Action Chapel International
Action Chapel International (ACI) is a Charismatic Christian church based in Accra, Ghana. The church was founded by Nicholas Duncan-Williams in 1979, and since 1992 has met in the "Prayer Cathedral" near Accra airport. It is the headquarters of Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM).
| Action Chapel International | |
|---|---|
  Action Chapel International | |
| 5.625520°N 0.164715°W | |
| Location | Spintex Road, Accra |
| Country | Ghana |
| Denomination | Pentecostal |
| Website | actionchapel |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder(s) | Nicholas Duncan-Williams |
Building
Since 1992 Action Chapel International has met in the imposing "Prayer Cathedral" near Accra airport, although the building was not opened officially until 2002 and as of 2003 was still under construction.[1] The 8,000-seat Prayer Cathedral of Action Chapel International on Spintex Road is the largest church building in Accra.[2]
History
Nicholas Duncan-Williams, a disciple of Benson Idahosa, founded the Christian Action Faith Ministries (CAFM) and the Action Chapel International (ACI) church in 1979.[3] The CAFM was the first Charismatic church in Ghana. It was followed by the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) in 1984.[4] The Christian Action Faith Ministries has its headquarters at Action Chapel International, which is one of Accra's largest mega-churches.[5]
In 1995 there were about 8,000 members of the church.[6] The church held just one service on Sunday morning in English, with translation into Ewe and French. The exuberant "praise and worship" part of the service was musical. Choirs and soloists performed, but in most songs the whole congregation participated, with a 10-piece band as backup. A single hymn might last for twenty minutes, with much repetition, creating an exhilarating experience. The music would be followed by the sermon.[6]
By 1998 Duncan-Williams was mainly resident in the US.[3] Bishop James Saah and pastor Clive Mold were running the church in Ghana. Duncan-Williams divorced his wife Francisca in March 2001, but later remarried her.[1] Francisca Duncan-William was active in the church, organizing all the women's activities, and was founder of the Pastors; Wives and Women in Ministry Association.[5] The couple's personal problems may have affected church attendance.[7] About 3,000 people were attending the Sunday services in 2003, many of them middle-class professionals and business people. At this time the church held two services on Sunday, as well as other sessions throughout the week.[1] This was down from about 6,000 attendees five years earlier.[3]
As of 2015 Duncan Williams was still head of Action Chapel International, and was also chairman of the National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches (NACCC).[8] ACI sponsors the Dominion University College in Accra.[9]
References
- Soothill 2007, p. 2.
- Ntiamoah Duah 2012, p. 100.
- Gifford 2004, p. 24.
- Sackey 2006, p. 34.
- Lindhardt 2014, p. 205.
- Gifford 1998, p. 77.
- Soothill 2007, p. 120.
- Welcome to National Association...
- Essamuah & Ngaruiya 2014, p. 20.
Sources
- Essamuah, Casely B.; Ngaruiya, David K. (2014-01-13). Communities of Faith in Africa and the African Diaspora: In Honor of Dr. Tite Tienou with Additional Essays on World Christianity. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-63087-307-3. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- Gifford, Paul (1998). African Christianity: Its Public Role. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21204-7. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- Gifford, Paul (2004). Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalizing African Economy. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21723-3. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- Lindhardt, Martin (2014-10-29). Pentecostalism in Africa: Presence and Impact of Pneumatic Christianity in Postcolonial Societies. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-28187-5. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- Ntiamoah Duah, Eric MacLean (2012-12-01). Accra City Guide: The Indispensable Companion. AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1-4772-5890-3. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- Sackey, Brigid M. (2006). New Directions in Gender and Religion: The Changing Status of Women in African Independent Churches. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-1058-4. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- Soothill, Jane E. (2007). Gender, Social Change and Spiritual Power: Charismatic Christianity in Ghana. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-15789-7. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- "Welcome to National Association of Chrismatic & Christian Churches (NACCC)". NACCC. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-10.