Woman arrested after setting fire at Alpha Hour church auditorium

A woman is in police custody after allegedly setting fire to the auditorium of the Grace Mountain Chapel in Accra, led by Pastor Elvis Agyemang, founder of Alpha Hour.

The incident occurred on the night of Monday, February 9, during a quiet period at the auditorium, when the suspect allegedly pretended to be praying.

Footage from the church’s CCTV shows the woman pouring petrol on chairs near the altar before setting them ablaze.

The church’s security team responded quickly, containing the fire before it spread, and no injuries were reported, with damage to the facility being limited.

In response to the incident, Pastor Elvis Agyemang announced the temporary suspension of all in-person prayer sessions at the auditorium.

“If you come here today, it will not be open, but it will not stop us. We will fix the place, and prayers will still go on,” he said.

Pastor Agyemang noted that this was not the first security-related incident at the church.

“How many times have we not heard people say they heard something and rushed here to pray in the auditorium? That is what the devil does not like. Last year, there was an incident where a woman spread powder on the altar, and we had to stop people from going close to it,” he added.

The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue to determine her motive and whether she acted alone or with accomplices. Police say the case is being treated as a serious criminal matter and that updates will be provided as investigations progress.

Alpha Hour is a daily one-hour prayer meeting that begins at 12 a.m. GMT and is broadcast live on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Zoom.

The initiative began in February 2022 after Pastor Agyemang said he received a vision to start an intensive prayer ministry focused on spiritual revival and victory.

The prayer movement has since grown significantly, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide and expanding to television and radio platforms across Ghana.

Grace Mountain Chapel is a large auditorium in Accra that hosts thousands of worshippers, with Alpha Hour followers commonly referred to as “Alpharians.”