Cardiff North Seventh-day Adventist Church (Company)
Formerly known as the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship, Cardiff North is part of the worldwide family of Seventh-day Adventist Churches. The designation "Company" is part of the terminology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and indicates an intermediate stage in the growth of a church from an ad hoc group to a fully fledged and self-supporting church. As numbers increase we hope to achieve full church status in the near future.
Message from the Pastor
Welcome to the Cardiff North Seventh-day Adventist Church (Company) website. Thank you for visiting us! Our vision is to bring together African Christians from all over South Wales for praise and worship as well as fellowship and friendship as we help to fulfil the climax of God's plan.The Cardiff North Seventh-day Adventist Church (Company) acknowledges that the development of mind and character is essential to God's redemptive plan and thus promote the growth of understanding of the relationship between God and man, His Word, and the universe. We believe in the biblical emphasis on well-being of the person and preservation of health as key to the restoration of the sick, the afflicted and hopelessness. We aim to share this experience in healing the hurting; equipping disciples; activating spiritual gifts; reaching the community and teaching God's Word.
We look forward to seeing you and your friends every Saturday. God Bless you.
Pastor George Asiamah, M.A. Pastoral Ministry
Location
Thanks to the kindness of our Methodist friends, the venue for our Sabbath meetings is:
St Andrews Methodist Church
Caerphilly Road
Birchgrove
CARDIFF
CF14 4AE(See location map for the St Andrews Methodist Church)
Doors open at 9:30 am for a 10:00 am Bible study hour, followed at 11:15 am by our worship service. Usually there is a fellowship lunch and a programme in the afternoon, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. For more information see our Meetings page and the official Preaching Plan.
Pastor A P Mensah Visits Wales - July and August 2010
On their way back from the General Conference Session in Atlanta, Georgia, Pastor A P Mensah and his wife spent a number of weeks in Wales, staying with their friend and former colleague Pastor George Boake Asiamah. Pastor Mensah currently serves as the Sabbath School, Voice of Prophecy, and Spirit of Prophecy Director in the 400,000 member Ghana Union Conference. Previously he has served as Youth Director for the Central Ghana Conference and more recently as the Conference President.
During their time here Pastor and Mrs Mensah have visited a number of churches including Port Talbot, Cardiff North, London Ghana, and London Lee Valley. Although they are now looking forward to returning home they feel that their time here has been well spent. In an interview with Welsh Mission President Pastor John Surridge on Tuesday 10 August Pastor Mensah commented on the phenomenon of the Ghanaian Adventist Church in the United Kingdom:
"The Ghanaian church is doing a good job over here," Pastor Mensah said. "I've just come over from the United States and I've seen how the Ghanain churches there are growing and making a good contribution to their parent Confereces and Unions. The same is now happening here."
"I remember when I first came to the UK there was just one Ghanaian church," Pastor Mensah continued. "All of the Ghanaian Adventists met in the John Loughborough school in Tottenham. But it's very different now. The membership is growing and just as in America our ex-patriot Ghanaians are making a real contribution. Evangelistically they are doing a great job of reaching out to the Ghanaian diaspora."
When asked about the issue of cross-clutural evangelism and the possibility of more integration with UK society generally, Pastor Mensah was cautious. "Within the Ghanaian churches everything is done according to Ghanaian tradition and culture. Indeed this is one of the main driving forces behind their success. We are all Seventh-day Adventists of course but within our own culture we are able to express ourselves better. At the moment this method is working well and the results are good."
We wish Pastor and Mrs Mensah God's blessings as they return home to their family and the challenges of a rapidly approaching Union Session.
Wives Test Husbands' Alertness During Cardiff North Women’s Day – Sabbath 22 May 2010 - Report by Dr Theophilus Gokah
Sabbath 22 May was a Women's Day with a difference at the Cardiff North church. From the Divine Service through Sabbath lunch and the afternoon activities, the ladies put up spectacular activities with a different flavour. The day was filled with humour, learning and ignorance, but above all spiritual fulfilment.
The morning sermon, delivered by Hazel Keseke, was entitled: "Ruth - Woman of Substance" and reminded women of their role in the community and Church. Activities of the day included quizzes between men and women and traditional curtseys from women. A dint of luck and ingenuity of the quiz master saved the male contestants from being thrashed by their females.
