The Restoration Power Chapel is in some ways unique among the many Christian churches and
communities in the Bulsa District. It was founded by a Bulsa and its adherents are Bulsa.
Restoration Power Chapel
(Information from a flyer of the Restoration Power Chapel and interviews with Yaw Akumasi and others. All quotations are taken from the flyer)
The Restoration Power Chapel is in some ways unique among the many Christian churches and
communities in the Bulsa District. It was founded by a Bulsa and its adherents are Bulsa.
About the foundation of R.P. the flyer says:
“The Restoration Power came into existence on the 26th February, 1990. However the vision was caught up by the founder and current head Pastor of the Ministry Rev. Oscar Arthur in 1981”.
In the 1970s, Mr Oscar Arthur was a member of the Pentecost Board of Directors in Sandema. After becoming a pastor and the General Overseer of the Church he gave up his occupation as a veterinarian officer to spend all his time in pastoral care and organization. The new church is an Endtime Minstry and has adopted some of the features of the Church of Pentecost: speaking in ‘tongues’, abstaining from smoking and drinking alcohol and giving one tenth of one’s income to the church.
“The church has been able to open and establish seven other branches or assemblies in the near by villages of the Builsa District... The Wiaga Zuedema Assembly was the first to be established barely four years after the extablishment of the mother church”.
Today there are also churches under a pastor or assemblies (branches) under a caretaker in:
Central Wiaga: Here, Pastor Donatus Asekabta and his community have built their own church, about 100 metres off the road to Gbedema.
Kadema: Pastor Emmanuel Atugrusa and around 70 other members
Fumbisi: since 1997, Pastor Joseph Azuimah and around 120 other members
Kanjaga: around 70-80 members
Gbedema: Pastor Daniel Anyabobe and around 100 members; Pastor Daniel is also responsible for Kanjaga
There are no branches in Chuchuliga and Siniensi (March 2005). Together with about 150-200 members in both Sandema and Wiaga, we may estimate a total number of 700-800 for the whole Bulsa District.
In Wiaga, the new ecclesiastic group was not always welcomed by all inhabitants. Especially their preaching against smoking and drinking found disapproval among some people who obviously enjoyed these stimulants.
To date, the church has been able to set up an orphanage School, a Kindergarten, a Primary School (classes one and two only) and a computer school (centre) near Sandema market. (fk)
