Bethel Presbyterian Reformed Church Incorporated

Brooklyn, NY -- As Ghanaians, names matter. Naming ceremonies are memorable occasions that

come as the first rite of passage in our cultural experience. Meanings of

names are held to have great significance on the destiny and functioning of

individuals, objects, creatures and even commercial companies.

Bethel is a Church. It draws its foundation from what started in 1991 as

"Ghanaian Presbyterian Church" by people who desired to worship in America

with full Ghanaian cultural expression. It did not matter if in Ghana they

were Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Methodists or Presbyterians. In America

they wanted to worship the Lord in their own cultural identity. That did

not mean they wanted to produce a ghetto that closed doors to everyone in

America's diversity of peoples. So over the years, people of other cultural

backgrounds have come to participate in worship. One or two have stayed as

members. As Bethel, we hope that all may know that "God's House"( Bethel in

Hebrew) is a house of prayer for all people/nations/cultures. It is open to

all for worship even though we are aware that now we are predominantly

Ghanaian. Ghanaian spirituality is worth its salt on the world scene.

Indeed, if the Christian scene is pictured as a collage of ethnic responses

to God's grace that has reached humankind in Jesus Christ, Ghana can boldly

throw in her lot. As a Church that is incorporated in the State of New York

we are glad that in the midst of New York's diversity of immigrants from all

over the world we can be counted as a center for Ghanaian spirituality.

Our ancestral DNA includes elements of European Calvinism which came to the

Gold Coast in the 19th Century through the Basel Mission (from Switzerland

and South Western Germany). It also includes elements of Carribbean ?

Moravian spirituality that also came to the Gold Coast at the request of

the Basel Mission when the Mission invited five couples and five single men

from Jamaica and Antigua to help them evangelize our people. Here in America

, we have bonded with the Reformed prostestant traditions which came with

the Dutch settlement on this Coast and later became the Reformed Church in

America. Being so grateful for such rich background of world Christianity

we are open to all people to make our Church a house of prayer. Our hope is

that as our Children grow in America and marry internationally, all their

offspring will love to come to find that Bethel Presbyterian Reformed Church

is a happy home for all of them.

We have celebrated Bethel incorporation in four very distinct ways that we

believe will glorify our God and emphasizing Mission of the Church of Christ

and the sacraments.

DAY 1: SEPTEMBER 29, 2007

BETHEL WELCOMES THE PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK CITY TO890 FLATBUSH AVENUE

,BROOKLYN, NEW Y ORK 11226

There are 98 chartered Churches in the Presbytery of New York City. We have

been in this number since September 29, 2001 when the Presbytery voted

unanimously to constitute us as a Church. We got our charter after a growth

process that was monitored by both PCUSA and RCA through a Task Force. We

celebrated that achievement in a chartering service on October 21, 2001.

Every Church is represented at Presbytery by its Pastor and an Elder

representative. In effect inviting the entire Presbytery to meet in

Flatbush compares with hosting a meeting of 200 members of an extended

family to breakfast and lunch with a meeting between the two meals. Thinking

of the number of invitations that could be received for Presbytery to hold

in different Churches, we were blessed to have the Presbytery come to us at

this specific time to help us start the Celebration.

Two major coincidences made our bid to have our Presbytery come to

Flatbush successful. One was the fact that on September 29 2001, the same

body had welcomed us as a New Church Development that had achieved maturity.

Also on September 30, 2006, they had unanimously concurred with our

incorporation and our name change from Ghanaian Presbyterian Reformed Church

to Bethel Presby Reformed Church Inc. So they were there on September 29,

2007 to add their blessing to our joy at the celebration. Fascinated by the

warm hospitality provided by the Women's Fellowship and the Entertainment

Committee, Executive Presbyter Arabella Meadows ? Rogers wrote "it was a

special gift to be there" ( letter of gratitude dated October 10, 2007).

On that Presbytery day our Elders (Eileen Vanderpuije, Michael Amo ? Adu)

and Pastor led the entire Presbytery in worship. Dressed up in various

styles of African outfit made from our Church fabric "Walking with Christ in

Mission" they led a joyful Presbytery at worship. This fabric made in Ghana

by Akosombo Textile Limited depicts an exuberant Christian walking along

with hands raised in praises to Jesus and the cross of Christ besides

him/her.

We took the opportunity to honor some of the people in the Presbytery. One

piece of 12 yards Cloth ( "Pentecost Fire") was give to Elder Boomgardener,

the Moderator of the Presbytery of New York City. Another piece ("Walking

with Christ in Mission") was give to the Rev. Margaret Orr Thomas ( Peggy

Thomas), the Moderator ? elect of the same Presbytery to thank her for her

role on the Presbytery committee which highly recommended our status change

from NCD to fully chartered Church.

Two other key Presbytery people were honorably mentioned in their absence.

The first was Rev. C. Herbert Oliver who was the Presbytery's representative

on the on the Task Force that monitored our growth from the time the Church

was only a Fellowship till the chartering Commission took over in 2001. The

other was Elder Margaret Shaffer who as the Chair of the Church Development

Committee of the Presbytery very helpfully nurtured us to chartering in

2001. These special persons and some others that appear in the pictures will

never be forgotten.

DAY 2: SEPTEMBER 30, 2007 - BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION

PREACHER: The Rev. Andrew Aboagye of, Ramseyer Presby. Church, Columbus, OH.

OTHER MINISTERS: The Rev. Arabella Meadows ? Rogers (PCUSA), the Rev. John

Norton (RCA), the Rev. Dr. Margaret Asabea Aboagye, Columbus ,OH

CLOTH OF THE DAY: "PENTECOST FIRE"

When Roberta Antwi (24yr old) expressed her desire to be baptized and

confirmed, she gave the Church a perfect opportunity to celebrate God in the

power of the sacrament of baptism and its complimentary rite of

confirmation. She had already found her feet alongside our youth in service

at the Church. Regularly she helped the boys with technological gifts,

talents and training to set instruments up for worship. After Church they

kept busy putting them down and packing them for safe keeping. Roberta

walked up to Arabella for her baptism. May God richly bless Roberta's

parents Mr. Roberet Antwi and Ms Elizabeth Agbesi.

Baptized also that day were:- Krystin Nana Biama Kumi ( DOB 06/30/99), the

daughter of the Late Mr. Felix Kumi and Emma Kumi who live in Freeport (

Long Island) and Shadrack Kojo Osei ( DOB 11/11/04), the son of Mr. Peter

Osei Adutwum and Mrs Mary Agyeiwaa Adutwum who reside in Brooklyn.

Following the baptism the following youth stood besides Roberta and they

were all confirmed wearing various dresses made out of our Church fabric "

Pentecost Fire". They were Daniel Ansong, Derek Amo ? Adu, Kwadwo Asiedu,

Jonathan Nuamah,and Jacqueline Berko. Through the rite of confirmation,

the Church called on our merciful God to empower these young people for

service by the Holy Spirit. At this time we all sang the Rev. Otto Boateng's

classic hymn" Awurade, Awurade

Dom sese' w'asafo foforo

Fa wo Honhom Kronkron

hyem

Fi ase wo me mu bi

Fi ase, fi ase,

Dom fi ase wo me mu.

Indeed, our prayer is that God's Holy Spirit will renew Bethel for

commitment to serve.