The spotlight has been put on The Ghana Calvary Methodist Church located on 844 Sanford Avenue, Irvington, New Jersey. What is interesting is, the membership of the church has increased 90% within its first year. it has a 9 year old as a Choirester who goes by the name; Emmanuel Yeboah following his father's footsteps (The youngest in the Choir and Dad is also a Choirester). The church celebrated its first Anniversary/Harvest and Thanksgiving on Sunday; November 18th. The theme of the occasion was: "Great Is Thy Faithfulness". The Preacher was Rev. Willie Mae Nanton and other speakers also included; Bishop Nana Oprim Kwansa & Rev. Akosua Oprim Kwansa. The Host Pastor is Rev. Nathan Addo-Nartey. Appeal for Funds was made by Rev. Akosua Oprim Kwansa. The church also used the occasion to launch their newsletter; THE CALVARY POST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Harvest Committee Rev Dr Acquah- Arhin Rev Dr Obiri-Addo Rev Nana Oprim Quansah Rev Mrs Akosua Oprim Quansah Rev Martin Mrs Antionnette Duah Mr & Mrs Mensah Mr Kofi Frempong Mr Waren Tackie Mr DicK Nsiah-Amoako And all other Invited Special Guests. CONGRATULATIONS TO GHANA CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH, NJ. History of Ghana Calvary Methodist Church Conception "God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform." This quote aptly describes how Ghana Calvary Methodist Church came into being. The church was born on Sunday, October 1st 2006. But the idea for a new church was conceived back in July that same year, when a group of members from Ghana Emmanuel Methodist Church in Newark, New Jersey became dissatisfied and disillusioned about the state of affairs in that church. When efforts at resolving conflicts between a section of the leaders and some members on one side and another section on the other side proved futile, resulting in an increasing atmosphere of discord and anarchy, the idea of "let's move out and start something new" became an ideal option. Being let by the Lord through guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Pastor, Rev. Nathan Addo-Nartey resigned from Ghana Emmanuel Methodist Church on Sunday September 24th, 2006 and decided to start a new church. At the same instant a group in favor of the pastor's position approached him and asked him to lead them to start a new congregation. Two ideas merged and the result was the birth of Ghana Calvary Methodist Church. These original members who held strategic offices and positions in the Ghana Emmanuel Methodist Church, all resigned following the pastor's resignation and joined resources with him to begin this new church. At first, we didn't know where to begin therefore we agreed to meet in individual homes on Saturday mornings to pray, study scriptures and plan for the way forward. It was not an easy process as we still were not certain how this idea could become a reality. But through faith, we all resolved to trust the Lord to lead us wherever He deems appropriate for us. House Meetings These house meetings formed the nucleus of our being. Modeled after the Wesleyan concept of class/cell groups it generated an atmosphere of freedom of expression, great joy in the Spirit, strong bond of fellowship and togetherness, and a genuine sense of belonging among us. The objectives for these meetings were for Bible studies, planning and strategizing for the task ahead. We resolved to let the Holy Spirit guide us in all we did and God did work miracles. Maiden meeting: Saturday, July 15th, 2006 This was held at the Yeboah family household. Brother Daniel, his wife Christie and the family were generous enough to host our first meeting. Not only did we have a successful meeting, but they provided food and drinks as well. Everyone was on fire and looked forward to the first Sunday worship service. Second meeting: Saturday July 29th, 2006 Held at Sister Mary Adjei's house; she and her family did wonderfully well hosting us, and continuing the process begun at Bro Yeboah's household. From this time going, numbers kept increasing each time we met and every house we went served us not snacks but real meal with some leftovers to take away. It was here that our motto, "Oneness and Peace in Christ" was agreed upon. Third Meeting: Saturday August 5th, 2006 We met again for the second time, at the Yeboahs on Saturday, August 5th, 2006 for our third meeting. Again, it was a meeting of great joy and spirit-filled discussion. The anticipation of a new beginning continued to fill us with exceedingly great joy and enthusiasm. Fourth Meeting: Saturday August 17th, 2006 Sister Mary Adjei and family agreed to host us for the second time. So our fourth meeting took place in her house. As usual, we were filled spiritually, physically and emotionally, as everyone freely contributed to the discussions and the planning. Fifth Meeting: Saturday, September 2nd, 2006 We met at Sister Kate Owusu's house for our fifth meeting on Saturday, September 2nd, 2006. Though her husband Brother Grant had not identified himself as part of us, he was extremely supportive of us and actively participated in the meeting and the hosting of the guests. On this day, we had good news. The 1st Presbyterian Church at Irvington was in-charge of