The Assemblies of God in Liberia (AGL) has elected Rev. Abenda Tamba as its General Superintendent also referred to as Bishop thereby replacing Rev. Edwin Gbelly.
Rev. Tamba, the Senior Pastor of the Zion Assembly of God Church located in Upper Caldwell, Montserrado County was elected on Friday, January 28, 2022 at the 20th National Annual Assembly of the Church held in Fish Town, River Gee County.
He becomes the 8th Bishop of the Church since it was turned over to Liberian Pastors for Leadership by the Missionaries in 1960.
Rev. Tamba defeated his main challenger in the faith, Rev. Emmanuel K Zabay Sr. of the Good News AGM Church located in Sinkor, 24th Street, Montserrado County with 295 to 93 votes.
Rev. Tamba succeeds Rev. Gbelly who served as General Superintendent (Bishop) for the last 8 years since 2014 as required by the Constitution of the Church.
Other elected officials of the Church at the National Assembly are: Rev. Emmanuel K. Zaybay- Assistant General Superintendent, a youthful Rev. Josiah Mesleh – General Secretary and Rev. Hestine Forkeyoy as National Treasurer.
They are to serve in their respective offices for four years and seek reelection when interested.
The Assemblies of God Liberia has approximately 450 churches, and 77,000 adherents and the church currently operates four active ministerial training institutions: one Bible college and three Bible institutes.
The church was founded by American and Canadian Pentecostal Missionaries who first arrived in Liberia on Christmas Day in 1908, just two years after the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, USA. They were the first to take the gospel into the hinterlands of Liberia.
After six years of their evangelism and church planting efforts in Southeastern Liberia, the Assemblies of God organization was established in the USA in 1914 recognizing the commonality of belief and practice, the churches planted in Liberia were annexed to the Assemblies of God.
In 1960, the missionaries turned the Church over to the Liberian AG Pastors to take over the Leadership of the Church. Since then, the Church has produced eight Liberian-anointed pastors as General Superintendent and or Bishops.