Archbishop Charles Agyinasare, Chancellor and founder of Perez University College, has publicly acknowledged that his ability to establish the institution was made possible through a 15-year mentorship under Dr Mensa Otabil—during which he served on the board of Central University College and learned firsthand how a private Christian university is built.
Speaking to congregants and education stakeholders, the founder of Perez Chapel International revealed that his tenure on the Central University College board was, in effect, a practical apprenticeship in university governance and administration.
“Perez University College was possible because Dr Mensa Otabil made me serve on the Central University College Board for 15 years and I saw how it is done,” Archbishop Agyinasare stated.
From Bible School to University College
Perez University College traces its roots to September 1992, when Agyinasare started a Bible college in Tamale, northern Ghana. Originally known as the World Miracle Ministerial College (WMMC), it was relocated to Accra in 1994 and renamed Miracle Ministerial College (MMC). In 2013, following the church’s rebranding to Perez Chapel International, the institution became Perez College.
The transformation into a full university college came in November 2015, when Perez Chapel International acquired the Pan African Christian University College—the first accredited private university college in Ghana’s Central Region. The institution was duly accredited by the National Accreditation Board of Ghana in 2007 and is affiliated with the University of Cape Coast. Located at Gomoa Pomadze-Winneba along the Winneba-Swedru highway, it is the first private university established in the Central Region.
A Blueprint for Excellence: The Central University Model
The institution Agyinasare credits as his template—Central University College—was itself founded by Dr Mensa Otabil through the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC). It began modestly in 1988 as a pastoral training institute offering a six-month certificate course in ministry. Over the years, it evolved into Central Bible College (1991), Central Christian College (1993), and finally Central University College in 1997. Today, it is Ghana’s largest private university, attracting students from 26 countries.
Dr Otabil himself has spoken of the institution’s humble beginnings, revealing that he “started a university from a garage”. That journey from a garage to a premier private university provided the template Agyinasare would later follow.
A Shared Vision on the Board
The connection between the two church leaders extends beyond mentorship. Dr Mensa Otabil has served alongside Archbishop Agyinasare on the Board of Directors of Perez University College, a distinguished body that includes academics and professionals such as Professor Omane-Antwi, Professor Asamoah Gyadu, Professor Addo Obeng, and Dr Kotei Dzani, among others.
A Ministry, Not a Commercial Venture
Archbishop Agyinasare has consistently framed the university as a divine calling rather than a business enterprise. In 2017, he told his congregation: “For us as a church, this university is not a commercial venture because in the first place it is registered as an NGO. For us, it’s a ministry God has given to us”. He added: “Recently I was praying and the Lord said to me: ‘Charles because you have a burden for the youth, I gave you this university'”.
His vision for the institution is ambitious. At his investiture as Chancellor in February 2016, he declared that the university would produce graduates who are “problem-solving and solution-providing scholars who will bring significant change and transformation to their spheres of influence”. He has also pledged that within eight-and-a-half years, Perez University College would rank among Ghana’s top ten universities.
A Legacy of Mentorship
Archbishop Agyinasare’s journey from student to board member to university founder illustrates the power of mentorship in Ghana’s private education sector. His 15 years of service on the Central University College board under Dr Otabil’s leadership equipped him with the governance expertise, institutional knowledge, and confidence to establish his own university—a testament to how one leader’s investment in another can yield lasting dividends for the nation’s educational landscape.
