The Ebenezer Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in Sunyani last Sunday celebrated its centenary anniversary with a call on Christians to deepen their relationship with God.
The Chairman of the Brong-Ahafo Presbytery of the PCG, Reverend Benjamin Appiah, in a sermon, also enjoined Christians to use their talents to build on what had been put in place by their forebears.
He added that there was the need for Christians to continue to renew their minds and let their actions reflect the image of Jesus Christ.
Speaking on the theme of the anniversary: “Ebenezer, thus far the Lord has helped us”, he reminded the congregation about the need to depend on God in their journey into the next century.
“Let us continue to lift the name of Jesus high and influence cultural and moral values of the society with the gospel,” he said.
Occasion
More than 1,500 people from far and near, including the Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCG, Right Reverend Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, converged on the imposing chapel to be part of the occasion.
Adorned in specially-designed cloth for the occasion, members of the congregation sang, danced and prayed to thank God for how far the congregation had come.
The refurbished chapel was also rededicated by Rt Rev. Prof. Mante, while a new manse was also inaugurated.
Establishment
In January 1921, a teacher from Akim Oda in the Eastern Region, J. C. Attafuah, was transferred to Sunyani.
Together with his wife and children, they held church services in his residence and with time, the number increased when other teachers, government officials and private individuals joined them.
When the numbers multiplied, the Sunyani Traditional Council offered the church a large plot of land on which the chapel, schools, stores and residential buildings for agents of the church had been constructed.
Today, more congregations have been established in Sunyani by the Ebenezer Congregation, while more districts have also been created out of the Sunyani District of the PCG.
Evangelistic activities
Rededicating the refurbished chapel, Rt Rev. Prof Mante urged ministers in-charge of the various congregations of the church to use their chapels for the purpose for which they were constructed.
In his goodwill message, the Chairperson of the Ashanti Presbytery of the PCG, Reverend Benson Osafo Kanyanka, said “We cannot examine the 100 years of faithful and sacrificial work of this congregation without being conscious of the achievements, failures and challenges of the past and even present life and project into the future.”
For his part, the Sunyani district minister, who is also in charge of the Ebenezer Congregation, Reverend Sam Foster Kwakye, said measures had been put in place to ensure that the expansion of physical infrastructure was commensurate with the spiritual growth of the congregation.
Present at the ceremony was the former Moderator of the PCG, Very Reverend Sam Prempeh, who was once the minister in-charge of the congregation and the Member of Parliament for Sunyani East, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh.
