Hempstead Special Meetings

The 2009 spring revival meetings at the Apostolic Faith Church in Hempstead, New York, included an Easter concert on Saturday evening, April 11. There was anticipation among the large turnout of attendees, and a special excitement as the choir and orchestra members were joined by several of the men from the Boston Outreach, a group of believers meeting in the Boston area. The concert began with a joint performance of “Danny Boy” and William Owen’s “Of Gentle Spirit” by the senior and youth orchestras. The guest speaker for the revival meetings, Ayodele Mobolurin from Washington, DC, led the congregation in prayer, and then Joseph Lamidi, the Hempstead pastor, shared some opening remarks.

The first choir selection was “Holy Art Thou,” by Handel, and other numbers were presented that featured the men from Boston. The youth choir sang a hearty rendition of the Negro spiritual “Amen,” and the senior and youth orchestras played “Colonel Boogey March.” Two especially thrilling numbers were a vocal solo by Emmanuel Kesse, Handel’s “But Thou Didst Not Leave My Soul in Hell,” and “Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto,” played by Olulana Alofe, from Boston. Two special piano numbers were played by Femi Sunmonu, the music leader in Hempstead, and Seyi Asaya, from Boston. The audience was also captivated by the rendition of “I’ll Walk Dem Golden Stairs,” sung by the male choir. The concert concluded with a benediction by Reverend Eugene Segres, the pastor of one of the branch churches in Brooklyn, New York.

In addition to all the wonderful music selections, the concert was an occasion for the Hempstead congregation to fellowship with those who attended from other branch churches. It was also a reminder of the real meaning of Easter as the featured numbers focused on the suffering, death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

On Easter Sunday afternoon, a Sunday school program was held titled “A Risen Savior.” The program opened with the congregation singing “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” reinforcing the true meaning of the Resurrection. The youth orchestra played an Easter medley, followed by a welcome from the Sunday school superintendent, Seye Folarin.

The first dramatized scene was “The Last Supper,” with a melancholic performance of Jesus, played by Kola Ajayi, as He supped with His disciples and disclosed the purpose of His mission—death on the Cross. The second scene was the “Garden of Gethsemane,” which included Jesus’ agonizing prayer and His betrayal by Judas. Feyikemi Folarin and Elizabeth Coker sang “In the Garden,” and throughout the program, children from the Primary Department interspersed the scenes with Scripture recitations.

The second half of the program began with the tiny tots’ recorder class entertaining the audience with “Christ Is Risen Today” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The third scene, “Jesus before Pilate,” depicted how Jesus was falsely accused, but did not defend Himself. The dramatization of the angry mob accusing Jesus and demanding that He be crucified felt very real and brought reflections of how Jesus must have felt. Scene four, “The Crucifixion,” portrayed Jesus on the Cross, flanked by the two thieves, and the mockery of the soldiers and the crowd, as well as the weeping of those who loved Him. The Crucifixion scene was followed by Michelle Bare singing “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”

The final scene, “The Resurrection,” portrayed the empty tomb and the appearance of the angel telling Jesus’ followers of His resurrection. There was a concluding Scripture recitation and two songs by the children’s choir, “Rolled Away” and “O Happy Easter.” The program ended with a benediction, a song by the combined youth choir, and an invitation for the congregation to pray. Those who were not saved were encouraged to give their lives completely to Jesus, especially in light of the sacrifice He made for each one when He died on the Cross.