Ghanaians In Ohio Build To The Glory Of God

The Columbus Ghanaian Seventh-Day Adventist Church based in the city of Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday dedicated their $700,000 impressive church building complex to the glory of God.

Built from the resources of the Ghanaian Adventists it was supported by the district or parent church and has a six hundred capacity conference hall like the worship place itself apart from offices and an extensive car parking lot.

Pastor Raj Attikens, the Indian-American President of the Ohio Conference of SDA said the church was built out of a collective vision, sacrificed and hard work.

Built within a year, Pastor Attikens described it as ‘unheard of in the history of SDA. The Ghanaians were aggressive in their dream. Before they approached the presidency of the SDA, they numbered a few and rented a place for worship,’ he told a big congregation of over four hundred at their Saturday service. Some of those who congregated were from within Ohio but a large number were from other states within North America, Germany, Britain and Ghana.

The lead preacher was the renowned Ghanaian Executive Secretary of the World Seventh Day Adventist Pastor Matthew Bediako. He blessed the congregation and told them that they could only muster strength from God to build. ‘Some of you,’ he said in his epic sermon, ‘do not have status in the United States. You are illegal immigrants and some work two to four jobs to survive on low wages. So how could an alien people think of building a house of God?’ He answered with a biblical quotation that says, ‘when God makes a request to man, he normally prepares somebody to fulfill that.’

Pastor Bediako, who ranks number three in the global SDA network said this year alone, he has dedicated 25 church buildings across the globe including sixteen in Indian, an indication, of the growth of Christianity and the SDAs’.

Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States His Excellency Alan Kyerematen was represented by his Minister Counselor and Head of Public Affairs Department , Mr. Ivor Agyeman-Duah. In an afternoon program to fill in on current developments at the Embassy and home, Mr. Agyeman-Duah praised the SDA Church for what he said was more than an achievement. ‘Apart from everything,’ he said, ‘discipline, accountability and absence of a one man ownership of a church might have contributed to the fulfillment of the dream church.’

For the Embassy, the people who contributed to the church building have raised the image of Ghana in the eyes of God and man. They have also contributed to prosperity’s remembrance even if they pass-on, relocate to their native land or die in America Mr. Agyeman-Duah said.

The Minister Counselor also spoke to them about some of the initiatives of the Ambassador such as the launched Ghana Skills Bank, Save Your School Project, a cultural centre, a co-operative bank and others. Without their support, he said, it would be difficult for the Embassy and the Government to succeed since embassies could only function with patronage from nationals.

Mr. Agyeman-Duah also answered questions and heard appeals ranging from apprehension of armed robbery in Ghana and how the Government could help NGOs’ and other organizations to ship needy items to schools and the needy in the rural areas to the Government’s consolidation of its own security.