Assemblies of God Church urged to prioritise welfare of retired Pastors 

Leadership and members of the Assemblies of God (AG) Ghana have been challenged to prioritise the welfare of retired pastors who have dedicated their lives to the service of God and humanity.

The appeal, directed at local assemblies across the country, emphasised the urgent need for the church to develop structured systems to care for retired men and women of God who, after decades of sacrifice, often face neglect and financial hardship.

A former Bono-Ahafo Regional Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Rev. John Felix Yeboah, made the call at the climax of the 2026 Easter Convention of the Sunyani East District of the Assemblies of God.

The Convention was held from Thursday 2nd April to Sunday 5th April, 2026 at the End Time Assemblies of God auditorium in Sunyani.

Rev. Yeboah noted that many pastors, after years of selfless service and sacrifice, retire into conditions marked by financial difficulty, ill health and in some cases, neglect.

He stressed that such a situation does not reflect the values of a church built on compassion, honour and gratitude.

According to Rev. Yeboah, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Retired Pastors Association, the retired pastors remain invaluable assets to the church, possessing deep spiritual insight and experience that should continue to benefit the body of Christ.

He, therefore, urged all the congregations to maintain close ties with them through regular visits, spiritual, physical and material support.

“Those who laboured to build the church must not be left to struggle in their later years, and investing in the welfare of retired pastors would also boost the morale of younger ministers”.

He reminded the members that caring for retired pastors was not only a responsibility of the church leadership, but also a personal obligation of every member who has benefited from their ministry.

Rev. John Felix Yeboah said he plans to ignite renewed discussions within the Assemblies of God church on strengthening welfare systems and ensuring that those who dedicated their lives to God’s work retire with honour, dignity and adequate support.

Rev. Emmanuel Nkatia, retired head Pastor of the Living Word Assemblies of God, Abesim also underscored the urgent need for the church to establish a comprehensive social security system for its clergy.

He indicated that prioritising pension schemes, healthcare support, and welfare funds would guarantee dignity and stability for pastors after active service.

The Chronicle has learnt that the Assemblies of God Ghana has an established Ministers’ Pension Scheme, which was formally instituted around 2012 by a General Council resolution.

The scheme requires pastors to contribute toward retirement benefits. However, support to the retired ministers still depends heavily on contributions from the local churches.

This implies that retired pastors from low capacity local churches enjoy almost next to nothing in terms of benefits.

The 2026 Easter Convention spearheaded and chaired by the Sunyani East District Pastor and head of Agape Centre Assemblies of God, Rev. Justice Frank Oduro, brought together 10 different branches of the AG churches within the district.

By Edmond Gyebi 

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