The Psalmist in Psalm 100:1-5 said, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. He made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations”.
Reminiscing on the memories of the journey of this great Church gives us an inner comfort, that only we can understand. Our walk and fellowship with the Very Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso and his noble wife, Mrs. Lucy Frimpong-Manso is one that, the Family, Session, and all members of the Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church salute for the
immense contribution to the success of the church. We express our sincere thanks to God and our hearty congratulations to all members of Emmanuel Presbyterian on the celebration of the Silver Jubilee, a hundred and eleven years of this PC(USA) church building we are now occupying, and 13 years of chartering as a Ghanaian-related PC(USA) Church at Woodlawn, Bronx, New York.
In the spring of 1911, a group of Presbyterian residents of the Woodlawn Heights neighborhood began holding services in private homes. The first official services open to the public were held in Hopewell Hall on East 240th Street in May of the year 1911, presided over by reverend Stevenson. In January 1913, the church was formally organized by the Presbytery of New York City, and a plot of land was purchased that year on the northeastern corner of East 240th Street and
Martha Avenue. The cornerstone of the building was laid on September 28, 1913, and on May 10, 1914, the church was dedicated and the keys were presented to the first Minister of the gospel, Reverend W.F. Daun. This landmark building was given to the Ghanaian-related PC(USA) members worshiping in the Reformed Church of America Building in Ogden, Bronx, during the time of the first Ghanaian Minister, the Rev. Dr. Kwame Amoah Kuma, and the Congregation was formally chartered as a PC(USA) Church in May 2011, which is now thirteen years.
At the time I visited the USA and Chaired, the first meeting of the then Overseas Presbytery of PCG held in Virginia in 2002, this Church had been established barely three years in 1999 at Ogden, and a group from the new Congregation had separated, and formed a new Church called Ebenezer and worshiping in a PC(USA) Building at Bainsbridge in the Bronx. Hence the Three-Tier Anniversary today and we congratulate all who stayed till today to witness and celebrate this Anniversary.
A few years ago, this Church with an appreciable number of members, saw another schism when some of our members sadly left to begin another Congregation for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. And today, by the steadfast love and the grace of God EPRC has survived and risen through the tides to the glory of God. And as Jesus promised, he would build His Church and the gates of hell cannot overcome it. This is our story and a testament to the goodness of God
towards Emmanuel Presbyterian Reformed Church (EPRC) for which we give thanks and praise to God. I wish to congratulate the Founding Members and all who have joined this Church and shared in our low and high moments till today. I must also express sincere thanks and gratitude to the Three Denominations, the PCG, PC(USA), and RCA which have supported this Church to grow and stand the test of the times and challenges till its present stage and formation.
I wish to thank and congratulate all our past and current members who have contributed tremendously towards the sustenance and growth of this Church, including those who passed on to glory and current Members including our Adults, the Children, and the Youth. We express sincere thanks to the Leadership and Members of the Presbytery of New York City and the RCA Highbridge Ogden Church who have been very supportive of this Church and are here
celebrating this Anniversary with us.
A special thanks goes to the Mayor of New City and His Staff and Officers who have been responsive to all invitations to our events. The same goes for the Ghana Consulate of New York City which has also responded to all invitations to
our Functions. I express sincere thanks and gratitude to our numerous benefactors, including Nana Asafoakaa Agyei-Tabi and Mr. Kwabena Aidoo-Baidoo who have supported us greatly with financial resources for five consecutive years
during our Annual Harvests.
“MOVING FORWARD WITH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST: OUR CORPORATE IDENTITY AND WITNESS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD”
We also appreciate our African-American Partners from the Shalom International Outreach Ministries and Mt. Gilead International Church and Ministries who have been in partnership with us in our Mission work and supporting us financially and otherwise. I seize this opportunity to thank the Session, various Committees of the Session, Anniversary Committee, and Groups of the Church as well as the Pastors and Members of the Conference of Presbyterian Churches in North America for their prayers and support for EPRC over these 25 years of its existence. A hearty thank you to all those who have supported and sustained our Prayer Line Ministry over the years. We thank all our special Guests from Ghana, the USA, Canada, the UK, and other Denominations in New York and elsewhere who have come at our invitation to support us. Last but not least, I wish to thank my wife Mrs Lucy Frimpong-Manso, my Children, In-Laws, and our Grandchildren and Relatives for supporting me and the Church in various ways since I have been here as the Pastor.
This Church has gone through several moments of grumblings, divisions, threats and fears of collapse yet the LORD has fought for and sustained Emmanuel Presbyterian till today. The LORD and our leaders have urged us to move on without fear and for members to stand firm and see the deliverance of the LORD. The more serious one was the period of the COVID-19 pandemic which made many Churches collapse yet EPRC survived and was one of the first Churches to open for public worship before the ban was finally lifted for most Churches to enter their Sanctuaries.
Now to our Theme:
The Israelites complained against Moses in the desert at the threat of Pharaoh and his advancing army and Moses answered the people, ‘‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. e Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. en the LORD said to Moses, ‘‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”
(Exodus 14:10-28; Acts 1:7-8; Matthew 28:16-20)
Let Us Move Forward With Faith In Jesus Christ and use our Corporate Identity and witness to reach out to our contemporary world situation’.
Once again I and my family wish all of us a Happy
Anniversary and a Hearty Congratulations!!