A highlight of the day's activities was when married men present at the church were put to a challenging test to identify among a number of items those that belonged to their wife. As the men scrambled through, there was obvious tension amongst them whilst the audience treated themselves to good laughter. Even when it was all over the mesmerised gentlemen remained on the podium debating among themselves and making defenceless excuses for their inability to decipher between what they might have thought belonged to their partners.
There were both moral and spiritual lessons from the drill as husbands were reminded that as Christians they could not be disconnected from the daily lives and activities of their partners. Following their subjugation, the men in their humility sung to praise God for the unity of family and Church.
Two regular visitors to Cardiff North Church, Joseph Nduulu and Happiness Kwamboka bade their farewell to the Church after they had been presented with gifts. They return to their native Kenya after undertaking various studies in Wales.
Prince Olokotor finally committed the Church and sought God’s blessing for Joseph and Happiness.
Women Lead SWAAF Malawi Fellowship Day, Sabbath 27 February 2010 - Report by Dr Theophilus Gokah/BUC News
Malawi Adventists from all over the UK converged on the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship on Sabbath, 27 February to worship and fellowship with the African congregation in Cardiff. The day which was set aside as Malawi Day of Fellowship aimed at bringing back other Malawi Adventist and non-Adventist Christians in Cardiff who for some reason are not in church.
The ladies took a significant role in the day – a role that is no longer contested in the Adventist Church. Women in Adventist churches play leading roles in extending philanthropic activities and community services to people in need. Formally known as the Dorcas Society, Adventist Women's Societies are remembered for their physical, spiritual and mutual benefit initiatives.
Women's Ministries have shown over the years that they can make a significant difference in the lives of less privileged people in society. As the Christian community stands, Malawi Adventist women can play formidable roles in caring for their own and the communities in which they belong.
With the support of Malawian men, the congregation raised two hundred and forty pounds towards an evangelistic campaign in Ntchisi District of Central Malawi. Various singing groups added joy to the day. For the many first time visitors to the celebration, it was a Sabbath day worth remembering as they expressed their desire to visit again.
Pastor Thangalimodzi's interactive and poignant sermon on "Pregnant Question" brought the congregation to reflect on how Christians perceive others vis-à-vis Jesus' own question who do people say I am? The afternoon sermonnette by Pastor Newton Kawiliza placed the earlier sermon into perspective and cautioned that meeting the Saviour of our world, Jesus Christ, is dependent on what people do today as the world stands on the shores of eternity.
More than 150 photos from the day can be seen in our gallery section.
Adventists and Methodists Dialogue in Cardiff, Thursday 28 January 2010 - Report by John Surridge
On Thursday evening 28 January, three Adventist ministers along with members of the Cardiff African Fellowship, met with the minister and members of the St Andrews Methodist church in Birchgrove, Cardiff. The Cardiff African Fellowship has been renting the St Andrews church for nearly six months now and relations with the Methodist congregation have been very good.
The meeting was initiated and chaired by Rev Philip Drake, who pastors two Methodist congregations in Cardiff. Proceedings began with Welsh Mission President Pastor John Surridge giving a twenty minute presentation on the Seventh-day Adventist church, using video clips and photographs of Adventist work around the world. Pastor Surridge highlighted the church's size and exceptional growth rate but also acknowledged the major contribution that Methodism has made to the development of the Adventist church, particularly in its early years. He pointed out that the Adventist stand on temperance and gambling was identical to the position that Methodists originally held and that the Adventist tradition of holding quarterly communion services can be traced back to the days when horse riding Methodist preachers often took three months to visit every church in their circuit.
In his presentation Rev Drake spoke about the history of the Methodist church and in particular the story of the two brothers, John and Charles Wesley. John Wesley's emphasis on personal holiness and the need for order in church work and worship is still a guiding influence in both Methodism and Adventism, and the hymns of Charles Wesley are familiar to Christians of many different denominations.
Following the two formal presentations the congregation divided into small groups where specific questions could be asked. Each of the Adventists present - Pastors George Asiamah and Jeremy Tremeer, and local members Dr Theo Gokah, Dr Esther Ndiweni and John George - spent time explaining fundamental Adventist beliefs such as the Sabbath, the Second Coming of Jesus, and the State of the Dead.
