Stories

Brochure for the 150th anniversary of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

Education, Upbringing, and Discipline

Pietism and Discipline The Basel Mission (BM) was founded in 1815 and saw itself in the tradition of «good, old, sound Pietism».[1] Pietism was one of the most significant religious reform movements…

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The entire excursion group with descendants of the first missionaries of the Basel Mission in front of their house in Osu, Accra. Courtesy of Rafael Feind

Reflections on Historical Entanglements and Cultural Sensitivity

“There is that great proverb — that until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”[1] Chinua Achebe’s famous statement resonates deeply with the…

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From left to right: Sina Ritter, Rev. Erasmus Mensah Laryea, Catherina Deeg, and Saleh Mohammed Saleh.

Ways of Remembering the Basel Mission’s Activities in Osu and Akropong

My research journey to Ghana in early 2024 started a semester prior, in the university classrooms of Basel. What caught my attention was that we were not only going to have a…

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From left to right: Christian Awuku-Asabre, Sina Ritter, Theophilus Opoku Addy, and Saleh Mohammed Saleh. (Photo by Marry Akuffo).

Tradition, Culture, Religion, and the Basel Mission in Osu and Akropong

During the excursion to southern Ghana, I intended to research how the Basel Mission (BM) evangelists encountered African tradition, culture, and religion and how converted Ghanaians continued practicing their traditional culture alongside…

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“PCG Women’s Fellowship 60th anniversary underway in Accra”, 3 September 2022. https://pcgonline.org/2022/09/02/pcg-womens-fellowship-60th-anniversary-underway-in-accra/ Retrieved on 21 August 2024.

The Women’s Fellowship. A Legacy of the Spouses of the Basel Missionaries in the Presbyterian Church of Ghana

Introduction The pioneers of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), the Basel missionaries, entered the then Gold Coast on December 18, 1828. Their missionary work left many legacies that the PGC boasts…

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Basel Mission Archives (BMA), E-30.90.012: A group in front of the house for medical care in Bali with Matteo, the helper, Bali, Cameroon, (circa 1927) https://www.bmarchives.org/items/show/62105

African Agency in the Basel Mission’s Medical Missions through the Support of African Assistants

Introduction In general, missionaries are noted to have played significant roles in developing almost every aspect of African societies. As we acknowledge, it has become significant for African agency to be portrayed…

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The Sanatorium in Aburi. Basel Mission Archives (BMA), BMA D-30.10.002. https://www.bmarchives.org/items/show/56399 (retrieved 19 August 2024).

A Brief History of Missionary Medicine in Aburi

On the grounds of the Presbyterian Women’s College of Education in Aburi lay the ruins of Dr. Rudolf Fisch’s “Hospitälchen” (small hospital). Dispatched in 1885, Dr. Fisch was among the first missionary…

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Working at PRAAD, Accra, January 2024 (photograph Julia Tischler).

Sustaining Discipline in the Early Church: A Reflection on the Disciplinary Procedures of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast.

Introduction One character trait believed to have been bequeathed to Presbyterianism from the early missionaries is “discipline”. It is mostly attributed to the Basel Mission (BM), the institution that founded what is…

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Entrance to the Presbyterian Women’s College (my own photograph).

A History of the Presbyterian Women’s College, Aburi

Amidst the patriarchal landscape of nineteenth-century Ghana, educational opportunities favored boys while relegating girls to domestic roles. Recognizing the importance of educating girls, the Basel Mission (BM) established the primary girls’ boarding…

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Memorial at First Landing Site Christiansborg (today's Accra): "In Blessed memory Of the Early Basel Missionaries Who first landed at Osu (Christiansborg) in 1828 and tragically died within months of arrival; And in Commemoration of The Site of the First Chapel of the Basel Mission [...]. Those gallant men made the ultimate sacrifice so that We might know and be drawn closer to God. May They Rest in Peace! [...] (my own photograph).

Do we need a “Dealing with the Past” Approach? Navigating Divergent Views on the Basel Mission Heritage

The first Basel missionaries arrived at the Gold Coast (today’s Ghana) in 1828. They were forced to leave by the British colonial power during the first World War in 1918.  They turned…

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Learning about chieftaincy in Abokobi from the Reverend Samuel Agyei Sowah, 19 January, 2024 .

Chieftaincy: A Personal Encounter

Growing up in Ghana, I learned and observed the process of selecting and installing a chief. Because of the significance of the chieftaincy institution, the process for the selection and installation of…

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Mission Statement, Presbyterian Senior High School Osu

Educational Legacies: Academic Excellence and Community Development

„Train the head to think, create, and philosophize“ (Prof. emeritus H. N.-A. Wellington) Following my enlightening trip to Ghana, I reflected on a poignant quote from Professor Wellington, a renowned architect and…

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