Accra Ridge Church @ 90: When the lord blesses his church
Just as a person’s life at 90 calls for bounteous celebrations, the Accra Ridge Church’s unique character and service to the communities it has built over 90 years call for praise and adoration for God’s faithfulness.
Accordingly, as the church marks nine glorious decades with three denominations, Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian worshipping seamlessly together, it has lined up varied activities to celebrate the glory of God on the theme: “Bonded together in Christ’s love for His glory”(Ps 78:4; Col 3:14).
History
Tracing the church’s history over the last 90 years, there is every reason to believe that where there is a will, God always makes a way and His presence in the lives of the righteous never grows dim.
The church started in 1936 as an Anglican Church. In no time, they added the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations to bring in worshippers from those faiths within their respective traditions.
History has it that in 1935, a community of British expatriates, mainly Anglicans working in the then Civil Service, wished for an English-speaking Anglican Church within the Ridge area, where most of them resided.
The Lord heard their prayers and in 1936, their wish was fulfilled with the appointment of their first Chaplain, Rev. W. G. Harward, by the Anglican
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
According to available records, the then Chairman of the Methodist Church, Rev. M.D.
Taylor and Rev. H.H.G. MacMillan of the Scottish Mission began using the church to conduct services.
When the church moved to its present site, a fresh interdenominational church was born.
Methodist and Presbyterian chaplains were consequently appointed.
An interdenominational constitution was adopted.
A wooden building was rented from the then government for worship.
A permanent building is said to have been built in 1946 to contain the growing congregation.
To the glory of God, the steady increase in worshippers continued and in 1968, the present church was built.
Ridge Church today
Now at 90 and with its appealing interdenominational character, the church has three branches: Manet, Tudu and Pokuase.
They have five clergy members, comprising an Anglican Minister, a Methodist Minister, a Presbyterian Minister, a Youth Minister, and an Auxiliary Minister. Between them, they service all of the church’s branches.
The main church at Ridge has as many as five services on each Sunday, starting with the Anglican service at 7.30 a.m., a one-hour contemporary service at 8.30 a.m., a
Methodist/Presbyterian service at 10 a.m., a youth service also at 10 a.m. and a “free-for- all” one-hour service at 6 p.m.
This flexibility, therefore, means that the church does not want to leave anyone behind.
No matter what one’s day is like on a Sunday, one can make the time to join in any of the corporate worship services every Sunday, including online services.
The Accra Ridge Church has been sufficiently blessed with membership of about 4,000, both in Ghana and abroad.
The spiritual and emotional lives of members are of prime importance to the church.
As such, structured programmes, including weekly prayer meetings, Bible studies and other support activities, have been tailored to meet the spiritual needs of members.
Also in place are solid counselling and welfare support teams that provide counselling and welfare services to its members, depending on their spiritual, emotional, health and welfare needs.
As the church's focus on Christian education for children grew, the Ridge Church School was established.
Today, the school is among the most sought-after by parents, including non-members of the Ridge Church. It has recently added the Cambridge curriculum for students who wish to pursue it.
The church has a multi-purpose three-storey air-conditioned facility, the ARC Hall. It is used not only for its Contemporary service and Sunday school but is also rented out for social gatherings, with some rooms available for office hire.
The Ridge Church has faithfully upheld its corporate social responsibility by supporting needy organisations and extending scholarships to brilliant, needy students at the tertiary level.
It continues to support the Bible Society of Ghana, the Prison Ministry of which it was one of the founding members and the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GillBT).
In celebrating the Lord’s goodness at 90 years, specific activities have been lined up to count its blessings.
These include public lectures, health walks, musical concerts, a gala fundraising dinner among others.
Much has been achieved by a church that began in a wooden structure with a few members.
It has blossomed after nine decades into a success story that has won and continues to win souls for Christ.
With the vision to aspire to be “a strong united church impacting families, communities, workplaces and nations for Christ”, the Accra Ridge Church has not only shown an example of how different denominations can come together in unity to worship for 90 years, but it has strengthened the spiritual lives of families and individuals eager and on fire for Christ.
The church has upheld its mission to disciple Christians of all nations, denominations, ages and social classes, using the Bible as the ultimate manual.
Still on its feet at 90, the invitation is for all to come and experience the joy of Christ. Come, therefore, with no hesitation. Come one, come all.
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