Asante youth group attempts to close down Lighthouse Chapel in Bantama

Some youth in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, known as Asante Force, on Saturday night pasted bills with the inscription “closed” on the doors of the Bantama branch of the Lighthouse Chapel International.

According to Class News’ regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwah, the management of the church, however, called the police, who provided them with security throughout the weekend enabling normal church service to take place on Sunday, 27 June 2021.

Last week, some members of the Kumasi Youth Association (KuYA) threatened to close down all 76 branches of the Lighthouse Chapel International if its founder, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, did not apologize for a sermon against the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

Bishop Heward-Mills apologized to the Asante monarch and explained that the message was preached nearly 20 years ago but had been taken out of context and maliciously circulated.

“I am deeply saddened that a message I shared at a conference, nearly 20 years ago, has been taken out of its context and circulated by persons who have previously declared that they will maliciously cause our churches in Kumasi to be closed down”.

He acknowledged the contributions of the Asantehene to national development but the Asante youth rejected the apology and asked the Bishop to seek "wise counsel" and render a genuine apology.