A bond of friendship and unity spiritually strengthened with the love of God, could be seen between a Pastor and the Church as members of Assemblies of God Church (House of Grace) at Bassano in Vicenza, Italy, hosted their Pastor – Rev. Daniel Adu Boahene - at a dinner to celebrate with him his 50th birthday. The interactions, some jokes and fun shared at the tables were enough to show the profound and Godly relation that exists in the Church. For Rev. Adu Boahene, who is also the Vice Field Director of the A.G Church (African Community) in Italy, the occasion ‘@50’ will remain a memorable day for the right reasons and he gratefully welcomed the goowill messages and gifts from the Church members and all who had travelled from other cities to celebrate with him.

The event, hosted at the Church’s Temple - immersed in a beautiful evergreen serene location outside the centre of Bassano - was attended by the National Field Director of the Church, Rev. Joe Amanfu accompanied by his wife, Pastor Harriette Stephens. Also present were two lecturers of the Church’s Bible College, Rev. Patrick Boakye (who Pastors a branch of A.G Church in Pordenone) and Rev. Solomon King, who is in the country from Ghana for this year’s course at the College now in session. Seated together with these men of God were: Rev. Adu Antoh and his wife, Pastor Obiri Yeboah and Pastor Francis Mensah who came from other churches.

Rev. Adu Boahene said: “It is a great joy having all these Ministers of God and the church members to celebrate with me and my family. I see myself blessed in uncountable ways. Loving God pays, dedication and committment always has its reward and that is what God has blessed me with.”

In a number of testimonies in praise of the celebrant, her sister, Mrs. Emelia Owusu, who resides in Germany and together lived with him from childhood in the family recounted some of the experiences when they were growing up together - punctuating her stories with some homourous anecdotes. She, however, described her senior brother as an astute person with exceptional qualities and is happy with what God is doing in his life. She thanked his wife for showing understanding throughout the time they have been together and wished him long life to carry on with the work of God.

Paying thanks on behalf of the Church, Deacon Ernest Kofi Agyeman, told the gathering the Church is grateful to God for the life of their Pastor. “We thank the Almighty God for the life our father, Rev. Adu Boahene, for accepting the call of God and the challenges to come to pastor the Bassano Church and to build us up. He was asked to leave his very Church and the city he cherished so much (Verona). It was a very difficult task for him but in all he listened to the voice of the living God and His command.”

Deacon Agyeman described how in 2004, Rev. Adu Boahene took the job of pastoring the Bassano Church with challenges making a 70km journey each time from Verona till he finally came to live in Bassano and was seeing his family only on Sundays.

“It was not easy for him but he stood on his faith that God will make a way. Being a man of faith, he worked very hard from the bottom of his heart to cultivate the land that God has called him to. He is a man of vision, his teachings, his testimonies and love; physically and spiritually, has brought us to this very far. We ask for God’s blessings upon his life and his family,” Deacon Agyeman added in his testimony. Speaking about the Church, Rev. Boahene said the deacons and all the other church leaders are so cooperative and working together as it should be in a church. “I started as a Sunday School Teacher, then as a deacon and at that moment was appointed to serve as the National Coordinator with the main responsibility of seeking the general growth of the Churches. I received my calling into the Ministry in 1998 and have since served as General Secretary and now Assistant Field Director.”

At 50, working in the coming years for the Kingdom of God, he pointed out, he can’t predict the future but knows God is in charge of his life and his Ministry. “My greatest thanks goes to my father, Nana Kojo Essuman and my ‘sweet mum’, Veronica Janet Konadu – both, now residing at Accra. I can’t forget my four sisters, Sally (in the US), Dora and Afua Emelia (all residing in Germany), Abene Kodom-Nyamekye, and my only brother, John Kojo Essuman who is a great part of my joy” he mentioned. He also paid some special gratitude to his wife saying: “Whatever success, greatness in life or achievement in Ministry is a credit to the woman who with whom I have shared the last one-half of my life. Pastor (Mrs.) Jean Adu Boahene is my everything apart from God. I give great thanks to God for providing her to be my wife.” - Reggie Tagoe in Bassano (Vicenza), Italy.