Reaching high into the Lagos skyline near the Great Wall of Lagos, separating the Atlantic Ocean and the newly built Eko Atlantic City, is the distinct architectural masterpiece, mainly expressed in three concentric “Hands in Prayer”, overlapping each other to create the centre piece of Emmanuel Chapel Methodist Church Nigeria. The superlative design of the Church, meets quintessential 21st Century worship form to become a testament to human ingenuity and God’s glory. This monument of transcendent nature emphasizes timelessness of design, exquisite handcrafted details and enhancement of light, creating an elegant and welcoming sense of escape from praying hands into the hands of the Lord.
Imposing scenic beauty, a towering architectural masterpiece and awe-inspiring mechanical designs all welcome you to this modern edifice of excellence. The reverent and the curious, the saintly and the secular, the professional and the practitioner, the old and the young, the able and the feeble, the rich and the poor; all are welcome.
Leveraging on the gargantuan developments in technology in the past decades, Emmanuel Chapel is set to be a state-of-the-art worship centre, hosting all-encompassing modern facilities for worship, recreation and community development in a serene and environmentally friendly atmosphere. With four thousand three hundred square metres of pure architectural genius, the church is a grand setting that is not only spiritually inviting, but also aesthetically appealing; a modern tabernacle where worshippers can worship God in spirit, in truth and in love.
What You See
Driving to Church on a warm Sunday morning or arriving to walk majestically down the aisle for that dream wedding to a beloved heartthrob, the scenic majesty of the palatial fence welcomes you into the grandiose splendour of our self-styled 8th wonder of the modern world, the temple where the Lord liveth.
All will walk through a grand yet gradual unassuming steps, into a temple rising to cathedral heights of 7 floors, and descending to two basement floors of parking and multi function capabilities and arms to enhance not just worship in spirit but also works of faith that brings glory to the name of God, you experience the warm welcome and beaming smiles of dedicated fellows. Everything is well thought out. From here, the overwhelmed worshipper is presented with a gift of three options from which to enter the altar of the Lord: the lift, the staircase, or the ramps.
With the inspiring stained glass capturing the images and lives of saints, reflecting upon a choir singing melodious hymns to the praise of God and accompanied by an organ reverberating the tunes of worship, all overlooking a centrally located altar, the Church nave invites all.
The nave is exquisitely fitted with a 56-stops, dual chamber, culture specific, pipe organ, approximately 9 meters high, 4.25 meters wide and 4.5 meters deep per chamber, delicately designed to take account of modernity while maintaining the traditional solemnity of church worship. Its enormous range of sounds, coupled with a huge variety of tone colours, creates a remarkable musical experience equivalent to that of an orchestra. Designed to give the most pleasurable spiritual effect with soul-inspiring music, the nave is furnished with PA systems from leading acousticians, specially designed to reduce vibrations while maintaining sound quality
Opening onto the north side and stretching from the first floor to the gallery, the nave is set to conveniently sits worshippers, with the gallery providing seats for more worshippers.. The Church is also equipped with a chapel for private prayer and meditation and a service and a choir vestry, all pieced together to provide a seamless flow of soul-lifting worship.
‘Let the little Children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’ The beautiful message of Christ in Matthew 19:14 resonates in the heart, is engraved in the soul, and is inscribed in the spirit of the church. With a toddlers, children’s, and teenagers school and rooms dedicated for nannies and babies, irrespective of the stage of a child’s development, there is a home for all children in the body of Christ.
The Church boasts of a dedicated Sunday school class for the spiritual tutelage of the young, with devoted teachers imparting the bedrock of knowledge of the word of God while instilling spiritual and moral discipline. These amenities are all provided in an environment, warm and conducive to the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the young, for indeed, the kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.
The Youth Hub is a place purposefully designed to create such a conducive and engaging environment that the youth will literally want to dwell in the house of the Lord forever more. Located in the adjoining building beside the garden, the Youth Centre is a beacon of warmth where every young person is welcome to experience spiritual upliftment while growing in wisdom and in stature.
With easy access to the ever-inviting garden, our post-teens and young adults can enjoy outdoor picnics and games or play several of the indoor games provided within the Centre. Internet facilities are also available to provide easy access to online Christian communities and fora and there is a wealth of youth-specific books and devotionals to stimulate spiritual growth. In this place, young people are encouraged to discover who they truly are and find ways to serve the Lord in the days of their youth.
Walking down the vatican steps into lush green foliage, one is automatically transported into a modern-day twist on the Garden of Eden. The gentle gurgle of the fountain and the fresh cool breeze from the sublime oceanfront at the edge of the garden rivals Tigris or Euphrates. Paving slabs lead to strategically located garden chairs where one can freely relax, look into the clear blue sky, take in the sights of the stunning Atlantic Ocean and truly see, as God did at the end of creation that “it is good”. The white gazebo located in the middle of all this magnificence is just the perfect ambience to take pictures with family and that special person after being united in Holy Matrimony before God and man.
Emmanuel Chapel houses a topnotch medical facility furnished with state-of-the-art medical equipment to ensure a safe worship experience and cater for medical emergencies if they arise. With a medical team instilled with Samaritan grace, the chapel is set to provide medical assistance to all who approach, providing an opportunity to show through service, the Agape Love in the church. With the help of the gifted congregant doctors in the medical centre, we care; God heals. Those with infirmities are therefore free to come, filled with faith, to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.
The administrative nerve centre of the church is located on the second floor of the adjoining building on the North West axis of the church. The reception area, furnished with exquisitely designed Mahogany furniture, leads into to the general office area, which then branches out into several fully equipped air-conditioned meeting rooms, offices and lounges. This area is designed to retain the warmth that the Church exudes while presenting a professional front against the backdrop of stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.
On the North West axis of the church is the modern sound proof Multipurpose Hall. Conveniently seating people and adorned with a breathtaking golden chandelier, the Multipurpose Hall is the perfect venue for cocktails, appreciation programmes and for those special events for which personal contact with guests is important. With a private parking bay, caterers can conveniently offload wet and dry food into modern kitchen and storage facilities, fully equipped to ensure that everything served is hot and/or fresh and the event is a memorable one.
The 4,300 square-metre expanse of Emmanuel Chapel includes an indoor restaurant, serving delightfully delicious African and continental dishes, while treating diners to a serene waterfront view of the ocean. There are also two modern fully furnished studio apartments to cater to the needs of the parsons. Several lavatories are dotted across various areas within the church and the adjoining buildings to ensure a comfortable experience for as many guests as possible
As an icon of environmental friendliness and a beacon of sustainable development, Emmanuel Chapel boasts of materials that has energy transition and climate change as base for contributing to the creation of a healthy environment
Acknowledging that the House of the Lord ought to be accessible to everyone, every time, disabled lifts and ramps are provided for physically challenged worshippers proceeding in faith into the temple of the Lord for healing.
Unrepentantly committed to the physical comfort of all in its delightful precincts, the Chapel houses a Tuck Shop stocked with mouthwatering goodies for all members of God’s family to ‘tuck in’.
Emmanuel Chapel
With its gleaming golden bell ringing, encased in the tower depicting the ultimate symbol of human redemption, Emmanuel Chapel is more than a serene and beautiful place to meet with the Lord, it stands as an immovable symbol in the community that God does dwell amongst us, in a magnificent chapel of worship and most importantly, in our hearts.
