By Job Osazuwa
On Monday May 16, Ajara-Topa community in Badagry area of Lagos was a beehive of activities, as many stormed the place for the foundation laying ceremony of the Ola Vincent Memorial and Vicarage, African Church Bethel, Lagos.
Members of the church from Lagos Island and other locations were in Ajara-Topo to witness the occasion. The day provided another platform for the church to proclaim Jesus’ faithfulness to the host community and many others that attended the ceremony.
According to the members of the church, the occasion was an opportunity to promote love, peace, justice and cordial relationship with other members of the body of Christ, as enshrined in the church’s mission statement.
Many members of Tolulope Street and its Ajara-Topa environs abandoned their normal activities to be part of the event. They attended the short service held at the proposed site.
The Primate of the church, Most Rev. Emmanuel Josiah Udofia, while laying the foundation stone of the building, told the congregation that it was the commandment of God for the church to continue to expand.
He charged them not to be tired while working for God, stressing that those that work for the Almighty would not labour in vain. He said it pleases the Lord when His children contribute their resources to promote His kingdom here on earth.
As he preached, members sang choruses and prayed to God for His continuous protection and strength to serve Him forever.
According to the primate, Jesus Christ was in the business of preaching the gospel and expanding the church, urging the disciples of Christ to follow His footsteps. Those in attendance made voluntary donations towards the building.
The sermon for the short service was taken from Psalm 84 and 2 Chronicles 3:1, which emphasised the importance of building a house of God. He prayed for the project to be speedily completed, expressing the belief that God who started the good work would empower His children to finish it in due course. He consecrated samples of the building materials, just as workers immediately commenced work on the site.
A dedicated member of the church told Daily Sun that she could sacrifice her last kobo for the sake of making the building a reality.
She said: “This is the church my family members have been attending for many decades and it has remained my favourite church. Here, we believe in spreading the gospel and uplifting the spirit of those that are depressed. I trust that this very church will be completed as soon as possible by God’s grace. We don’t start a project and abandon it because our members believe in using their time and resources to work for Him.
“As for me and my family members, though we might not have much money, we cannot stop giving to the Lord. Since it is God that gives us money and other resources, so, we need to give back to Him in appreciation of His generosity.”
On behalf of the host – the family of late elder Olatunde Olabode Vincent, Omooba Adenike Vincent expressed gratitude to everyone that graced the occasion. She prayed the God of Bethel to anoint and abide with them in their endeavours. He wished them a merciful journey back to their various destinations.