Dag Heward-Mills

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Dag Heward Mills Healing Evangelist, Pastor, prolific author.

Dag Heward-Mills (born 14 May 1963) is a world renowned Healing Evangelist, Pastor, Christian author and Conference Speaker based in Accra, Ghana. He is the founder and presiding Bishop of the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group Of Churches (UD-OLGC) formerly known as Lighthouse Chapel International and the United Organization of FirstLove Churches in 190 nations (UO-FLC 190). In over three decades of ministry, Dag Heward-Mills’ passion for God’s work has been characterized by building churches, training pastors, helping the needy and invalid, authoring, producing music, speaking at conferences, pastoring young people, and holding massive outdoor evangelistic campaigns in many nations.[1]

The Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Center (ABMTC), one of the largest Bible schools in Africa ,located at Mampong in the Eastern Region of Ghana was founded by Dag Howard-Mills. He serves on the board of directors of Church Growth International[2] and the Pentecostal World Fellowship.[3]

Early life[]

Heward-Mills was born on 14 May 1963 to Mr and Mrs Heward-Mills. He was converted to Christianity during his secondary education at Achimota School. He joined Christian youth campaigns such as the Scripture Union as well as the Calvary Road Singers (which later became Harvest Chapel International[4]) immediately after his conversion.

He proceeded to the University of Ghana Medical School, where he was trained as a medical doctor. He started the Lighthouse Chapel International while still a student in Medical school, having felt a strong call of God to start a church. In his fifth year of medical school, Heward-Mills started the church in a little classroom in the School of Hygiene, Korle-Bu, with no more than 15 members. Amidst persecutions in various forms and with his academic work demanding time and effort, he saw this little church grow until it now filled the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Canteen.

Lighthouse Chapel International(United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group Of Churches UD-OLGC)[]

Dag Heward-Mills founded the Lighthouse Chapel International church in 1987.[5] He often states that God placed upon him the anointing to teach, and that led him to begin holding meetings in a classroom on his University campus at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. As attendance steadily increased, larger and larger halls had to be used. In 1992, the fledgling church acquired an old cinema hall within the Korle-Gonno area and mobilized its members to renovate the structure. The Korle Gonno Cathedral would become the first of several Cathedrals within the city of Accra that Dag Heward-Mills would build.

The congregation grew steadily until finally, in 2006, he commissioned the construction of one of the largest church complexes in Africa; The Qodesh.[6]

Over the years Heward-Mills has inspired many of his members to become missionaries, pastors and workers to help build the denomination into an internationally reputable ministry.

From the humble beginnings of meetings in a small classroom, there has been growth that continues to spread. Currently, the UD-OLGC has a presence in 94 countries and on 5 continents with over 3000 branches. The Qodesh stands, arguably as one of the largest, ultramodern complexes in Africa.

Mission work[]

The Bishop's vision to encourage as many people as possible to work for God is reflected today in the many pastoral training meetings (camps), he holds across the world, it is also explained in the book titled Many Are Called.This vision has led to the appointment of 2869 pastors, ordination of 997 Reverend Ministers and the consecration of 148 Bishops and Episcopal Sisters all over the world.

These camps have seen the birth of many "missionaries", who made several sacrifices including giving up their secular jobs and livelihood and relocating themselves to different countries to start branches of United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group Of Churches (UD-OLGC).

Dag Heward-Mills records the messages preached at these "camps" and freely makes them available in a compilation he calls "the Machaneh"[7] — a compilation of all the camp messages.[8]

Dag Heward-Mills and the United Denominations Originating from the Lighthouse Group Of Churches (UD-OLGC) are heavily involved in the raising, training, sending and supporting missionaries in all corners of the globe.[9]

Dag Heward-Mills is marked by his strong emphasis on church planting and the spread of the Christian gospel through the sacrifice of Christians.[10] and obedience to God by ordinary men.[11]

Books[]

One of the best-selling Christian authors in the world today, Dag Heward-Mills has over 30 million books in print.[citation needed]. with over 80 titles including bestsellers:[citation needed]. His books include:

  • The Loyalty and Disloyalty series of ten titles[12]
  • The Mega Church.
  • The Art of Leadership
  • The Art of Hearing
  • The Model Marriage[13]

The most popular of the books so far has been Loyalty and Disloyalty, which was accredited the Grand Award from the Ghana Christian Book Awards body in 2007. It is now one in the Loyalty series of ten books.[14] His writings have been translated into over 52 languages all over the world and are now available not only as paperback but also as ebooks and audiobooks.

Conference speaker[]

Dag Heward-Mills is acknowledged in the Christian World as a healing evangelist, teacher and a highly respected minister of the Gospel. He has invitations to preach in several churches, ministries and organisations, nationally and internationally.

