The General Superintendent of Assemblies of God, Ghana, Rev. Stephen Yenusom Wengam, has described Ghana’s selection to host the World Assemblies of God Congress as a milestone that reflects Africa’s growing influence within the denomination.

He said the decision to hold the gathering on African soil for the first time followed sustained advocacy by church leaders on the continent.

Rev. Wengam said Ghana’s hosting of the congress, scheduled for October 14 to 16, represented a significant achievement for both the country and Africa.

“For all these years, it’s never come to Africa,” he said.

Rev. Wengam explained that the then chairman of the Africa Alliance of Assemblies of God, who also served as the church’s General Superintendent in Tanzania, played a key role in securing support for Ghana’s bid.

“He put in a spirited argument that it’s high time the congress came to Ghana. Not just Africa but Ghana,” he said.

According to him, when the chairman was asked to recommend a host country, he selected Ghana ahead of his home country, Tanzania.

Rev. Wengam attributed the choice partly to the church’s longstanding presence in Ghana and the strength of its local membership.

The denomination began its work in Ghana in 1931, with its first congregation established in Yendi in the Northern Region. Its presence has since grown to include congregations, educational institutions and healthcare facilities across the country.

He said Africa’s contribution to the global church further strengthened the case for bringing the congress to the continent. According to him, about 20 million of the denomination’s approximately 89.9 million members worldwide are in Africa.

“If you take the membership of Assemblies of God and you break it down across continents, is Africa significant? Yes, currently, we have 20 million members in Africa,” he said on Citi FM.

Rev. Wengam said the congress would provide an opportunity for church leaders from different countries to strengthen relationships and renew their commitment to a shared mission.

That mission, he explained, centres on evangelism, church planting and the work of the Holy Spirit, with the gathering intended to help national churches remain focused on these priorities.

The congress, which has previously been held in the United States, Europe and South Asia, is also expected to mark 115 years of the global Assemblies of God movement.