Throughout the evening there was an atmosphere of graciousness, respect, and genuine interest. The members of both congregations hope that the cordial relations will continue to grow over the years ahead.
30 photos from the day can be seen in our gallery section.
On Sabbath 12 December Diana Bakuwa was baptised and welcomed into the SWAAF company. At the beginning of 2009 SWAAF celebrated the baptism of Kestine Mpofu Lusinga and it was wonderful to be closing the year with a similar celebration.
Diana first came to Cardiff to pursue further studies. However her desire and love for Christ gave her the confidence to make a public stand for Jesus and now she has the satisfaction and joy of being part of the family of God. Happiness radiated around her as she took the bold step into the baptism of faith and was formally admitted onto the Church roll.
The centrality of baptism joins us to the whole history of salvation. It goes beyond simply been grafted into the community of like-believers where God's transformational love is manifest. In baptism our Christian identity is sealed by the Holy Spirit, as we are marked as Christ's own and claimed as a child of God.
The Church is one channel through which the Divine call is made. In the Seventh-day Adventist church the practice of baptism is very similar to how it was performed in New Testament times. Following detailed instruction baptismal candidates acknowledge the implications of entering into a lasting commitment with God and the Church, and make a commitment to break with the past before the actually get baptised. They understand that they are being baptised into God's fellowship and into a new life in Christ.
In John 15:16 Jesus said to His disciples, "you did not choose me. I chose you." Membership to the community of God is thus free - a gift which the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon all who follow the steps that Jesus Himself took.
The baptismal service itself creates a picture of the saving power of God. Through baptism Christ claims His own and bring us into communion with the Trinity. It is an opportunity for the Christian to translate faith into action whilst taking time to ponder over the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Baptism can and shold be a memorable experience in the life of the person being baptised, and in the lives of their families and friends. Each service is commemorated differently to remind the candidate of the special day that they affirmed Jesus. Certainly Sabbath 12 December was a very special day for Diana. She, along with all who witnessed the baptism, will treasure the memories in her heart.
For more pictures from the day see our gallery section.
On Sabbath, 21 November the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship (SWAAF) hosted the first Nigeria day celebration in Cardiff. The day brought together Nigerian Adventist Christians, friends and relations from across London, Reading, Birmingham and other parts of the country.
Welcoming the visitors to Cardiff, John Uzamo George and Elder Chigbo, who were the organisers of the event, commented on its importance and greeted the visitors in Yoruba and Hausa, the native languages in Nigeria.
Adventist Christians, regardless of their origins, have a high optimism, creating and enriching their belief in limiting the moral damage that is currently afflicting many of our communities. The unprecedented ethnic mix in the Adventist Church offers such opportunities to flourish only if Adventist Christians are to keep alive this vision of dynamic, internally differentiated multiculturalism within the context of Christianity. The different activities in the day, from Sabbath School lessons, children's participation, availability of varied traditional dishes through to workshop discussions on 'the impact of music on our emotional growth', led by Dr Tunde Ajao, are just examples of ways in which Christian unity can influence our communities.
Pastor Blessing Molomo, guest speaker for the day spoke on the theme "Saved to Serve". He related the social circumstances of Nigerians in foreign lands and drew analogy from the experiences and circumstances of the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz. Ruth was committed to the God she knew and was commended by God. Similarly, if Christians will stick to the truth like Ruth did, they will be rewarded by God.
175 pictures from the day can be seen in our gallery section.
'Colourful' Ghana Day Attracts Police Attention - Sabbath 10 October 2009 - by Dr Theophilus Gokah
On Sabbath 10 October 2009 nearly two hundred members and guests of the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship converged on the newly rented St Andrews Methodist Church in Birchgrove for a special Day of Fellowship.
SWAAF now has 28 members on the books, and weekly attendance can be double this, but for special days friends come from all over the United Kingdom, including on this occasion Telford, Reading, and London.
It is on these special days that the full colour of our culturally diverse church is seen, and it was the vibrant colour that attracted public attention on Sabbath. The area of Birchgrove, where the St Andrews Methodist Church is located in Cardiff, is a fairly quiet and conservative district, with a few shops, a pub and a large number of houses. As the African members began to arrive in their beautiful kente cloth robes and headdresses, the neighbours started looking out from behind their curtains. Pretty soon a good-natured policeman arrived on the scene to see what was going on. After assisting with some parking issues and chatting with a few of the members he went on his way again. Later in the day two more police officers came, this time in a squad car, and again they spoke with the members and visitors. They asked about the event, the numbers of people, and above all, those beautiful colours!
