24 Sep 2025, 10:38Elizabeth Iheoma
A July to Remember
Celebrating Faith and Achievement at the University of Birmingham
The month of July is always a busy and joyful time for Pastor Obinnaya Iheoma, part-time university chaplain at the University of Birmingham (UoB). Each year, he takes part in celebrating the academic achievements of Seventh-day Adventist students by attending their graduation ceremonies and sharing in their joy. However, this year, the celebrations reached new spiritual heights.
As part of UoB’s 125th anniversary, the university hosted a variety of commemorative events - including the symbolic baking of 125 loaves of bread. Pastor Iheoma, alongside students and staff, actively participated in this meaningful initiative. The freshly baked loaves were donated to a local soup kitchen, reflecting the university’s commitment to community service and compassion.
(You can read more about this event here.)
Yet, the most profound moment of the academic year for Pastor Iheoma was witnessing two students take a bold step in their spiritual journey through baptism, which took place on Saturday, 12 July.
One of those students, Joelle Ramsay-Johnson, marked the end of her three-year degree with a public declaration of faith. Raised in a Christian home in Jamaica and later moving to Canada, Joelle was deeply influenced by her Seventh-day Adventist grandparents. Upon arriving at UoB, she found a spiritual home in the Adventist Students on Campus (ASC) society and at Halesowen Central Adventist Church, where she began Bible studies and grew in her walk with Christ.
In a remarkable turn of events, Pastor Iheoma discovered that the chaplaincy room used for ASC meetings also housed a baptistry. When Joelle expressed her desire to be baptised, it was decided that the university would host the ceremony. However, due to ongoing safety checks on the baptistry, and with the support of Pastor Majaducon, Personal Ministries Director for the North England Conference (NEC), a portable baptistry was secured to ensure the baptism could still go ahead.
Joining Joelle in this sacred moment was Benjamin Ebanks, a graduate of the University of Wolverhampton and a member of the West Bromwich Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although raised in a Christian home, Benjamin drifted away from church during his teenage years. While at university, he began reading the Bible again and was struck by the words of Exodus 20:8:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
This scripture led him to seek out a Sabbath-keeping church, where he found a warm welcome and began Bible studies - first with Pastor Steve Palmer, and later with Pastor Iheoma.
The baptismal service was a day of celebration, attended by family, friends, and fellow students. Musical contributions from Joelle Ramsay-Johnson and Donielle Johnson, Adrian De Lima and Lena Chitiyo, and Okanteh Ayeh, as well as praise and worship led by Ikechi and Dorthee Iheoma, added a vibrant and worshipful atmosphere to the occasion.
Former ASC presidents Okanteh Ayeh, Jemima Nambo, and Adrian De Lima were also present to witness this special moment. The NEC Teens Director, Horace Radcliffe, offered words of encouragement and officially welcomed the newly baptised members on behalf of the NEC.
Reflecting on the day, Pastor Iheoma shared:
It is always a beautiful thing when young people give their lives to the Lord. It was great that the university allowed us to conduct the baptism at the chaplaincy, and this highlights the importance of the presence of Adventist Students on Campus (ASC) at universities. We hope this will be the first of many more baptisms at the university.
Indeed, July 2025 will be remembered not only for its academic milestones but also for its powerful testimonies of faith and the joy of new beginnings in Christ.
The month of July is always a busy and joyful time for Pastor Obinnaya Iheoma, part-time university chaplain at the University of Birmingham (UoB). Each year, he takes part in celebrating the academic achievements of Seventh-day Adventist students by attending their graduation ceremonies and sharing in their joy. However, this year, the celebrations reached new spiritual heights.
As part of UoB’s 125th anniversary, the university hosted a variety of commemorative events - including the symbolic baking of 125 loaves of bread. Pastor Iheoma, alongside students and staff, actively participated in this meaningful initiative. The freshly baked loaves were donated to a local soup kitchen, reflecting the university’s commitment to community service and compassion.
(You can read more about this event here.)
Yet, the most profound moment of the academic year for Pastor Iheoma was witnessing two students take a bold step in their spiritual journey through baptism, which took place on Saturday, 12 July.
One of those students, Joelle Ramsay-Johnson, marked the end of her three-year degree with a public declaration of faith. Raised in a Christian home in Jamaica and later moving to Canada, Joelle was deeply influenced by her Seventh-day Adventist grandparents. Upon arriving at UoB, she found a spiritual home in the Adventist Students on Campus (ASC) society and at Halesowen Central Adventist Church, where she began Bible studies and grew in her walk with Christ.
In a remarkable turn of events, Pastor Iheoma discovered that the chaplaincy room used for ASC meetings also housed a baptistry. When Joelle expressed her desire to be baptised, it was decided that the university would host the ceremony. However, due to ongoing safety checks on the baptistry, and with the support of Pastor Majaducon, Personal Ministries Director for the North England Conference (NEC), a portable baptistry was secured to ensure the baptism could still go ahead.
Joining Joelle in this sacred moment was Benjamin Ebanks, a graduate of the University of Wolverhampton and a member of the West Bromwich Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although raised in a Christian home, Benjamin drifted away from church during his teenage years. While at university, he began reading the Bible again and was struck by the words of Exodus 20:8:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
This scripture led him to seek out a Sabbath-keeping church, where he found a warm welcome and began Bible studies - first with Pastor Steve Palmer, and later with Pastor Iheoma.
The baptismal service was a day of celebration, attended by family, friends, and fellow students. Musical contributions from Joelle Ramsay-Johnson and Donielle Johnson, Adrian De Lima and Lena Chitiyo, and Okanteh Ayeh, as well as praise and worship led by Ikechi and Dorthee Iheoma, added a vibrant and worshipful atmosphere to the occasion.
Former ASC presidents Okanteh Ayeh, Jemima Nambo, and Adrian De Lima were also present to witness this special moment. The NEC Teens Director, Horace Radcliffe, offered words of encouragement and officially welcomed the newly baptised members on behalf of the NEC.
Reflecting on the day, Pastor Iheoma shared:
It is always a beautiful thing when young people give their lives to the Lord. It was great that the university allowed us to conduct the baptism at the chaplaincy, and this highlights the importance of the presence of Adventist Students on Campus (ASC) at universities. We hope this will be the first of many more baptisms at the university.
Indeed, July 2025 will be remembered not only for its academic milestones but also for its powerful testimonies of faith and the joy of new beginnings in Christ.
