For the first time since 2019, the Apostolic Faith group in Dublin, Ireland, was able to hold special meetings from April 30 to May 1. The theme was “Divine Visitation,” and the theme verse was Luke 1:79, “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” The focus was spreading the Gospel through music evangelism in Ireland.

The conference opened with an evening of music on Saturday presented by musicians from the choirs and orchestras in the United Kingdom branch churches of London (Peckham and Bexley), Manchester, and Coventry. The evening included instrumental, choral, and vocal selections, as well as the youth choir. There were also congregational songs and victorious testimonies, as well as a sermonette by Reverend Victor Idowu, a minister from our church in Manchester, on “Divine Visitation.” He used the Biblical examples of Zacharias and Elizabeth and Jacob to bring out how God divinely intervened in their lives, and shared his testimony of how God divinely visited him as a young boy and called him to salvation. Referencing 2 Chronicles 7:14, he encouraged the congregation to humble themselves before God and let Him intervene in their lives. A time of prayer followed, during which Susan Adeyemo sang “Give Them All to Jesus,” and the choir sang “I Saw the Light.” Joseph Adeyemi gave the closing prayer, and then there was a time of sweet fellowship and dinner.

The Sunday school session began with a recorder solo by Lesley Chawanda, a junior-age student, followed by a vocal duet by Bunmi Sobowale and Debbie Adeyemi, “Close to Thee.” There were classes for all ages: Susan Adeyemo taught the primaries; Lanre Idu taught the juniors; and Marble Mfandarahwa taught the combined youth and adult class.

The devotional service opened with a beautiful violin solo by Iyanu Okunsanya, followed by selections from the choir and orchestra. Before the sermon, a quartet sang “How the Fire Fell.” Mark Mfandarahwa, District Superintendent of the United Kingdom, read the theme verse for his text, and referenced some in the Bible who had experienced divine visitations from God. He encouraged the congregation to pray for their own divine visitation and receive what God has for them. 

During the prayer meeting on Sunday evening, participants prayed for God to prosper His work in Ireland. Brother Mark read Jeremiah 32:17 as a reminder that there is nothing too hard for God. A time of sweet fellowship followed, during which a man shared his testimony of how he invited Brother Mark to church in Zimbabwe, where he heard the Gospel preached.

There were around sixty attendees at each service, and it was a blessing to have the participation of the young people. On Monday, some of the choir members from the United Kingdom were taken on a tour of Dublin before their afternoon departure. God opened the way for the Gospel to be shared with passengers on the bus and in the taxis as Gospel tracts were handed out and testimonies were shared. As the seed continues to be sown and watered by the people of God in Ireland, the prayer is that God will raise up more laborers in His harvest field.