Dedication of the Apostolic Faith Church, Aberdeen  

On the 4th of August 2024, the Aberdeen congregation of the Apostolic Faith Mission gladly welcomed their brethren across Western Europe and beyond to the long-awaited dedication of their tabernacle. It was a brightly sunny day with some blue sky peeking through the clouds on this special day. It was a joyous moment that marked a remarkable event for the saints in Aberdeen and Scotland, a total of 196 attendees were present to felicitate with them. The overflow of people extended into the children’s hall, and the prayer room was also utilised by nursing mothers.

The service commenced with the orchestra playing “Surprise Symphony” by Franz Joseph Haydn and “He is Here” by Kirk Talley. This was followed by the choir joyfully singing “Where Your Glory Dwells” by Kim Noblitt and Amy Susan Foster which perfectly aligned with the subsequent fervent prayers to invite God’s glory to perpetually dwell in the church building.

During the announcements, the Western Europe District Superintendent, Brother Mark Mfandarahwa, shared the history of the work in Aberdeen and Scotland. This history is largely intertwined with the journey of the late Brother John Aina and his family, who moved from Port Harcourt, Nigeria, to Aberdeen, Scotland, in March 1998. They began holding services in their living room with a modest congregation of four. By 1999, the congregation grew to six members, leading to the introduction of midweek prayers held every Tuesday and Wednesday. The year 2001 marked significant growth and change as the number of the congregation surged to 15 members. The church was able to hold its first Christmas concert. This growth spurred the relocation of services to the old Robert Gordon University Hall in Keppleston. Other members including Brother Seun Ogunleye, who moved to Aberdeen to study in 2002, joined the church during this period and became a strong support to Brother John Aina. After the demise of John Aina in January 2006, his wife, Sister Juliet Aina, became the leader.

The church has witnessed a change of venues over the past years while in search of a befitting place of worship under the leadership of Juliet Aina & Winifred Eboh. By December 2011, Brother Matthew Ibukun assumed the leadership of the group. Further movements occurred as the church grew and sought more spacious venues for services. Until its closure in December 2019, the Garthdee Parish Church was used from January 2015. This was followed by a move to the Inchgarth Community Center in January 2020, where the church worshipped until acquiring Kingswells Parish Church as its permanent place of worship on June 12, 2024. The building is well equipped with a sanctuary furnished with wooden seating, stained-glass windows, a kitchen, vestry/office, restrooms, large and small halls at the rear for the children’s hall and prayer room, an entrance lobby, parking spaces, and a sectioned garden area. It is noteworthy that our brethren from other Scottish cities worshipped with the Aberdeen congregation until February 2016 and November 2017, when they began gathering in Glasgow and Edinburgh, respectively.

The service continued with congregational singing, followed by a prayer session led by Brother Francis Odudu. After the acknowledgments given by Brother Mark, the choir rendered the song titled “Surely the Presence of the Lord” by Lanny Wolfe. The Bible reading was delivered by Brother Matthew Ibukun, who read 1 Kings 8:33-39. This was followed by a solo, “Bless This House,” arranged by Joseph Martin and sung by Brother Victor Idowu.

The dedication sermon, taken from 2 Chronicles 6:21-40, focused on the purpose of the house of God as a place of forgiveness, a soul-saving station, a place of deliverance, and a place of refuge. The sermon concluded by highlighting the need for saints to be dedicated Christians  –  just as we are dedicating the church to God, we should also dedicate our lives to God.

Following the sermon, the dedicatory prayer was offered by Brother Seun Ogunleye, the Pastor in Charge of the Stavanger Church, Norway. The congregation then sang “To God Be the Glory” before the service closed with a prayer from Brother Ola Balogun, the Pastor of the Peckham Church, London. After the dedication service was concluded, there was a blessed time of prayer before everyone gathered outside for photographs. The congregation thereafter moved into the hall to enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship.