Tributes

TRIBUTE BY BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS' MINISTRY (INC) OF GHANA WEIJA APLAKU ASSEMBLY

“For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; And whether we die, we die unto the Lord; Whether we live therefore, or die,wearetheLord's.”Romans14:08

It is with great sadness that our Church mourns the death of one of its most widely and highly respected leaders, Presiding Elder Joseph Appiah, popularly known and called 'Elder One' or 'Unopposed' In the course of his ministry, which spanned over three decades, he was known as Father, Brother, Elder and Presiding Elder. He held several roles: The Head of Welfare, Chair of the Marriage Committee, once leader of the Men's Fellowship, Liaison between Head Pastors and Members, and Member of the National Presbytery No matter the order of ministry to which he was called, the office he held, or the title he bore, the most distinguishing mark of his ministry was friendship, that friendship into which Jesus called his disciples in the Upper Room on the eve of His passion, death and resurrection, that friendship into which he calls his followers in every age.

Elder joined Born Again Believers Ministry through an invitation from his wife (Mrs. Faustina Appiah). He enjoyed gathering the Church for worship and fellowship, and dialogue. Throughout his entire service at the Church, he upheld the wonders of diversity in unity Indeed he embodied that long cherished principle among us of holding one another in “bonds of affection” in Christ. None of us will ever forget his broad smile and his hearty laugh. None of us will forget those moments when his eyes danced with delight over someone's happiness or a significant accomplishment. Nor will we forget those times he showed his benevolence through support to others in kind and cash. None of us will ever forget seeing his head lifted in songs – he loved to sing! Nor will we forget seeing him dance to the wonderful tunes of the Church Choir. Elder had an embrace in which we all experienced something of the fullness of Christ's love for us all.

While we all mourn him, we know what great trust he had in the promises of Christ, what great confidence he had in the Church of God and what great joy he had in the very thought of being a guest in heaven. Now, that time has come.

As we remember our dear father in Christ, we pray for Mrs Faustina Appiah (Maa Fausty) and for their children and grandchildren whom he loved dearly.

In remembering the manner of Presiding Elder Appiah's living and dying, a prayer written many years ago by Theodore Parker Ferris comes to mind.

“Teach me, O Lord, not to hold on to life too tightly. Teach me to hold it lightly; not carelessly, but lightly, easily. Teach me to take it as a gift, to enjoy and cherish while I have it, and to let it go gracefully and thankfully when the time comes. The gift is great, but the Giver is greater still. Thou, O God, art the Giver and in thee is the Life that never dies. Amen.”

Presiding Elder Joseph Yaw Appiah, we are grateful for your service to the Kingdom of God, and you will forever be engraved in our hearts Rest in the bosom of Abraham till we meet again.