Ecstatic congregants at the Restoration Temple of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Osu, waved away the year of pandemic and ushered in 2021 amidst thunderous shouts of praise and worship to the Lord for his goodness.

And when Head Pastor, Reverend Ashford Smith, declared 2021 as the Year of Fruitfulness with a call on congregants to crossover and possess, it was clear that a new dawn had just begun, one in which every member hopes to be “fruitful and to multiply.”

With his foundation text taken from Deuteronomy 11:31, Rev. Smith charged the congregation to expect a shift in the New Year and possess that which God has given them.

“When the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they moved from slavery into freedom,” he said, adding, in the New Year, “you will not marry and not give birth; you will not start a business to collapse.”

He said the pandemic, the death of loved ones, jobs lost, and challenges of 2020 must remain in the past, saying, “you will crossover to possess; God will grant you the power of possession; what you lost in 2020 you will occupy in 2021.”

It was a 2-hour 31st-night service packed with praise, worship, prayers, anointing, and testimonies all in strict adherence to the Covid 19 protocols.

Sitting in white apparel with multi-coloured nose masks, in a physically distanced seating, the congregants were not unaware of the dangers of the times but they were all the more convinced that with the protocols observed, God will move in a supernatural way through his Word.

For a year that has been a difficult one for many, being present on the 31st night and saying thank you to God was the biggest show of gratitude by many Christians.

Beyond their presence, some shared incredible testimonies of how God had saved their lives and those of their loved ones from surgeries; while others were grateful to God for passing their exams with flying colours and granting them access to their preferred school choices.

For these great testimonies and many more, Rev. Ashford Smith entreated the congregation to be thankful to the Lord and be expectant of the new possessions he will grant them in the coming year.

With 15-minutes to the new year, the congregants were led into a powerful prayer session, with congregants asking God to lead the way in 2021.

The 12 midnight hour which signalled a transition into 2021 was ushered in with great shouts of praise muffled by nose masks.