Apostolic leader brings 23 years of ministry experience to Chicago, building a church with branches across continents.
Fifteen years ago, Apostle Dr. Leeford Boohene arrived in Chicago from Ghana, West Africa, as a missionary with a divine mandate: to plant a church and bring the city to a level of excellence in the things of God. Today, as senior pastor of Church Christ Center of Hope AG, affiliated with the Assembly of God Organization USA, member of the Illinois District.
His ministry has grown to include branches in Miami, Dallas, Pakistan, and Ghana, with plans to open a satellite church in Bolingbrook.
“God called me into the ministry from Ghana and directed me to plant here in the United States,” Apostle Boohene explains. “The mission is to draw people to Christ primarily, train and then disciple them into spiritual things, and build them up in the area of excellence and spiritual leadership.”
Addressing Spiritual Bankruptcy
What Apostle Boohene observed upon arriving in Chicago compelled him to action. Despite material abundance, he saw what he calls “spiritual bankruptcy”—churches lacking deep experience with God, preaching that was motivational but lacking in teaching and applying the Word, and a city plagued by homelessness, gang violence, and broken relationships in the midst of wealth.
“People living on the bridges and homeless, living in withdrawals—especially during that time, the height of gang banging in the city,” he recalls. “That was very pivotal to us. There was something very spiritual taking control of the city, and we believe God called us to stand in the gap through intercession for the city and families.”
Ministry of Action
However, Apostle Boohene ‘s approach combines spiritual warfare with practical community service. His church conducts cookouts and barbecues to reach neighbors, feeds the homeless through a small kitchen, provides counseling and prayer, and blesses marriages through wedding ceremonies.
The ministry has a special focus on vulnerable populations: single mothers, young women whose partners are incarcerated, and children in the community. Apostle Boohene’s team visits jails, care facilities, and participates in feeding programs that reach across continents, including initiatives in South America.
“We desire to be able to open up our pantries and get people in for feeding,” he shares, acknowledging both the progress made and the vision for expansion.
Partnership in Ministry
Apostle Boohene’s wife is Pastor Mrs. Joyce Boohene. She serves as a pillar for the women in the church, operating as a teacher who grooms everyone from foundational classes for young children to mentoring single mothers.
She leads early morning prayer meetings and runs a program called “The Family Altar,” aimed at rebuilding family unions and educating women on parenting and community engagement.
Additionally, she operates a nonprofit in Africa that rescues homeless girls and street girls, providing vocational training by sending sewing machines from the U.S. to Africa and teaching skills that allow these young women to support themselves and become productive members of society.
Looking ahead 5-10 years, Apostle Boohene envisions expanding from the church’s current North Side location 5534 N Kedzie, Chicago into the Southside of Chicago and southern suburbs through satellite plantings and community events. The church has been recovering and growing rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We hope not only to impact our northside community but to reach out beyond the north side into the south side and also into the south suburbs,” he states. With existing branches in Miami and Dallas doing well, plans include expanding further across states and cities.
After 23 years in ministry—seven in Ghana before coming to the United States—Apostle Leeford Boboohene continues his apostolic and prophetic calling with devotion to spiritual excellence, community transformation, and drawing people to Christ through both word and deed.