That's how the day looked to some of those on the outside. Those inside the church heard the key message being delivered by Elder K T Abbequaye, a member of the BUC Executive Committee who works in the City of London. He drew the congregation's attention to the experiences of Daniel in a foreign land and urged all Seventh-day Adventist Christians to position themselves in such a manner that they will not be found wanting in their new situation. Instead, he said, they should be worthy ambassadors for Christ and the church.
The focal point of the day was the dedication of baby Yaw Nyarko Boakye, son of Pastor George and Mrs Joyce Asiamah. Pastor Kwadwo Kwarteng Ampofo dedicated Yaw to the Lord and charged all present not to neglect their communal traditional responsibility of training and nurturing Yaw Nyarko. Yaw was officially admitted onto the roll of Sabbath School department by the Superintendent, Mrs Margaret Mwangalika, and was presented with a number of generous gifts.
There were other eulogies from friends of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cardiff, who referred to Pastor Asiamah not just as a Minister for the Adventist Church but for all Africans in Cardiff. This is truly the aim of SWAAF - to draw together Africans from all over Cardiff and South Wales and help them to find fellowship, hope and truth through the community of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Throughout the day music was provided by the Reading Youth Choir, Charles Boahene and the New Herald Singing Group. For a flavour of the day, and a look at all those colours, visit our gallery section.
SWAAF Social Event - 31 August 2009 - Report by Dr E Ndiweni
SWAAF held its first social event on Sunday the 31st of August at Roath Park. The day had been set aside for members to bond together in an informal way. The event was open to members of the community and friends.
In spite of grey clouds and drizzle members were not disappointed. Approximately 60 people turned up, thanks to the efforts of Bryton, who mobilised most of the footballers and also provided kits for both men and ladies.
The event kicked off at 12.00 noon with the men vs. youth football match. This was followed by the ladies' netball match. Those who did not actively play were busy stoking the barbeque fires. Refreshments and an assortment of salads were served plus some African food served with roasted meat. The rain did not deter the group that finally dispersed after 7.00pm.
Buoyed by the success of the first event, SWAAF is planning to hold similar events in the future.
For pictures from the event please see our Gallery Section.
Zimbabwe Day in Cardiff - 21 March 2009
Run by the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship (SWAAF) in conjunction with ZUSDAF.
Zimbabweans from across Wales and the UK were invited to this special day of worship, music and praise at the Fitzalan High School, Lawrenny Avenue, Cardiff, CF11 8XB. Many others from different African countries also attended the event.
For a report by Dr Theophilus Gokah and about 100 photographs from the day, see our Gallery Section.
More special days like this will be held in the future so please keep watching this site for the latest developments.
Baptism of Kestine Mpofu Lusinga and SWAAF Evangelism Plans - Sabbath 14 February 2009
On Sabbath afternoon, 14 February 2009, Mrs Kestine Mpofu Lusinga was baptised in the Cardiff Central church and welcomed into membership of SWAAF. Kestine's husband Future, who is already a member, and their son Ryan, were present for the service, along with a large number of friends and supporters.
The South Wales African Adventist Fellowship, or SWAAF, grew out of the Cardiff Central church nearly two years ago with the primary intention of reaching out to members of the African community living in South Wales. Under the leadership of Pastor George Asiamah it has retained its evangelistic emphasis and has grown considerably - to the extent that in May 2008 it was formed into an official company of the Welsh Mission of Seventh-day Adventists.
An evangelistic campaign held in the autumn of 2008 led to five baptisms, with Kestine bringing the total to six baptisms in less than six months.
For the full story and more than forty pictures from the day, see our gallery section.
"Cardiff For Christ" Evangelistic Campaign - Five Baptised on Sabbath 13 September 2008
From Thursday 28 August to Saturday 13 September 2008 Elder Robert Osei-Bonsu (pictured on the right with Pastor George Asiamah) was the speaker for an evangelistic series held at the Canton Community Hall.
