Immanuel Methodist Society -A church on the rise

The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church - Ghana, Most Rev. Emmanuel Kwaku Asante, launching the Cancer Fund established by the Immanuel Methodist Society at the Regimanuel-Gray Estates, East Airport, Accra, on July 14, this year, to support poor and needy cancer patients disclosed that the gesture was the first in the annals of Methodism in Ghana.
Himself a congregant of the Immanuel Society, said though Christianity taught love towards one another, it was more of a blessing for the well-to-dos of the world to take care of the poor and have-nots of society.

According to Mr Abaeku Arthur, a member of the Immanuel Society and the initiator of the fund and a cancer victim, who survived by miracle, over 1300 cases of various forms of cancer are reported each month in the country, making it the fourth cause of death among Ghanaians with breast cancer, leading the table as most victims die for lack of funds to cater for the cost of treatment.

An amount of eighty-two thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢82, 000.00) was realised on the day of the launch, earmarked to cater for poor and needy cancer patients.

The warmest church

For whatever reason, members of the Immanuel Methodist Society describe the branch as the ‘warmest church in sub-Saharan Africa’ and are  ready to extend it to the world without hesitation.

Born out of the womb of the Calvary Methodist Church - Adabraka, in the Accra North Circuit of the Methodist Church Ghana, the Immanuel Society started as a Bible Study Class for Calvary Methodist  worshippers residing around the Airport residential and the East Legon areas in Accra.

With the active involvement and guidance of some of the class members, including but not limited to Mr & Mrs Ackom-Mensah, Mr & Mrs Abbey Sam, Prof. K.E de Graft-Johnson and Dr Amos Ofori-Quaah, the group held its first Sunday Morning Service in the classroom at Association International School on January 21, 1997, without an organ which was attended by 75 members, including children.

Faced with challenges of movement and ‘ejection threats’, the members  who had then moved to worship at the Englebert School in the Airport residential area sought for, and by the good grace of God got a new and permanent site in the Regimanuel-Gray Estates off the Spintex road, East Airport, with immense assistance from Mrs Regina Botchwey and Mr Emmanuel Botchwey.  A foundation stone laying service was held on Sunday, June 1, 2002, at the new site in an uncompleted church hall. With the church hall half complete, the anxious members held their first service exactly 11 years ago today, on Sunday October 24, 2002. The rest has become a wondrous story.

Immanuel International School Complex

Today, the Immanuel Methodist Society boasts 600 adults and 60 junior members, worshipping in a modern church hall with an imposing manse for the minister-in-charge.

The society, in addition to the establishment of the cancer fund, has a scholarship scheme for brilliant but poor students at all levels of education. Currently, the society has completed the construction of modern school complex which has just been opened for children aged between  four to six years.

Very Rev. Kodwo Arko-Boham, the current  Minister-in-charge, says the pre-school offers sound moral education to children , developing the child to achieve their full potential, and providing continuing high quality professional instruction and programmes in a secure, stable and happy environment with its prime location in the church.

The ultimate objective, according to Mr Kobina Bondzie, member of the IMIS Board, is to provide an education of international standard from kindergarten through to senior high school and that admission of children to the kindergarten is still open with fees designed to cater for “all pockets”.

In addition, the women’s fellowship of the society has adopted the Borstal Institute, also known as the Correctional Centre at Roman Ridge, Accra, where it visits and attends to their needs regularly.

The Immanuel Society has also adopted the Bawjiase Orphanage, helping them with a number of infrastructural and other developments.

The society has been of tremendous support to the Gyaahadze Methodist Raffiki, near Winneba, in the Central Region, providing them regularly with food items, clothing , sanitary items and money. A poor fund has been established right from the beginning of the society into which members voluntarily contribute every Sunday in addition to the normal offertory to cater for the poor.

In its desire to expand its evangelism and church growth, members of the Immanuel Society have embarked on the planting of a new Church at Malek, a suburb  of Martey Tsuru in the Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly.

According to the Very Rev. Prof. John David Kwamena Ekem, an auxiliary minister (since 2004), the Malek project  is in pursuit of the plans of the society to become a circuit of the Methodist Church in the near future.

Since 1997, various ministers of the Methodist Church have been in charge of the Immanuel Society, including Very Rev. Joseph K. Bassaw, Very Rev,  Dr Joseph Kow Ghunney now Bishop, Very Rev. Joseph Arthur, Rt Rev. Justice K.A. Dadson, with the following as auxiliary ministers one time or the other; Very Rev. John Onwona, Very Rev. Francis Acquah, Very Rev. Paul Adu (Jnr),  with Very Rev. Prof. J. D. K. Ekem and Very Rev. Rebecca Baiden being the current auxiliary ministers.

The current minister-in-charge says the tremendous growth and success of the Immanuel Society is the “ spirit of the members to give willingly and freely for the work of God and mankind”.

By Aba Sersah/Daily Graphic/Ghana
The writer is a member of the Youth Fellowship of the Immanuel Methodist Society, East Airport. Accra.