A woman has been arrested by police in connection with a fire incident at the Grace Mountain Chapel auditorium in Accra, the church headed by Alpha Hour convener, Pastor Elvis Agyemang.

The incident reportedly took place late on Monday, February 9, at a time when the auditorium was relatively quiet. According to accounts from the church, the suspect posed as a worshipper before allegedly carrying out the act.

Video footage captured by the church’s surveillance system shows the woman dousing seats close to the altar with a flammable liquid before igniting them. Security personnel on duty quickly intervened, preventing the flames from spreading. No one was injured, and the damage to the building was minimal.

Following the incident, Pastor Elvis Agyemang announced that physical prayer meetings at the auditorium had been temporarily halted. He assured congregants that activities would continue after repairs were completed.

“This place will be closed for now, but it won’t stop the work. We will restore the auditorium, and prayers will continue,” he said.

The pastor disclosed that the church has previously dealt with similar security concerns. He recalled an earlier incident in which a woman scattered an unknown substance on the altar, forcing church officials to restrict access to the area.

The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue to establish her motive and whether others were involved. Law enforcement officials say the matter is being treated as a serious criminal case, and further details will be shared as inquiries progress.

Alpha Hour is a nightly one-hour prayer session that starts at midnight and is streamed live on various digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Zoom.

The programme was launched in February 2022 after Pastor Agyemang said he was divinely inspired to begin a focused prayer movement aimed at spiritual renewal and breakthrough. Since its inception, Alpha Hour has expanded rapidly, drawing large audiences across the globe and gaining presence on television and radio in Ghana.

Grace Mountain Chapel, located in Accra, is a large worship centre that accommodates thousands of congregants, with followers of Alpha Hour widely known as “Alpharians.”