Kristo Asafo leadership cannot be determined by founder’s will alone

Lawyer Kwame Akuffo, who represents six children of the late Apostle Emeritus Professor Ing. Kwadwo Safo, has argued that the reading of the founder’s will does not by itself determine the leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, a day after the will was read, Mr Akuffo said the document does not appoint, confirm or identify any individual as the church’s next leader.

He explained that any claim suggesting the will settles the issue of succession must be assessed alongside the provisions of the church’s constitution.

“The will does not determine who leads the church. The leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission is governed by its constitution, not by the testamentary wishes of the deceased,” he told journalists.

Mr Akuffo, who is acting on behalf of six of the late founder’s children, including former Member of Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo, said his clients have instructed him to commence legal action to obtain a judicial interpretation of the church constitution’s provisions on succession.

He maintained that while the will outlines how the late founder’s estate should be distributed, the question of who succeeds him as leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission should be resolved in accordance with the church’s constitution.

According to him, the courts should determine the legal effect of the constitutional provisions governing succession, particularly in light of the differing interpretations that have emerged following the reading of the will.

Mr Akuffo also questioned whether the founder’s will alone could lawfully determine the church’s leadership when there are constitutional rules regulating the succession process.

He stressed that the church’s constitution remains the primary governing document on leadership matters and said the courts should clarify how it relates to the founder’s will.

He further disclosed that legal proceedings have already been initiated on behalf of his clients, with the courts expected to provide a definitive interpretation of the succession dispute.

The leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission has become the subject of public debate since the death of Apostle Emeritus Professor Ing. Kwadwo Safo, with conflicting views emerging over whether the founder’s will or the church’s constitution should determine his successor.

The suit filed by the six siblings is expected to seek judicial clarification on whether the appointment of the next leader of the Kristo Asafo Mission should be guided by the church’s constitution or the founder’s will.