Four meetings were held each week and themes included: Four Big Secrets of a Happy Family, Secrets of Ancient Scrolls, The Master Key to Marital Compatibility, By Chance or Design, Born to Live Forever, What Happens When You Die?, Three Ways to Say I love You, One is Irresistible!, Sweetheart I am Pregnant!, One Life Changed the World, Seven Steps to Resolving Marital Conflict, Why So Much Suffering?, What Happened to Right and wrong?, Created For Something Better, The Great Escape!, and The Best is yet to come!
Following the evangelistic series five people were baptised and added to the growing SWAAF congregation. For a more detailed report and more than one hundred photographs, see our gallery section.
If you missed out on these programmes and would like to find out more about the questions raised, or if you would like to visit or become a member of the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship, please contact Pastor George Asiamah on: 029 2073 1773.
SWAAF Anniversary and Company Organisation - Fitzalan High School, Cardiff, Sabbath 31 May 2008
On Sabbath 31 May 2008 around eighty people attended a day of celebration for members and friends of the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship (SWAAF). The event celebrated the first anniversary of the inauguration of the group but was also the occasion of its organisation into an official Company of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
Welsh Mission President Pastor John Surridge officiated at the service, assisted by Pastor George Boakye Asiamah, who is currently serving as the minister for the Barry and Port Talbot churches as well as the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship. Friends, families and well-wishers came from the Cardiff and Newport churches, and even from the Telford church, some 130 miles away.
For the full story and more than fifty pictures from the day, see our gallery section.
Day of Fellowship in Barry - Barry Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sabbath 29 March 2008
On Sabbath 29 March 2008 the members of the South Wales African Adventist Fellowhip travelled to the Seventh-day Adventist church in Barry for a special day of fellowship and witness. Although there has been an Adventist church in Barry since the 1920s the congregation is now very small and it was felt that the few remaining members would appreciate a visit from their African friends in Cardiff. Read the full story and see 28 photographs on our gallery page.
SWAAF Baby Dedication, Sabbath 1 March 2008
On Sabbath 1 March 2008, SWAAF hosted a large number of visitors from different nationalities who had come to witness the dedication of Emmanuel and Emmanuella to the Lord. Among the august visitors was the president of the Ghana Union in Wales, Frankie Asare Donkoh. Read the full story and see 28 photographs on our gallery page.
Thanksgiving and Praise Concert Day - UWIC, Sabbath 15 December 2007
On Sabbath 15 December 2007 some two hundred members and guests attended a special Thanksgiving and Praise Concert Day organised by the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship. The event, which was held in a large lecture theatre at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff, attracted visitors from as far away as London, Manchester and Sheffield, and even Cape Town! Featured artistes included: No Limits, Blessed Voices, the Ghana Gospel Choir, Sujoya Paul Bullock, Vera Selepe, Nkosi ka Ndlovu, and Pam, Kim and Rea. Special guests included: Elder Lungile Jacobes, Pastor John Surridge, and Pastor Clive de Silva. See 160 photographs on our gallery page.
Ghanaian Day in Telford - Sabbath, 4 August 2007
On Sabbath 4 August 2007 the Telford Seventh-day Adventist Church organised a "Ghana Day of Fellowship" to interact with friends and the community at large. Visitors and Christian brethren came from as far away as Birmingham and the speaker for the morning was Dr Theophilus Gokah from the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship. See more photographs and read the full report on our gallery page.
Musical Extravaganza - Sabbath, 23 June 2007
On Sabbath 23 June 2007 the Cardiff-based South Wales African Adventist Fellowship in Cardiff invited a number of different musical artists, as well as members of the general public, to a one day music festival. People travelled from as far as Leeds, Reading and London in order to attend. As well as musical items there were a number of spiritual messages. In particular Dr Mganuunu, a Zimbabwean from Scotland, spoke on the theme of Spirituality and Music in Contemporary Society. See more than eighty photographs and read a full report by Dr Theophilus Gokah, on our special gallery page.
About Us
If you would like to find out more about the South Wales African Adventist Fellowship, the wider Adventist church, or Christianity in general we would love to hear from you. You can contact us by letter, phone or email, or you can contact any of our national representatives by clicking on the flags at the right of this page.
Countries Represented
| Angola |  |
| Gabon |  |
| Ghana |  |
| Malawi |  |
| Nigeria |  |
| South Africa |  |
| Uganda |  |
| Zambia |  |
| Zimbabwe |  |