By Nana Yaw Aidoo
The Basel
missionaries arrived in Ghana in 1835. Yet, for twelve years, they did not
record a single convert. Paul Glen Grant notes, “Not a single man, woman,
child, or slave converted to Christianity during the Basel Mission’s first
dozen years in the Gold Coast” (165). Interestingly, these missionaries came
well-prepared. They learnt the local language, engaged in the education of the
people, and traversed the Akuapem mountains and plains with the message that
Jesus was willing to forgive the locals of their sins. Even so, the indigenes
were unresponsive. Why was this the case? According to Grant, it was because,
in the eyes of the locals, the missionaries “had nothing of value to offer”
(165).
What did
the people feel they needed, such that, after hearing the missionaries’
message, they deemed Christianity irrelevant? In a society where belief in
witchcraft was deeply embedded, the pressing need was not for forgiveness of
sins but for protection from evil spiritual forces. At least, this was the
conclusion drawn by the Basel missionaries. As early as 1850, by which time the
mission had made a few conversions, Basel missionary Johann Widmann lamented
that “few are concerned with the salvation of their souls … they are rather
interested in protection” (as quoted in Grant 176). The missionaries’
frustration stemmed from what they perceived as the superficial nature of the
converts’ faith, an indication that “the converts were not, in general, responding
to the missionaries’ call to repentance from sin” (Grant 176).
Moreover,
in 1869, Nathanael Aboate and his wife Maria Kobe (the Mission gave foreign
names to their converts), both Guans, converted to Christianity through the
Basel Mission. It is worth noting that this decision came after the loss of
their third child in succession. They had previously paid a traditional priest
a significant sum to protect the child, but the outcome was no different from
that of the two older siblings. Prior to this tragedy, the Mission had already
preached to them, but they showed no interest. It was only when they came to
the realization that the traditional priests held no real power that they chose
to join the Basel Mission. Grant summarizes the situation as follows: “The
stories go on and on, and far outnumber cases of confession and repentance:
people came to the missionaries seeking a sacrificial apparatus sufficiently
potent to engender protection, communal cohesion, survival of children, food
security, and more” (175). The message of sin and forgiveness held little
appeal for the local population. For many, joining the Basel Mission was a
“pragmatic option-although perhaps an option of last resort” (Grant 176).
The locals
were not only uninterested in the forgiveness of sins; they were also unmoved
by the promise of eternal life in heaven. This is because, in their worldview,
the ancestors remained an active part of daily life. They had merely
transitioned into a realm beyond human sight but were still present. As
Catholic Bishop Peter Sarpong explained, the message of heaven made “little
impression on the Ghanaian,” since “his ancestors come back to life every day”
(Grant 204). Thus, people turned to the Basel Mission not out of a desire for
salvation or a place in heaven, but because “they could live in proximity to
spiritual power for protection from unwanted possession by a lesser spirit”
(Grant 204).
This, in
my view, lies at the heart of mainstream Ghanaian “Christianity.” Central to it
is not a longing for eternal salvation, but rather a deep concern for
protection from evil and the quest for material security. This is the religious
legacy inherited by many Ghanaian “Christians.” It is little wonder, then, that
the one-man spiritual churches continue to thrive since they market themselves
as having the ability to meet such needs. If you ever wonder why these
churches, and other African Independent Churches (AICs), remain popular despite
evident signs that they are not aligned with biblical truth, the answer lies in
the foundation of mainstream Ghanaian “Christianity.” It is a foundation built
not on the Rock (1 Cor 3:11), but on sinking sand (Matt 7:24-27).
Reference:
Grant,
Paul Glen. Healing and Power in Ghana: Early Indigenous Expressions of
Christianity. Baylor University Press. 2020.
Comments