A CHURCH building came to life as a 150-strong congregation united to sing praise and worship to God.

During a thanksgiving service, members old and young lifted their voices and expressed themselves through music.

The gathering of Les Rachetes de L’Eternel Congolese Church and Liberation Church, whose members are mainly comprised of refugees who have come to this country to flee persecution for their faith, were celebrating their joint fellowship and God’s blessings.

People of various nations, languages, tribes and tongues came together to worship, during a high-energy service, characterised by laughter, colour, vitality and infectious musical rhythms.

The two congregations, who both meet at Claremont Church in St George’s Road, were marking the 13th anniversary of the Congolese church, which was founded in July 2006.

Pastor Gaston Kilala Kharmon said: “So many churches form and then just a matter of years later they break apart.

“We are celebrating 13 years as a fellowship of churches, and praising God that we are strong. We have so much to be thankful for; we are bringing people together, seeing the church grow, helping others, and seeing the impact of God at work in people's lives. It was an incredibly joyful occasion."

He added: "We are a multicultural and multi-ethnic church, representing many countries, including Bantu, Congo, Rwanda, Nigeria, Angola and more, who all come together to worship."

While the choir led the people in song, other members provided the beats on tambourines, and others danced as they praised.

Each Sunday morning, the Congolese church gathers to pray, worship God and hear words spoken from the Bible; they are encouraged, uplifted, and find strength.

The sermons are mostly delivered in English, but often interpreted into three other languages — Swahili, Lingala and French — to make the service accessible.

For the anniversary service, visitors participated in two hours of worship, followed by an address in three languages with simultaneous translation.

They then enjoyed a large buffet of traditional food.

Members of Al Jazeera TV crew were also present, as they are making a documentary about the Liberation Church congregation.