After 13 years of perching on the premises of the Christian Council, the congregation of the Osu Community Chapel of the International Central Gospel Church, (ICGC) finally moved to its own, albeit uncompleted, edifice christened the Restoration Temple.

The close to 2000 capacity auditorium for the first time hosted the spirit filled, Sunday service congregation in a fulfilling, hugely enchanting, encounter with the Lord.

It was such an amazing experience for many congregants, who for lack of space at the Christian Council had to settle for a televised worship with the Lord, whilst still part of the congregation.

It was different this time. All members of the congregation sat comfortably right in the auditorium, with over 500 sitting capacity space at the gallery begging to be filled. 

For the choristers and choreographers the experience was even enthralling. They had space to express themselves. The Inspired Heavens treated the congregation to a sumptuous choreography display with the choir and praise team spicing things up with some of the melodious, spirit filled renditions which kept hands clapping, feet tapping, heads nodding in one amazing body move movement in praise and worship of the Lord.

And when the head pastor Ashford Tawiah Smith mounted the new podium, to ‘outdoor’ the name of the new auditorium and to preach his message, a deafening shout of approval came from the congregation.

They had only been told for weeks, months and may be, even years that the name of the new auditorium would start with the letter R. Were there not many profound words in the bible beginning with the letter R?

But in the short unveiling ceremony, the whole congregation watched in admiration the unmasking of one of the best kept secrets in what used to be called the Osu Community Chapel of the ICGC now christened the Restoration Temple of the ICGC. The shouts grew louder and the claps thunderous.

It is time for God to restore onto the people of the Osu ICGC, whatever they have lost whilst serving him at the Christian Council church auditorium, Pastor Smith declared.

In arguably one of the best spirit filled, humour laden message to his congregation, Pastor Smith carried his flocks to the days of old when the Israelites after 400 years in captivity in Egypt were finally led out and restored in many unimaginable ways.

Pastor Smith said any time God moved his people he blessed them. He moved Joseph, moved Abraham, moved David and blessed them all. It is time for the Restoration Temple congregation to be blessed because they had finally moved after 13 years.

“This movement must affect the lives of each member of the congregation,” he charged, adding, those living in rented apartments must move into their own homes; those without cars must get one but those in marriage must stay in it. Don’t come telling me the spirit that moved the Israelites from Egypt and moved the Osu ICGC into the Restoration Temple has also moved you out of your marriage, he said to a rapturous laughter.

The church was not only in the business of building edifice but building is lives as well.

Pastor Smith in an interview with Myjoyonline.com could not hide his excitement at the bold decision to move to the new auditorium.

He expressed his gratitude to the Christian Council of Ghana for housing the church over the past 13 years despite the “holy noise” they made over the period.

He was also grateful to Pastor Kofi Okyere and the deacons who began the dream of building a new auditorium.

According to him the auditorium was about 75 per cent complete and needed close to million dollars to complete.

He was personally elated that the auditorium was funded from within, without any donation from the outside, except for some bank loans which had to paid back.

The fully air-conditioned diamond shaped Auditorium when completed will have a gym, a restaurant, tennis court and a number of church offices.

Pastor Smith said by December 2014 the auditorium will be fully ready to be opened and blessed by the head pastor of the ICGC Pastor Mensa Otabil.

Some members of the congregation told Myjoyonline.com they can't wait for the official opening of the Restoration Temple.