The name Barnabas was suggested by Paul N. George. The architectural design of the new Church building was received by the community, and the building committee headed by Sir Geoffrey A. George (JP) exhibited great dedication in actualizing the structure.
When in 2012 it became apparent that God had spoken to one of His servants to provide all the marble works needed, the only major project outstanding was the pews. There were divergent views: some thought the church could settle for plastic chairs in the interim and acquire pews after dedication, while others argued that something worth doing is worth doing well, and the dedication should wait until enough pews were provided or over Three Million Naira generated.
In the midst of these uncertainties, God spoke through His anointed servant, Rev. Obikabo N. Brown (now Ven.), the Vicar at the time. During a Sunday service in 2013, he prophetically declared: “The God that did it for Bolo Deanery, will do it for St. Barnabas, we will not use plastic chairs to dedicate this church but pews.” A few weeks later, a donation of ten pews was miraculously received.
The desire of the Dumo-Ama community to see the completion of this project—which eventually turned into a symbol of unity and peace in the town—transcended religious affiliations. Non-Anglicans played prominent roles. The movement of materials from Ogan-Ama to Dumo-Ama, initially a serious hurdle due to the lack of access roads, was made easy through community unity and immense goodwill from the people of Ogan-Ama.
The church edifice, belfry, and conveniences were thoroughly completed, equipped, and dedicated by the premier Bishop, Rt. Revd. Tubokosemie Robinson Abere (JP) on 12th July, 2014.