Bethel Methodist Church marks 40th anniversary

The 40th anniversary celebration of Bethel Methodist Church, Tema, has been marked with a call on members of the church to walk in the word of God.

The ceremony which was celebrated on the theme: “Bethel at 40, past, present and the way forward in witnessing to Christ,” was attended by high-ranking members of the Methodist Church, Ghana, including the  Bishop of Somanya, Rt. Rev Albert Ofoe Wright; the Lay Chairman, Bro J.E.K. Pratt, and the General Manager of Schools and Director, Pre-tertiary Education of Methodist Schools, Very Rev Paa Solomon Grant-Essilfie.

Very Rev. Grant-Essilfie, who represented the Presiding Bishop of  the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, in a sermon, said 40 years was significant, both in biblical theology and spiritually.

Citing an instance from the Bible, he said Moses spent 40 days in the wilderness.

He added that as they celebrated 40 years as a church, God would open a new page for them and if as a church they had been faithful to God over the years, then the church would be filled with radiance.

“God brought the Israelites to the promised land after they had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. This is also the time for the church to take its promise. It is the time for marriages in the church to work well and also the time for people’s businesses to prosper,” he said.

The Chairman of the anniversary planning committee, Mr Emmanuel Nii Laryea,  said as part of the anniversary, the church organised a health walk and talk, an exhibition, a crusade, a picnic and a social service project for the community.

He said as the circuit head, the church would continue to impact positively on the societies under it.

The  Minister of the Tema North Circuit, Very Rev. Samuel Ofori Akyea, said the church, which used to be under St Paul’s Methodist Society, Tema, was established in 1973.

He mentioned some achievements of the church over the years as the establishment of a two- storey  school and a multimedia centre, the purchase of a welfare bus, an electrical generator and three manual organs,  and provision of street lights for the  neighbourhood.

The occasion was also used to award various individuals who have served the church over the years.