07/02/2026
It Is Possible to Live Righteously in a Secular World
On Sunday, June 28, 2026, McKeown Worship Centre in North York held a special retirement service in honour of two faithful servants of God, Deaconess Sarah Dwobeng Boateng and Deaconess Janet Adwoa Kwarteng.
What began as a service of gratitude became a moment of deep reflection. The Area Head, Apostle Gabriel Addo-Asante, delivered a timely message: “It is possible to live a righteous life in the secular world.”
That message was not only heard from the pulpit. It was clearly seen in the lives being celebrated.
Apostle Addo-Asante reminded the congregation that today’s world, like ancient Babylon, often pressures people of faith to compromise their values, weaken their convictions, and quietly conform to systems that do not always honour God. Yet the message was not one of fear. It was one of hope, courage, and responsibility.
Like Daniel and his friends, believers can still live with conviction, integrity, and faithfulness in a secular age. But such a life does not happen by accident. It requires prayer, discipline, supportive relationships, and a community that helps people stand when the pressures of life become strong.
The lives of Deaconess Sarah and Deaconess Janet made that message real.
Deaconess Sarah Dwobeng Boateng was born in 1956 at Asante Akim Domeabra near Agogo in Ghana. She accepted Jesus Christ in 1983 while living in Nungua, Accra, later joined The Church of Pentecost, and was ordained as a Deaconess in 1989. Her life has been marked by prayer, perseverance, hospitality, evangelism, and quiet service.
Even in difficult seasons, she remained steadfast in faith. She also joined with other women in prayer and encouragement, creating a circle of strength for families facing challenges. After relocating to Canada in 1995, she continued serving faithfully at McKeown Worship Centre through the Women’s Ministry, welfare and visitation, prayer groups, devotionals, worship, and exhortation.
Deaconess Janet Adwoa Kwarteng was born in 1958 at Ofoase-Asante Akyem in Ghana. She trained as a professional teacher, relocated to England in 1985, joined her husband in Toronto in 1989, pursued further studies, and built a career in healthcare while continuing her life of service.
Her ministry has been especially impactful among children, youth, families, and the wider church community. She served as a Sunday School teacher, helped develop early Sunday School programs in The Church of Pentecost Canada, and became the first Assistant National Children’s Leader of the Church. Many remember her as a teacher, mentor, counsellor, disciplinarian, and spiritual mother whose influence shaped many young lives across the Greater Toronto Area.
Together, these two deaconesses represent more than long service. They represent a generation of immigrant Christian women who carried faith across continents and planted it in new soil. From Ghana to Canada, from homes to church halls, from prayer meetings to Sunday School classrooms, they helped build people, families, and community.
Their retirement service also reminded us of the important role McKeown Worship Centre has played in North York. For many families, especially immigrants navigating life in a new country, the church has been more than a place of worship. It has been a spiritual home, a place of belonging, encouragement, mentorship, cultural grounding, and practical support.
In a city where many people carry the pressures of transition, work, parenting, loneliness, identity, and family adjustment, communities like McKeown Worship Centre matter deeply. They help preserve faith, strengthen families, support children and youth, and remind people that they do not have to walk alone.
That is why the message of the day was so powerful.
Yes, it is possible to live righteously in a secular world. It takes conviction. It takes prayer. It takes discipline. It takes community. It takes elders, pastors, deaconesses, parents, teachers, mentors, and friends who help one another remain faithful.
And at McKeown Worship Centre in North York, the lives of Deaconess Sarah Dwobeng Boateng and Deaconess Janet Adwoa Kwarteng stand as beautiful proof.
Congratulations to these two faithful servants of God. May their example continue to inspire the church, families, young people, and all who believe that quiet faithfulness still matters.
