What Ghanaian Christians Can Learn From Africa’s Growing Engagement With Israel

More than 550 Christian leaders from 51 nations gather in Israel as African church leaders bring firsthand experience back to their communities

Israel has a distinctive place in the Christian imagination in Ghana, where the Bible is deeply woven into church life and where major Christian denominations and Pentecostal movements maintain extensive international networks.

That connection is taking on a more practical dimension as African Christian leaders increasingly travel to Israel to see the country for themselves, meet its people and engage directly with the issues shaping the region.

More than 550 Christian leaders from 51 nations are currently in Israel for a ten-day Eagles’ Wings delegation taking place during Sukkot and around the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

There are no Ghanaian participants in the current delegation, but the presence of senior Nigerian leaders highlights a broader West African interest in direct engagement with Israel. Among them is His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the 21st Olu of Warri, Delta State, Nigeria, who is participating alongside Her Royal Majesty Olori Atuwatse III and Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Nuhu Kure.

“Our presence here is an opportunity to build relationships and to understand Israel through direct experience. As African leaders, we can bring what we learn here back to our own communities and continue the conversation from a place of firsthand knowledge,” said His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR, the 21st Olu of Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.

For Ghana, that message has particular relevance. Ghana has one of the largest and most influential Christian communities in West Africa, with historic churches alongside a large Pentecostal and charismatic movement. Churches such as the Church of Pentecost have developed substantial international networks, including congregations and ministries across Africa, Europe, North America and elsewhere.

Ghanaian Christians are also familiar with Israel through Scripture. Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and other places associated with the Bible feature prominently in Christian teaching, worship and pilgrimage. For many Ghanaian churches, therefore, Israel is not simply a distant country in the Middle East but part of the geographic and historical setting of the Christian faith.

That religious connection has also contributed to interest in visiting Israel. Christian pilgrims from Ghana and other African countries have traveled to Israel to visit biblical sites and worship in Jerusalem, while churches and Christian organizations have maintained relationships with Israeli and international Christian counterparts.

The current Eagles’ Wings delegation adds another dimension: direct engagement with contemporary Israel.

Participants are meeting Israeli political and security officials, representatives of the Israel Defense Forces and religious leaders. They are also meeting returned hostages and families affected by the October 7 attacks and receiving briefings on Israel’s security situation and the wider regional environment.

For Ghanaian Christians following events in Israel through international media, the distinction is important. A visit allows church leaders to hear directly from people who experienced October 7 and its aftermath, while also seeing the places and communities that have been at the center of events.

The delegation was organized by Eagles’ Wings and Bishop Robert Stearns in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It brings together pastors, bishops and other Christian leaders from Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America and Europe.

Among the other participants are Bishop Dr. David A. Sobrepeña of the Philippines, Rev. Ricardo Castillo Medina of Costa Rica, Rev. Dr. Reinaldo dos Santos of Brazil and Bishop Dr. Gibson Anduvate of Kenya.

The timing of the visit is significant. The delegation is taking place during Sukkot and around the third anniversary of October 7, bringing Christian leaders together in Israel at a moment when communities are reflecting on the attacks and their continuing impact.

One of the events was Awake Jerusalem, Eagles’ Wings’ annual Christian worship gathering at the Tower of David on October 3. Christian leaders and worship artists from around the world participated, with Daystar Television Network serving as a media partner and broadcasting the event.

Eagles’ Wings has brought Christians to Israel for more than three decades through its Watchmen on the Wall program and other initiatives. The organization combines teaching, prayer and visits to biblical sites with opportunities to meet Israelis and members of the Jewish community.

For Ghana, the significance of such visits extends beyond the individuals who make the journey. Ghanaian churches have substantial congregations and sophisticated international networks, meaning that the experiences of African Christian leaders who visit Israel can feed into conversations taking place in churches, conferences and Christian organizations across the region.

The participation of Nigerian leaders therefore offers Ghanaian Christians a close example of a broader African approach: engage directly, listen to people on the ground and bring firsthand experience back to the communities that leaders serve.

As more African Christian leaders develop direct relationships with Israel, Ghana’s churches are well placed to be part of that conversation—not simply as observers of events in the Middle East, but as members of a global Christian community with longstanding religious, institutional and personal connections to the land.