Late Rev. Anthony Kwadwo Boakye and his wife Yaa Asantewaa
The death of Reverend Anthony Kwadwo Boakye of Resurrection Power New Generation Church (RPNGC) was confirmed via a statement dated February 22, 2023 and signed by a egal representative of the church.
It followed hours of rumours that the controversial preacher had died at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital in Accra.
The statement chronicled his health challenges that date as far back as October 2021 when he suffered a stroke and was rushed to a private health facility in Accra.
Between then and 21st January 2022 when his family had cause to take him back for urgent medical care, he had recovered to the extent that he even led church service by himself virtually and once in-person on New Year's Eve.
The deceased is, however, no stranger to controvery in his pronouncements and actions in the public.
When news of his passing broke on Wednesday, February, 22,2023, many members of the church trooped to the premises at Ngleshie Amanfro near the Kasoa toll booth.
GhanaWeb looks back at three times Rev. Boakye got engaged in viral public pronouncements.
Resurrection after 5-days
It may be recalled that Rev. Anthony Kwadwo Boakye in November 2022 told his church members that he died and was resurrected after five days.
"I am a living testimony...I have died and resurrected... Because of my strong faith in Him [Jesus], He resurrected me, when I died. If you have not heard it before, yes, I died. My body was kept in the house for five days. Here I am, alive and kicking," he said in a video message to his church.
He reiterated that he came back to life because he told his "father", Jesus, that he was not ready to die.
"I told God that my time was not up, so he should send me back to the earth. I was told to come back because my time was not up. If you have faith in Jesus, you will resurrect from the dead just as He did, when He died," he added.
Raining curses on security detail
Rev Boakye was in the news on the first day of 2023 when he issued a stern warning to some personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service for allegedly refusing to allow him to be taken to the hospital when he was ill.
According to the man of God, he could not hide the pain he went through on his sick bed.
He said that the soldiers and police who were meant to protect him prevented him from being taken to the hospital for reasons only known to them.
“What happened to me I cannot hide it, I’m happy and I’m sad at the same time. I was very fit, I came to do a deliverance service on Friday, and when I got to the house I was dying, how? They should take me to the hospital [but] they said no, why?
“The soldiers that came to protect me have sinned against God, they should come and beg me. I have returned so gather yourselves and come and apologize to me for coming to guide me and preventing people from taking me to the hospital. You have sinned against God,” Rev Boakye said.
Speaking to his congregation for the first Sunday service of the year, he cursed the entire generation of the security personnel.
He said he will only reverse the curse if they apologise to him, otherwise, their entire generation will suffer as a result of the offence they committed.
“You've sinned against God by coming to 'protect me' in order to stop people from taking me to the hospital. You have sinned against God.
“…if I become ill, can’t you take me to the hospital? I prayed for you people to reach where you are, and if I’m sick you can’t take me to the hospital but rather you guide me to prevent people from taking me to the hospital. You’ve sinned against God; your rewards are before God.
“What God will do to you in the future, you will never have any peace, unless you come to apologize, if not your entire generation will suffer. You the police and the soldiers who came to protect me from people taking me to the hospital, you people, what have I done to you?” he said in a sorrowful tone.
Church control fight with enstranged wife
One of the biggest 'public fights' he engaged in was with his enstranged wife, during which episode he cursed her and members of her family for scheming to take over the church.
He said, from his sick bed, that he saw a deliberate attempt by his wife and her brother, Rev Johnson Kwasi Oware, to cause him public ridicule.
“He has insulted me on three occasions, to which I did not respond. This sickness that inflicted me, I reverse it to you and your children for the rest of your life. Akwasi, you should take my sickness for the rest of your life.
“Yaa Asantewaa, take my sickness, you and your children. Have it for the rest of your life. You are seeking to disgrace me,” Rev Boakye said while addressing his church members from a remote location virtually.
The outburst by the church leader followed a confrontation between his wife and the leaders of the church over money belonging to the church.
The power struggle between Yaa Asantewaa and the leaders of Resurrection Power New Generation Church reached a new height on Sunday, August 28, 2022.
CCTV footage of the service held at the Kasoa headquarters of the church on Sunday, August 28, 2022, shows the wife assaulting some church leaders.
According to reports, Mrs Boakye was livid about the church leaders sitting close to the area where some designated members of the church were counting money offered during church service.
The money was meant for the purchase of a car for Rev Boakye.
Rev Boakye, who was recovering from his sickness at the time, told his church members that God has directed him to buy a white car and therefore urged his members to contribute towards it.
Church members on Sunday, August 28, 2022, conducted a special offering for the purchase of the car; however, counting the money resulted in an altercation between the church leaders and the founder's wife.
The CCTV footage shows Mrs Boakye moving to the area where the money was being counted to confront some men who are reportedly church leaders.
The preacher’s wife has now started her own church in Kumasi.
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