosive swiftness and brilliance of God’s glory and power. He is of a truth proving his call to fulltime ministry. If you are in doubt of the authenticity of prophetic utterances in these last days, call on Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah. He’s a rare gem in the art of prophecy and interpretation of dreams. He is God’s gift to the Church in our generation.²

The Apostle General’s success story and that of Royalhouse Chapel hinges on his absolute sterling integrity and honesty, his dedication and devotion to his God-given vision, his consuming passion for God and compassion for humanity as well as his constant, unwavering desire to make God and Christianity real and experiential. In fact it has been observed that all over the world, there are myriads of people who applaud the “dynamic, exuberant, expressive and experiential nature of worship” in Royalhouse Chapel.³ This kind of worship, according to I. M. Lewis, is the greatest of the three “cornerstones of religion.”⁴ The emphasis which Royalhouse Chapel places on spiritual experience by making it “an integral part of normal Christian life and worship” is one of the cardinal reasons why its influence has been massive and monumental globally and in Africa in particular.⁵

When the Apostle General returned to Ghana in November 1992, he resumed his leadership of Showers of Blessing Incorporated, the Evangelistic Ministry he had established in 1984. It is worthy of note that before his arrival, he had asked his wife, the Rev. Mrs. Rita Korankye Ankrah (affectionately called Mama Rita) to start Sunday service with members of Showers of Blessing who were then available. Twelve (12) adults and twelve (12) children attended the first Sunday service. Upon his arrival, the Apostle General named the church Bible Worship Center (BWC) and later modified it in August 1994 to International Bible Worship Centre (IBWC). However in March 1999, there was another development when the IBWC Governing Council had its annual meeting. An umbrella name which would embrace the multifaceted aspect of the ministry was deemed appropriate. Upon much deliberation and prayer, Royalhouse Chapel International was chosen. Thus, from March 1999 to date, that has been the operational name of the ministry.

From humble beginnings, the number of worshipers increased significantly to 150 adults in just a few months after the arrival of the Apostle General. Thus, in 1994, it became necessary to relocate the church from the GES Model Nursery School at North Ridge in Accra to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) canteen, which comparatively, had a larger facility. The demonstration of God’s power through signs, wonders, phenomenal healings and spectacular miracles, coupled with the strategic location of the new meeting place helped the growth of the church.

With the continuous influx of new members, it became impossible for services to continue at the ADB canteen. The church was therefore moved to the Blackmoore and Sons warehouse, which was also located on the Ring Road Central, quite close to the ADB canteen. The warehouse was gradually transformed into a beautiful worship center. From October 1994 to November 2000, it became a place of solace for thousands of people with all kinds of spiritual, intellectual, psychological, emotional and social needs. During this six year period, the church grew from a membership of 250 to nearly 5,000 worshippers. To effectively accommodate the large number of worshippers, three fully packed services were held every Sunday at 7:00am, 9:00am, and 11:00am respectively. The sermon was translated into the Twi and Ewe dialects (two popular Ghanaian local languages) in the first two services sequentially. The third service was held in English only. Those who could not be seated inside the main auditorium participated in the service via closed circuit television on the compound where canopies were mounted.

An important and historic event took place in the life of the church on November 4, 2000. Thousands of worshippers attended an “All-Night” prayer vigil at the Blackmoore and Sons premises. Around 4:00am, the Apostle General led them in a “prayer march” to Ahenfie (the House of Royals), the newly acquired church property located near the Obetsebi Lamptey Circle on the Ring Road West; a distance of about three (3) kilometers from the Blackmoore and Sons premises. Symbolically, it was a significant move, a crossing over from “Egypt” to the “Promised Land.” This is because three (3) years earlier, renowned ministers of God had prophesied that the Lord would bless Royalhouse Chapel with a property of her own.

Interestingly enough, the prophecies had specifically stated that the new property would be located on the Ring Road West. At the time the prophecies were given, the church leadership was almost completing negotiations for the purchase of a property at a totally different location. The prophetic revelations however restrained them from pursuing that property. Ahenfie is thus considered by both the leaders and members of the church as a land of prophecy and promise.

The growing importance and global impact of Royalhouse Chapel is evident in at least seven distinguishing areas. First in the acquisition of properties including large tracts of land at prime locations in Accra and abroad. For example, the Royalhouse Chapel ultramodern 21,000 capacity auditorium, called the Oil Dome, is sited on 5 acres of land at a strategic place in Accra. The foundation of the Oil Dome has already been laid and historic events like Convention of Saints 2014 have been held there under massive tents owned by the church.

Second, in the sheer numbers of people who are attracted on a weekly basis to church services and programmes at Royalhouse Chapel.

Third, in the establishment of an educational institution – the Christian Leadership College - and the provision of free Medicare for senior citizens in the church and to the society at large.

Fourth, in the generally high profile nature of its membership, most of whom are very well educated and belong to either the top echelon of academia or the upper echelon of political office. These include Prof. Matilda Steiner-Aseidu who is the Dean of Biological Sciences at the University of Ghana, Legon; Ghana’s former Naval Commander, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro; the Honorable Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Madam Sherry Ayittey and the Municipal Chief Executive of La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, Hon. Rita Odoley Sowah, among others.

Fifth, in the positive influence which Royalhouse Chapel has had on the worship style of many churches and Christian denominations in Ghana and abroad. In Accra, Ghana, it is commonly reported that within the Pentecostal and charismatic circles, Royalhouse Chapel is outstanding in its distinctive ability to make God’s presence felt through anointed prayer, praise and worship. In other words, God manifests His powerful presence when the Royals engage in prayer, praise and worship. He makes Himself real to the worshippers in an interventionist and transforming way at church services and various group meetings. People have testified that it is not possible to attend a church service or an event hosted by Royalhouse Chapel and not feel God’s tangible presence and power. This is one of the greatest magnetic attractions and spiritual assets of the church.

Sixth, in the Apostle General’s great influence in the religious, political, social and public lives of Ghanaians. Currently he is the First Vice President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPPC). His profile on the official web page of the GPPC states that:

He operates effectively in all the five-fold ministries and is a well sought after revivalist and international speaker, with a passion for God and compassion for humanity. Through his philanthropic initiatives and dynamic radio, television and internet ministries, he has transformed the lives of millions of people in Ghana and abroad. In recognition of his outstanding impact in the field of religion, education and health, the former President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency J. A. Kuffour awarded him with the title, dignity and privileges of a MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF THE VOLTA on the 3rd of July 2008. In 2009, he earned the prestigious award of THE ANGEL OF THE YEAR from Pristine Hub Limited and TV Africa. In April 2011, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah received the William Seymour award for Excellence and Humility in Leadership from The Azusa Revival Directorate based in the USA. Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah is also a Christian statesman, advisor to leaders in government, an author, pacifist and mentor to a number of religious leaders who have submitted to his apostleship.

He serves on the executive board of reputable corporate organizations in Africa and oversees as well religious councils and associations in Ghana. He is also the CEO of Powerline Media Ministries and his radio and television programmes, Powerline and Power in His Presence respectively reach millions of people in Ghana and across the world. The Apostle General is currently the First Vice President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council made up of 184 denominations and churches and having a membership of over four million.