NORCROSS, GA (February 27, 2009) – Pastor Frank Ofosu-Appiah and his wife, Mary, have been all over the globe, planting churches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, Germany, and now in the suburbs of Atlanta, where All Nations Covenant Church has grown dramatically in a little over eight years.
All Nations held its first service on September 24, 2000, with 16 adults meeting in a gym. Since then, the congregation has grown to more than 1,200 members with attendance averaging 700 people per week.
Thirty-two nationalities are represented at the church. Many of the people are immigrants from African nations and the Caribbean. The Sunday morning worship services feature a range of musical styles to accompany the diversity.
“There are a lot of wounded people in churches and in the world.”
“We teach a lot about learning to celebrate our diversity and about using it as a strength,” says Ofosu-Appiah, who is from Ghana.
“I believe that multicultural diversity paints a little picture of heaven to us,” says Ofosu-Appiah. “In heaven, there is every tribe and nation represented and we get to see a piece of that in worship every week.”
Ofosu-Appiah says attendees identify with the vision of All Nations, which adopted into the Covenant during the denomination’s 2008 Annual Meeting. “We have a message of healing and restoration. That is the greatest pull. There are a lot of wounded people in churches and in the world.”
Ofosu-Appiah and Mary came to Atlanta despite knowing no one because God led them to the city. “At the [Atlanta] airport, we rented a car, bought a map, and took off into the city. Since then we’ve met many great people and continue to work.”
With such a wealth of international connections, All Nations takes part in world relief work all over the world. The church is starting a leadership school in Ghana called iLEAD, the Institute of Leadership and Development.
“Africa’s biggest problem is not a lack of human or material resources, but rather a lack of good leadership,” Ofosu-Appiah says. “It is ineffective leadership that has brought Africa to its knees, so to speak. If we are able to empower local leaders, I believe that Africa can be a great world player.”