Heward-Mills has said that he views conferences and conventions as part of the work the Lord has called him to do; freely sharing in a down to earth manner, the messages the Lord has laid on his heart. Many pastors, ministers of the Gospel, leaders, church workers and diverse congregations are thus encouraged and strengthened to continue in what he refers to as "the work of the ministry".

He holds annual international conferences dubbed "Give Thyself Wholly - Work of the Ministry" conferences, in different countries including the United Kingdom, France, South Africa, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana. These were formerly known as the "Iron Sharpeneth Iron Conferences".[15] These conferences bring together thousands of pastors, ministers, church leaders and workers from various denominations, all around the globe, to impart encouragement, strength, renewed visions and the desire to accomplish more for God.[16]

Heward-Mills also speaks at conferences including the Church Growth International in Seoul, Korea where he currently is an honoured board member. He also speaks at the Pentecostal World Fellowship conferences.[17] where he serves on the 7-member executive board and advisory committee.

Anagkazo Bible School[]

Heward-Mills founded a bible school — The Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Center (ABMTC), to train men and women[18] in the practical work of the ministry. The Bible School campus is located in the Akuapem mountains of Ghana, and is one of the largest privately own campuses in the country.

The Anagkazo Bible School is a full-time Bible seminary with thousands of students from all over the world, aimed at raising ministers for the preaching of the gospel through the teachings and practices of Bishop Dag and LCI [19]

Healing Jesus Campaigns[]

In 2004, Dag Heward-Mills began a campaign to win the lost across Africa called The Healing Jesus Campaign. Heward-Mills' evangelistic campaigns have taken him across the whole of West, East and Southern Africa, with massive outdoor campaigns in many cities, towns, and villages. Over 200 cities in Africa have been visited by Evangelist Dag and over 13 million souls won for Jesus.

With its convoy of trucks, 4x4s and buses, the campaigns have traveled thousands of miles, crossing various borders with the sole purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to other nations and cultures.[20] His campaigns have been likened to those by Evangelist Rienhard Bonnke, whom the Medical Doctor turned Evangelist, has publicly referred to as a father in ministry.

Healing Jesus Campaign - Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. 2013

Healing Jesus Campaign - Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. 2013

In 2018, Heward-Mills announced a vision of winning 100 Million souls through the campaigns. The campaigns are attempting to reach the farthest parts of the world. Heward-Mills’ personal passion for soul-winning has led to these massive evangelistic efforts across the African continent, sometimes gathering over half a million souls in a single night. These evangelistic campaigns have recorded over 13 million decisions for Christ.

The campaigns held by Heward-Mills have been marked with several reports and testimonies of signs and wonders including the healing of the blind, deaf and lame. He has witnessed testimonies of the resurrection of the dead twice in his ministry. Once at a campaign in Barranquilla, Columbia, a mother reported her young boy, declared dead at the hospital. She carried him to the program, only for the boy to come back to life after the Evangelist prayed for the sick, during the service.[21] Heward-Mills also holds conferences for pastors at these campaigns.[22]

Healing Jesus Campaign - Maputo, Mozambique. 2017

Healing Jesus Campaign - Maputo, Mozambique. 2017

The Healing Jesus Campaign also caters to the physical well-being of the towns and cities it visits through the provision of medical care and basic needs for day-to-day living, such as clothing, buckets, etc.[23]

Freetown Campaign-Healing Jesus Campaign

Freetown Campaign-Healing Jesus Campaign

In June 2014, the Healing Jesus Campaign held a campaign in the city of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, thus recording the 100th city to be visited since the commencement of the campaigns in 2004. The purpose of the crusade, he states, is to take the gospel to all peoples of the world.

Television and radio[]

Although Heward-Mills is primarily known for his Healing Jesus Campaigns in Africa and other third-world countries, the ministry is also active on the internet, videos, worldwide television and radio.[24] His programs are seen and heard domestically and internationally on the radio and television in several countries, notable amongst them is Healing Jesus TV. His ministry produces several Christian resource material.[25]

Humanitarian efforts[]

Heward-Mills' ministries also cater to the poor, the sick, orphans, widows and prisoners.

Together with his team of professionally trained and qualified doctors, nurses and pharmacists, he diagnoses and treats patients free of charge.

His ministry has also established many schools in underprivileged communities and run a successful "Help the Helpless Charity" that reaches thousands of people living in poverty.

Dag Heward-Mills’ work on mission fields through evangelistic campaigns in deprived cities, towns and villages across Africa have led him to pick up his stethoscope again to provide medical care to the needy.[26] He is often accompanied by professionally trained medical teams of doctors, nurses and pharmacists who hold medical clinics as part of the medical outreach to the remote and poor communities.[27]

In 2008, the Lighthouse Medical Mission Hospital and Fertility Centre now known as St. Kathryn's Hospital[28] was founded. Several patients have been treated by Dr. Dag Heward Mills himself.

