Last November I received a call from Ghana that I had been selected for an award to be presented later that month. "An award, by who and for what?" I queried.
Christian Awards Trust (C. A. T) is the name of the organization. The General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost stood in to receive the award on my behalf at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Please find below the citation.
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CHRISTIAN
AWARDS TRUST
APOSTLE DR MICHAEL NTUMY
IS HEREBY
DECORATED WITH
5 - STAR GENERAL OF THE GOSPEL
5 - STAR GENERAL OF THE GOSPEL
FOR BEING A MISSIONARY WHO ENDURED LIFE-THREATENING HARDSHIPS
FOR THE SAKE OF
THE GOSPEL DURING THE CIVIL WAR IN LIBERIA.
THE GOSPEL DURING THE CIVIL WAR IN LIBERIA.
HE STOOD FOR CHRIST DURING HIS DETENTION AT “FLAMINGO-THE
CAMP OF NO RETURN”
AND FAITHFULLY SERVED THE LORD.
AND ALSO FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS GLOBAL
EVANGELIZATION AND
THE PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN VALUES ACROSS THE REGIONS OF
GHANA, AFRICA AND THE
REST OF THE WORLD AS EVIDENT TO ALL DURING HIS TENURE OF
OFFICE AS THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST, HENCE HIS MERIT OF THIS
AWARD.
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23RD NOVEMBER 2013 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, ACCRA. GHANA
A RECAP OF OUR YEARS IN LIBERIA
The citation made reference to my ministry during the war in Liberia. I present here a brief account for the sake of those who may not have heard or read about it from my book, "FLAMINGO, The Camp of No Return"
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| Late Pres. Samuel Doe of Liberia |
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| The Lone Star, Flag of Liberia |
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| Prince Johnson, captured and killed Doe |
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| Charles Taylor, architect of the war |
Consequently, about 2,800 Ghanaians, Nigerians, Sierra Leoneans and Guineans were arrested and conveyed to Flamingo Camp, dubbed "The Camp of No Return." Many of our compatriots were executed and hundreds died of acute starvation. With the permission of the Base Commander, and together with other pastors we organized prayer meetings on a football field. We prayed, wept and supplicated for our lives before the Throne of Grace. We exhorted, encouraged, and strengthened our compariots, keeping faith and hope alive.
Besides, the LORD gave me the courage to venture outside to my fellow captives to secretly witness about Christ, winning very many to Christ. My message was simple: "You saw how our colleagues were killed recently and have seen how others die daily. Where would you spend eternity if we are all killed tomorrow?" Through this means, we won more people than in my entire missionary work in Liberia in times of peace. I devised a very special way of baptizing converts. We would ask permission to go and wash down in the nearby Wantou River. Moving from one baptismal candidate to another as though we were playing water games, I would grab one convert at a time, pray and then immerse him.
Many people died in Flamingo Camp; many were killed, many suffered multiple reverses in life but for many others, "The Camp of No Return" was the genesis of their spiritual journey with Jesus Christ. All of these took place in the heart of the dense forest of Lower Nimba County in North-Eastern Liberia --- away from public view
It amazes me that after about 23 years, the world should remember and give me an award for this. Sure, I did not do this to catch anybody's eyes. I only did what seemed to me as the best thing to do at that time.
The lessons reinforced in me are
- Even if men, who are proned to forget, remembered what the LORD used us to do, how much more would God not remember our labor of love done for Him
- Even men will not always forget
- We cannot beat God in giving. It is an indisputable fact that nothing we do for God can compare to what God has done for us through Christ Jesus. Notwithstanding, God still blesses us for those little, incomparably insignificant, things we do for Him.
- Beloved, let us continue to serve our King with grateful hearts for in due season, we shall receive, not trophies and titles given by men but, INCORRUPTIBLE REWARDS, CROWNS GIVEN BY THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
