FOUNDATION STONE LAID FOR NEW CHAPEL FOR PENIEL METHODIST CHURCH

Story: Emmanuel Ashong & Sarah Naa Merley Mensah, New Aplaku

What started as a dream of the immediate past Presiding Bishop of The Methodist Church Ghana, the Most Rev Titus Awotwi Pratt, who was then serving as the Superintendent Minister of the Dansoman Circuit to start a Nursery Society within the Beach Drive Estate to serve residents in and around the area, has today culminated into the Peniel Methodist Church, 15 years on.

From its first ever Church Service held on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at the Beach Drive Hotel with 5 new members, the Peniel Society on Sunday, May 14, 2023, held a Service to lay the foundation stone for a new Chapel project, construction for which begun in April 2016.

The stone laying ceremony which was performed by the Methodist Bishop of Accra Diocese, the Rt Rev Emmanuel Borlabi Bortey was witnessed by the dream-bearer, the Most Rev Titus Awotwi Pratt as well as the Lay Chairman and Synod Secretary of the Accra Diocese, Bro Joseph Eduam and the Very Rev Mrs Doris Saah respectively.

In a sermon entitled “God Calls Us To Be Built Into A Spiritual House”, Bishop Borlabi Bortey told congregants that the church is not the physical building, explaining “As we build the physical chapel, our goal is to build the true church – you and I abiding in Christ.”

“If we build the physical temple and we ignore the purpose for which we gather for worship, which is to enable us go into the world and proclaim Jesus; to make Jesus known, then we have built the chapel in vain”, Bishop Borlabi elaborated.

He noted that Jesus is the cornerstone that holds the whole building together, adding for those who don't believe, Jesus becomes a stumbling block for them. Bishop Borlabi Bortey challenged believers to graduate from spiritual babies to spiritual giants in Christ.

The occasion was used to launch the Church’s 15^th Anniversary celebrations, which commences this year.

The Minister in-Charge of the Peniel Methodist Church, the Rev Hedwig Naa Tolloo Quist was grateful to members of the Church for their generosity towards the completion of the Chapel project and urged them to not relent in their effort.

The Superintendent Minister of the New Aplaku Circuit, the Very Rev James Kwakye, led a special appeal to support the completion of the project.

The Service was attended by several founding members of the Church as well as Caretakers and Ministers who had pastored the Church.