renovating a church facility 844 Sanford Avenue, Irvington with the hope of renting it out for International Ministries. We quickly contacted them and an application was sent. At the meeting it was announced that we were invited to participate in the communal cleaning exercise at the site, to which we heartily responded after our meeting. This continued for a few more weeks till we finally got the place for worship. Sixth Meeting: Saturday, September 9th, 2006 Next, we met at Bro Yeboah-Kordie family house for the sixth meeting. It was another exciting time as Brother Bismarck, his wife Freda and family combined resources to host an ever-increasing number of members. The excitement and enthusiasm kept pumping up as people took the initiative to pledge financial support for the work of the Lord to take off. With our place of worship now secure, we began to plan for our first service and what form it would take. We decided to have a simple worship service full of praises and joy. Seventh Meeting: Saturday, September 16th, 2006 Sister Felicia Edusei Sarpong volunteered to host our seventh meeting in her house. Her husband, Nana Asensu, a Catholic has been a staunch supporter of our course every step along the way. Therefore, it was to our dismay that work schedule did not permit him to be present at the meeting. Yet he made provision for our stay to be as comfortable and pleasant as possible. Again, new faces joined us at this meeting, thanks to God. Eight and Final Meeting: Saturday, September 23rd, 2006 Our eighth and final meeting coincided with Pastor Nathan's birthday on Saturday, September 23rd, 2006. We met at the Brefos in Parlin, New Jersey. Led by Sister Mary Adjei, the group organized a beautiful surprise birthday gift for the Pastor. Again, Mr. & Mrs. Brefo did not lower the standard of reception set before; they kept the level of cordiality as high as possible, making our last meeting a memorable one. Final preparation was made for the first Sunday service to be held on October 1, 2006. With great expectation, we all prayed and thanked the Lord for the way He had led us. Maiden Service Words are not enough to describe the atmosphere of joy and enthusiasm that filled the sanctuary of Sanford Heights Presbyterian Church. We were made to understand that we would be meeting in the evenings from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm because the facility was being used by two other churches (later became three). The Pastor, Rev. Nathan Addo-Nartey Preached on the theme, "Delayed Gratification" from Mark 9:38-50. The attendance on the first day was 87. On this day, all those who had filled membership application forms and had attended some of the House Meetings were received into full membership. We continued to meet in the evenings till December 7th, when our designated place was ready for use. We are now at the well-furnished and fully decorated basement of Sanford Heights, where we meet at 10:30 for Sunday services; 7:00 pm to 9:00pm for Friday Prayer & Healing Services and 7:00pm on Wednesday for Bible Studies, choir rehearsals and general cleaning. Our Saturday Bible study meetings continued for sometime till other commitments required that we changed it to Wednesday. Even now some members have requested that we return to the Saturdays. Harvest and Thanksgiving Service By the recommendation of Rev. Dr. Samuel Arhin, a true friend and supporter of Ghana Calvary Methodist Church, we embarked on organizing our first Annual Harvest and Thanksgiving Service. It was four weeks before Christmas therefore we were left with three weeks to plan something. Only God knows how that could be possible, but with faith and prayers, led by Pastor Nathan, a committee was quickly formed headed by Brother Brefo. Members willingly started pledging in thousands to support the harvest. A week of teaching and prayers was set aside prior to the harvest day. Speakers were Rev. Dr. Samuel A. Arhin, Pastor Martinson Sarfo and Pastor Nathan, the host. The Harvest service was on December 17th, 2006; the service was spirit-filled as members genuinely expressed their faith and gratitude to God through giving; singing and dancing abounded. The sermon, "Of Nose-Ring and Bracelets" based on Genesis 24:10-33 was delivered by Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Obiri Addo, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Irvington. End of Year Get-Together This idea came to be as we saw the fruitfulness of our joint-labor in Christ. The church therefore decided to reward the members for their commitment and hard work. On Saturday, December 30, 2006, we met together again, invited friends and loved ones to join us celebrate Christmas and thank the Lord for the good things He has done for us. There was more than enough food to eat; the place was charged with music and dancing. All thanks go to the Almighty God, through His Son Jesus Christ our Savior and the Power of the Holy Spirit, for bringing us into being. We look forward to more exciting and challenging years of growth in ministry and outreach. If you would like to worship with the church or become a member, please call 973-371-4420. For more information on the church log on to: www.njcalvarymethodist.com .