More than 10,000 delegates and members of the Assemblies of God Church have converged at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) for the opening of the 10th Triennial World Assemblies of God Congress in Accra.
The Congress, which is being held in Africa for the first time in the 115-year history of the Fellowship, has brought together over 1,000 official delegates from more than 100 countries, with thousands of Ghanaian pastors, leaders and members in attendance for Day One.
The three-day global gathering was officially opened this morning by the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, who is himself a member of Assemblies of God, Ghana, together with First Lady Lordina Mahama.
The opening ceremony was marked by fervent prayer, vibrant worship, and celebration of the global unity of the Church, with national flags, cultural displays and ministration from international worship teams.
In his welcome address, the Global Chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF), Rev. Dominic Yeo, said the large turnout in Accra is a testimony to Africa’s central role in global Christianity.
He noted that missions have shifted fundamentally from the global north to the global south.
“For many years, missions largely moved from the global north to the global south. Today, we are seeing and setting that shift. The global south no longer simply receives missionaries. In fact, it is raising and sending missionaries. And Africa has a significant part to play in this global shift,” Rev. Yeo declared.
The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana and host of the Congress, Rev. Dr. Stephen Yenusom Wengam, thanked the global Fellowship for choosing Ghana and said the historic gathering coincides with a significant season for Ghana, as President Mahama is the first Assemblies of God member to become President of Ghana.
Rev. Wengam also disclosed that the initial plan to host the Congress at the Black Star Square had to be changed due to technical challenges with the arrival of the 10,000-seater dome ordered from Dubai, which has now arrived at the port.
President Mahama, in his keynote address, urged delegates to translate faith into practical community impact.
“The lasting story of this conference, this congress, will be written in the lives that we touch after the closing prayer,” he said.
He added: “Faith becomes tangible when a hungry child receives a meal, a patient is treated with compassion, a young person acquires a skill, a widow finds companionship and a struggling family receives support.”
The President also described Ghana’s religious diversity as “our most precious possession” and reaffirmed his commitment to serve all Ghanaians fairly, regardless of faith.
The Congress, under the theme “COMMISSIONED: One Mandate, Every Nation,” will focus on church health, next generation empowerment, global revival, and the MM33 Agenda to plant one million additional churches by 2033.
While morning sessions at the AICC are dedicated to pastors and church leaders, evening gospel revival rallies at the Accra Sports Stadium from 5 p.m. are open to the public, featuring Joe Mettle, Sinach, Dunsin Oyekan, Rev. Angela Donadio and the 500-member Congress Mass Choir.
The Congress, which runs from October 14 to 16, 2026, is expected to draw participation from former Malawian President Rev. Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and 18 Ministers of State.
Organisers say the event will have significant economic benefits for Ghana through tourism, hospitality and small businesses.
By Robert Dela Mawuenyegah
