Music is a key part of worship for many religious groups around the world.
This could not be more true at the Redeemed Christian Congregation of God in Abu Dhabi. The church, which regularly meets on Sundays, at St Andrews Church in Al Mushrif, has the electrifying Garden of Peace Choir as a core part of its service.
“Music is a gift. Singing is a gift,” says choir music director Ologbenla Benjamin. “It’s something we do for God as part of our worship, true worship from our pure hearts.”
The Redeemed Christian Congregation of God first started in Dubai in 2001 at the Holy Trinity Anglican church, then opened a chapter in Sharjah and eventually in Abu Dhabi in 2008.
Pastor Efema Akioya told The National that while the church headquarters is in Nigeria, the Redeemed Christian Congregation of God is present in more than 200 countries around the world. Currently, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the church welcomes 100 people for Sunday worship.
“The Bible says, he that offers praises glorifies me,” says Pastor Efema Akioya, who joined the church in 2005. “So if you offer praises to God you are giving him glory. Music is part of our worship and giving glory to God.”
The choir performs contemporary pieces of church music, which can last up to 10 minutes. The choice of song is based on the specific theme of the month chosen by Akioya.
“We sing endurance songs,” Benjamin says. “We have different ethnic groups, different cultures at the church, so we do our music in a contemporary way. They are usually very popular songs that we test out before we perform.”
Benjamin, who works as a water sports instructor outside his duties at the church, emphasises how important it is for the whole congregation to be involved in performance.
“They [the congregation] are involved 100 per cent,” he says. “You have to get involved, everybody has to stand up, and we sing together and worship together.”
Benjamin, who has been involved in church music and performances since childhood and plays the piano and guitar, believes in the importance of being present during performances.
“Church music and singing is about worshiping and praising God,” he says. “The spirit is connected. In a church setting your spirit has to be connected, you have to be devoted, you have to wholly present.”
He also sees his role and the role of music in the church as one that inspires and educates.
“As a music director I think it’s important to lift people up through music,” he says. “We have to lift people up with what we know, give them a little knowledge, teach them.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Fire and Fury
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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