The United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group of Churches (UD-OLGC, formerly Lighthouse Chapel International) was founded in Accra, Ghana by Bishop Dag Heward-Mills in 1988. Heward-Mills started his first fellowship in 1985 and grew his community from there. In the 30+ years since UD-OLGC was founded, the church has grown tremendously, deeply impacting the lives of millions of people around the globe. They currently have a presence in 6,070 churches in 94 countries, making it one of the biggest denominations in the world.
UD-OLGC encompasses much more than just their headquarters in Accra and their church buildings and cathedrals around the world. The Pentecostal Christian Denomination also boasts the beautiful and modern Anagkazo Bible & Ministry Training Center in the mountains of Akuapim-Mampong, Ghana; the First Love Church, a youth church headquartered in East Legon, Accra, Ghana; a humanitarian charity, Help the Helpless; an orphanage, The Lighthouse Christian Home; and a primary school, The Lighthouse Christian Mission School.
In addition to the daily healing and education that UD-OLGC provides to its congregation, the church is proud to have built a school for the blind, a hospital, and an orphanage, as well as renovating prisons. Current projects in the works include building a hope center for those who require prosthetic limbs, feeding prisoners, feeding beggars, and building churches across the world.
Who is Bishop Dag Heward-Mills?
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills was born in London in 1963, to a Swiss mother and a Ghanaian father. The family later relocated to Ghana, where Heward-Mills grew his faith and gave his life to Christ at the age of 16. He later attended the University of Ghana Medical School, graduating in 1989 as a qualified medical doctor.
But it was during his time in medical school that Dag Heward-Mills determined that medicine would not be his life’s work. During his final year, as he prayed at the hospital, a voice called out to him: “From today, you can teach.” He heeded the call; this was the same year that he founded Lighthouse Chapel International.
Heward-Mills became a Pastor at 25 and was formally ordained by Pastor Michael Bassett of the Victory Church in London in 1990. He was later consecrated as a Bishop by the International Ministerial Council of Great Britain in 1996.
In his 34 years of service to God, Dag Heward-Mills has accomplished amazing things. He has built churches, trained pastors, helped the needy and invalid, authored more than 80 books, produced music, spoken at conferences, pastored young people, and held massive evangelistic campaigns in many nations. Many presidents, chiefs, and leaders of nations have welcomed and hosted him.
In addition to all of Heward-Mills’ professional success, he has been married to his wife, Lady Rev. Adelaide Heward-Mills, for over 30 years. The two have four children and two grandchildren together. Adelaide manages The Lighthouse Christian Home and The Lighthouse Christian Mission School.
Planting and building churches has been at the heart of Heward-Mills’ ministry since he began his work; he has sent 485 missionaries to plant churches on every habitable continent of the world.
What is The Fourth Estate and why did they Apologize to Lighthouse Chapel International?
The Fourth Estate is a non-profit investigative journalism project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). West Africa is especially unsupportive of media freedom, with more than half of the population supporting media censorship by their government. The Fourth Estate “promotes independent and critical research-based journalism that holds those in power answerable to the people they govern.”
Although The Fourth Estate has lofty goals to fight corruption, highlight critical issues, and restore trust in journalism, they do on occasion miss the mark. In April of 2021, The Fourth Estate published a series of articles that could very well influence active, ongoing litigation involving Lighthouse Chapel International. The articles were one-sided and provided details of court documents that were not otherwise released to the public.
Bishop Dag Heward-Mills and Lighthouse Chapel International took action, suing the Editor-in-Chief of The Fourth Estate, the reporter who wrote the story, the Executive Director of the MFWA, and the MFWA, for defamation.
Later, a suit was brought for being in contempt of court, as the series of articles was intended to start a media war against the church, and potentially undermine the court system. In fact, many of the allegations against the church that were published by The Fourth Estate do not appear in any official court documents.
Without having offered any opportunity for Lighthouse Chapel International to provide their side of the story, or be interviewed about the litigation in any capacity, The Fourth Estate was found to be in contempt of court. In October 2022, the media outlet made a public apology to the church and the court:
“The Fourth Estate, pursuant to the order of the Court, apologises to the Honourable Court for its publications found to be in contempt of court.
The High Court Commercial Division 7, presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Jane Harriet Akweley Quaye, this morning upheld an application by the Lighthouse Chapel International for contempt of court against the Media Foundation for West Africa and three of its officers, two of whom were responsible for authoring the “Darkness in a Lighthouse” series in 2021 while suits by six of its former pastors were pending in the court.
Signed.
Editor-in-Chief, The Fourth Estate”
Although a formal, published apology is more symbolic than consequential, it is a welcome victory for UD-OLGC, whose reputation could have been damaged by The Fourth Estate’s lack of just and equitable treatment.
After more than 30 years of healing, educating, guiding, and transforming lives, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills and Lighthouse Chapel International have earned the love and admiration of millions of churchgoers worldwide. They have helped to shape and mold communities while sharing the message of God’s love, acceptance, and hope.
With such an impressive and vital legacy, it is surprising that an outlet such as The Fourth Estate would neglect to give the church an opportunity to represent itself on such a controversial matter.
Although litigation is still ongoing, UD-OLGC and Bishop Dag Heward-Mills continue to diligently pursue all of their good works, including international evangelistic outreach, teaching and training pastors and church workers, and their numerous humanitarian efforts. With their focus firmly on influencing, encouraging, and revitalizing people all over the globe, any attempt at tarnishing their reputation just serves as a distraction from their unwavering service to God.
