Duncan-Williams outlines talks with Dag Heward Mills resulting in Geneva branch ‘closure’

• Aug 5, 2023

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, the General Overseer of Action Chapel International, has revealed the reasons behind the closure of the church’s branch in Geneva, Switzerland.

During a church sermon last month, Archbishop Duncan-Williams explained that he made the decision to remove his church’s name from the Geneva branch due to ongoing reports about the conduct of the lead pastor at that location.

He recounted taking steps to advise the pastor against attacking the Lighthouse church in Geneva, but the pastor did not heed his guidance.

Archbishop Duncan-Williams further revealed that the closure was prompted by concerns expressed by his long-time friend and mentee, Bishop Dag Heward Mills, who raised worries about the pastor’s behavior and its potential impact on their relationship.

“Bishop Dag approached me and said, ‘Papa, your pastor in Geneva is causing issues for me and Lighthouse in Geneva. There’s constant strife and conflict.’ So I reached out to him and reminded him that Bishop Dag and I have a history that dates back many years. He used to play the organ for me at Action Chapel when he was at Achimota. I thought he understood, but he didn’t listen,” he shared during his sermon.

He continued, “On another occasion, Bishop Dag approached me again and said, ‘This guy is causing real problems. He’s becoming a source of conflict between the two churches.’ So I called the pastor and asked him, ‘Why are you doing this?'”

“The Bible teaches that where there is strife, there is every form of evil, and I don’t approve of that. I dislike strife and confusion. I told him that his actions were not right. While the reasons behind his behavior were unclear to me, I emphasized that we are all part of the body of Christ, and we belong to each other. There’s no real distinction between the two churches, but he refused to listen.”

“I subsequently sent our General Secretary with a message to go to Geneva, remove the name ‘Action Chapel’ from the church, and relinquish the church to Bishop Dag. I handed over the church to him, saying, ‘Take the church. You can have it.’ I called Bishop Dag and informed him that the church was no longer under my oversight. Whatever transpired between his church and the Geneva church was now their matter to resolve,” he concluded.