|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Story by Bernard Gyimah Antwi (Rev), Asante Presbytery PRO
On the sidelines of the Asante Presbytery BSPG Presbyterial Convention which took place from Thursday January 2 to Friday January 5, 2025 , Rev. Justice Asumeng has called for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana to honor the pivotal role chiefs and kings played in the survival and growth of the Church.
Rev. Asumeng, emphasized the generosity of traditional leaders who welcomed missionaries onto their lands, offered their subjects, and even embraced the faith themselves. “The Chiefs and Kings, as landowners, accepted us, provided their people, and in some cases, joined the Church. Their benevolence has brought immense blessings to the Church,” he noted.
Highlighting historical examples from places like Kyebi, Abetifi, Akropong, Begoro, and Adum-Kumasi, he indicated that the missionaries did not settle on their own but sought permission from local palaces to begin their work.
Reflecting on the challenges of early missionary efforts, Rev. Asumeng recalled that after 12 years of labour, the Basel Mission faced high mortality rates and no converts, leading them to consider abandoning the mission. However, a pivotal moment came when Okuapehene Nana Addo Dankwa provided guidance that reshaped the mission’s trajectory. He reportedly told the missionaries, “If you could show me some Africans who can read the Whiteman’s book, then we would surely follow you.”
This insight led the Basel Mission to partner with the Moravian Church in the West Indies, bringing 25 African Christians from Jamaica in 1843. Their arrival marked the rebirth of the mission and the establishment of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana as the oldest continuously existing Church in the nation.
Rev. Asumeng, is therefore, urging the Church to celebrate this rich heritage and the foundational contributions of traditional leaders. “Such an integral part of our history should never be forgotten.” he concluded.
ENDS