The First Love Church[]

In 2011, Dag Heward-Mills began to pastor the First Love Church now known as United Organization of FirstLove Churches in 190 nations (UO-FLC 190[29] This happened Dag Heward-Mills says, when he received a clear instruction from God to go back to his “first love”. Dag immediately took a radical decision to hand over the large denomination he had founded and to move to a university campus to pastor young people.

Today, the First Love Church, which started in the Hall Chapel of Legon Hall in the University of Ghana (Legon), has its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The church has multiple branches in 36 countries across Africa, Europe, Australia and the Americas. The First Love Church currently has over 400 pastors, 86 Reverend Ministers and 40 Bishops and Elect Mothers.

Apart from his travels to preach, Bishop Dag currently preaches to a growing congregation of over 10000 young people at the First Love Church in Ghana.

Family life[]

Heward-Mills met his wife Adelaide[30] who was, at the time of his education in the University of Ghana, a law student. After a few years of courtship, they married in 1989 and have been married for more than 30 years with four children.

Adelaide Heward-Mills supports Dag in his vision to win souls, plant churches and raise leaders. She speaks in women's and young peoples’ conferences all over the world.

Adelaide Heward-Mills[31] has been involved in Christian ministry all of her adult life and has served alongside her husband throughout their entire marriage. As an insightful speaker, she draws heavily from her education and background in law.

In addition to raising two sons and two daughters, Episcopal Sister Adelaide Heward-Mills is a well sought after minister of the Gospel..[32] She speaks in several countries on women's roles in supporting their husbands, and she is in demand by women's organisations across the globe as a celebrated speaker on issues concerning marriage and family. With echoes of her husband's preaching style, Mrs. Heward-Mills boldly challenges women to serve as blessings to their husbands and families.

See also[]

  • Lighthouse Chapel International

References[]

  1. ^ "Dag Heward-Mills is an African Evangelist and a mega church pastor". Dag Heward-Mills. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  2. ^ "CGI" (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  3. ^ "24th Pentecostal World Conference". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
  4. ^ "About Us - H.I.M." www.harvestinternationalministries.org. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  5. ^ Paul Gifford, "Ghana's New Christianity: Pentecostalism in a Globalizing African Economy ", Indiana University Press, USA, 2004, p. 25
  6. ^ Harri Englund, "Christianity and Public Culture in Africa", Ohio University Press, USA, 2011, p. 208
  7. ^ "The Machaneh TV". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
  8. ^ "The Machaneh Iron" Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, Dag Heward-Mills Books.
  9. ^ "African Evangelist Sending Missionaries to the US". Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-09-24.
  10. ^ Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona, "Prosperity preaching is 'nonsense' - Bishop Dag", Modern Ghana.
  11. ^ Mark Ellis, "African church leader assails church in America", Godreports, 12 March 2013.
  12. ^ Heward-Mills, Bishop Dag (2013). Loyalty & disloyalty. [Place of publication not identified]: Christlight Books. ISBN 978-1-909278-98-1. OCLC 935984679.
  13. ^ Heward-Mills, Dag (2006). Model marriage : a marriage counselling handbook. [Place of publication not identified]: Parchment House. ISBN 9988-596-50-2. OCLC 946879258.
  14. ^ Kevin P. Emmert, "Why It's Hard to Learn from African Christians", Christianity Today, 14 October 2014.
  15. ^ "‘Iron Sharpneth Iron Conference", the Qodesh.
  16. ^ "Home". Pastorsconferenceworld.org. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  17. ^ "23rd Pentecostal World Conference, August 27-30, 2013, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia", EBSCO.
  18. ^ "Home". Pastorshepherd.org. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  19. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^ http://www.daghewardmills.org/healingjesuscrusade/ Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ^ Thembeka Dlamini and Noxolo Nkabinde, "Thousands cascade to Mavuso for Healing Jesus Campaign", Swazi Observer, 30 April 2015.
  24. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2015-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ^ Dag Heward-Mills on iTunes.
  26. ^ http://www.helpthehelplesscharity.org/humanitarian/.../healing-jesus-medical- outreaches
  27. ^ "Welcome helplesscharity.org - Justhost.com". www.helplesscharity.org. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  28. ^ "Welcome lighthousemissionhospital.org - Justhost.com". www.lighthousemissionhospital.org. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  29. ^ "First Love Church". www.firstlovecenter.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  30. ^ "The First Lady". www.daghewardmills.org. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  31. ^ "About us: Adelaide Heward-Mills", Dag Heward-Mills website
  32. ^ "Events", Dag Heward-Mills website.

External links[]

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