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Our Journey

Our Key Objectives

The ministry was founded to achieve four main objectives.

  1. To advance religion by propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

  2. The relief and comfort of the sick and the physically and mentally handicapped. 

  3. The relief of poverty needs and distress particularly but not exclusively by the provision of advice. 

  4. To advance the education of young people so that they can develop their physical, mental, and spiritual capacities and self-discipline so that they might grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.

Our Story

Universal Prayer Group Ministry (UPGM) is a charity registered in England and Wales with charity number 298368. UPGM was founded by Dr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, a barrister and an ordained minister of religion and was registered in the UK as a church-based charity on 13th January 1988.  

Before its formal registration, the ministry had been operating since 1965 as a prayer ministry from Dr Boafo’s home, primarily attended by African students studying in the UK.  As the ministry grew, worship services were held at a Church of England Parish based in Chalk Farm, North London. In 1972, the Founder, Dr Boafo, relocated from the UK back to his home country, Ghana, where he felt the Lord had called him into politics as well as to establish churches.  He briefly returned to the UK in 1985 to revive Edmonton Temple/UPGM, still meeting in Chalk Farm, North London.  In 1990 UPGM moved to a former Anglican church based in the Edmonton area of London. The church then became popularly known as Edmonton Temple. Over time, the church experienced tremendous growth, establishing itself as the leading black majority-led church in London in the early 1990’s.  

Due to the ministry's evident impact, the Founder embarked on an expansion drive to set up branches called City Temple based in Birmingham, UK. These branches extended beyond the shores of the UK into Kenya and Ghana. UPGM’s network also provided a platform for many international evangelists and ministries to bring the gospel of Christ into the UK. 

We deliver our mission across the United Kingdom and the rest of the world through our three main churches.

  • Dominion Centre, UK

  • Freedom Centre International, UK

  • Father's Heart Centre, Birmingham, UK

UPGM is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and Churches Together in Great Britain and Ireland. The church is affiliated with many international ministries in the USA, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa.

Vision & Mission Statement

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

We aim to minister and bring support and stability to communities across the United Kingdom and internationally. We particularly believe in practical Christian living, i.e., doing God's will in reaching out to communities and the nation at large.

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Our desire and endeavour is to make “disciplined disciples” of Jesus Christ, where our lifestyles exemplify Christ in all areas of thought, conversation, and conduct. We desire that each member grow in Christ, His grace, and His word, resulting in moral fibre, conviction, wisdom, and character that is necessary for living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

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Our mission is to propagate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and develop and empower individuals within our communities to achieve their God-given dreams and be disciplined members of their communities.

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Our Beliefs

We stand under the authority of the Word of God as our rule of faith and practice, thus adhering to the following:

  • THE GODHEAD: We believe in the Triune Godhead: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Three in One God are co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent.

  • SIN AND REDEMPTION: God created man in His own image, but through disobedience man ‘fell’ and got separated from God. Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God came to die by shedding his precious blood on the cross at Calvary in order that we may be reunited (reconciled) with God. He is the mediator between God and man.

  • SALVATION: Jesus Christ is the only means of man’s salvation. The Bible declares that He is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life’ to eternal life. No one can go to the Father except through Him.

  • BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT: When one receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour, they are filled with the Holy Spirit, an evidence of which is speaking in new tongues.

  • WATER BAPTISM: Baptism is full immersion in water. Christ Himself was baptised to fulfil scripture. Just as cloth takes on the nature (colour) of dye, in the same way, we must take on the nature of Christ when we are baptised.

  • SANCTIFICATION: It is God who freed us from our sin (which binds us) and makes us holy. This is a work of grace, and as Christians we must continually yield to the Holy Spirit so we can walk in holiness.

  • DIVINE HEALING: We believe in healing through prayers, laying on of hands and divine intervention through the Holy Spirit

  • FREEDOM IN WORSHIP: The Bible admonishes us to come to God with shouting, hand clapping, dancing, and string instruments. Hence, we are not legalistic and formal at worship times but encourage members to fully express in their own way a heartfelt appreciation to God in an orderly manner in reverence.

  • RESURRECTION OF THE BODY: The Bible talks about the rapture of all believers, the unavoidable coming of Christ to quicken the dead to life, and those alive shall be caught up with Him in the air

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Our Trustees

Dr Kojo Menya

Jerry Nii Okan Tawiah

Peter Yaw Amankwa

Emmanuel Ohuegbe Oloke FCCA

Dr Sampson Kweku Boafo DD

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Our Senior Pastoral Team

Rev Samuel
Ohene-Apraku

Dominion Centre, UK

Rev. Canon Dr Shadrach Ofosuware

Freedom Centre International

Rev Ben
Kord

Father's Heart Centre, Birmingham, UK

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