The Benguela Central Seventh-day Adventist Church has dedicated a new church building, replacing the sanctuary that had housed the congregation since 1955.

The dedication took place on Sabbath, 8 August 2026, closing an eleven-year chapter that began in 2015, when the congregation formally recognised that the original building could no longer accommodate its membership. The church now numbers more than 1,081 members.

The ceremony was led by Angola Coast Mission President Pastor Afonso Figura Cardoso. Among those attending was Pascoal Luís Bento, Provincial Director of Culture, Hospitality and Tourism, representing Benguela Province Governor Manuel Nunes Júnior.

The afternoon programme took worshippers through the biblical account of the sanctuary, the moment when God instructed Moses to build a dwelling place so that He might live among His people. The framing gave the dedication a commemorative character alongside the celebration, presenting the new building not simply as a structure but as a place set apart for worship, fellowship, and the proclamation of the gospel.

The Benguela Central congregation described the afternoon as maintaining "a solemn atmosphere of celebration," with moments of praise, reflection, and thanksgiving shared among members, guests, and church leaders.

The new building stands as a marker of the Benguela Central Church's growth over seven decades, from a congregation that dedicated its first sanctuary in 1955 to one that now exceeds a thousand members and serves as a centre for worship and mission in Benguela.