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Bishop meets Anglican brothers and sisters in Ghana
BISHOP Jonathan visited all 13 of his fellow bishops in Ghana during his first trip to visit our Anglican brothers and sisters there.
The 10-day trip included visits to churches, communities and cathedrals across the Anglican Province of Ghana – which our diocese has been formally linked with for 40 years via the Inter-Diocesan West Africa Link (IDWAL). Our diocese’s chair of IDWAL, the Rev Max Cross, rector of Bedhampton, accompanied him.
The pair criss-crossed the country with the Rt Rev Matthias Mededues-Badohu, Bishop of Ho. Bishop Jonathan asked fellow bishops about their current joys and challenges, and asked how the mutual IDWAL links could help them.
Among the significant moments was a visit to Cape Coast Castle, used by the British as a trading post for enslaved people for almost 150 years. The bishop heard about the horrific conditions they endured, locked in a dungeon underneath the chapel before being loaded onto slave ships bound for America and the West Indies.
“The British colluded with the Ashanti tribe, who handed over captives from their war with the northern tribes to become slaves,” said Jonathan. “We stood in the dungeon where the floor is still six inches deep in human remains.
“I was struck by the intergenerational trauma caused by the pillage of whole cultures, the colonial method of divide and rule, and the impact of slavery on the Queen Anne’s Bounty – which became the assets of the Church Commissioners, which now pays my stipend.”
Having arrived on the Friday, Bishop Jonathan spent Saturday in Accra, with a service at the cathedral for a newly-installed headmistress. He had lunch with the Bishop of Accra, the Rt Rev Daniel Torto and the new Bishop of Tema, the Rt Rev George Neequaye. They then travelled to Ho, which is five hours to the north-east.
Sunday morning was spent at St. Patrick's Anglican Church, Kpando where Bishop Jonathan preached. They headed back to Accra, but suffered a flat tyre when they were almost there, just before midnight. It took a heroic effort from the driver Christopher to change the tyre with inadequate equipment, while Bishop Jonathan held the torch for him. They got to bed at 1.30am but had to be up at 3.30pm to catch a plane to Kumasi.
On that Monday, they went to Kumasi Cathedral for a thanksgiving Holy Communion for King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s 74th birthday. After the service, Bishop Jonathan and the Rev Max Cross met the Bishops of Dunkwa-on-Offin, Nkoranza, Tamale and Wiawso over lunch.
“We spent a lot of time on the road, but travel is expensive in Ghana and it was important for us to go to the bishops, rather than for them to come to us,” said Max. “It shows a sense of respect for Bishop Jonathan to spent his time visiting them, and I think that was recognised.”
Bishop Jonathan and Max met the Bishop of Cape Coast, the Rt Rev Victor Atta-Baffoe, and the Bishop of Sekondi Takoradi, the Rt Rev Alexander Asmah, in Kumasi on the Tuesday.
On Wednesday, they headed for St Nicholas’ Seminary in Cape Coast, which is an Anglican theological college that our diocese has supported. On the way, Bishop Jonathan gave Bishop Alexander a lift to his next appointment, at Christ the King Academy in Cape Coast. He was introduced to the newly-installed headteacher, Robert Redfurn, and was keen to explore potential links with Christ the King College on the Isle of Wight.
At St Nicholas Seminary, the bishop and Max were greeted by the principal, the Very Rev Joseph Bain-Doodu and his staff team. Joseph had spent time studying in our diocese from 2009-11. And it was after time at the seminary that the bishop headed for Cape Coast Castle.
There was some time of prayer and reflection there as they stood by the grave of the Rev Philip Quaque, the first black Anglican priest, who was ordained in 1765 and became chaplain to Cape Coast Castle.
On the Thursday morning the bishop and Max headed to Sunyani to meet the Bishop of Nkoranza, the Rt Rev George Dawson-Ahmoah, and the Bishop of Sunyani, the Rt Rev Festus Yeboah-Asuama. They visited a hospital run by the Diocese of Sunyani, and Angutech, the Anglican University College of Technology, where students study healthcare, agriculture and business administration.
And on Friday, they headed up to Asante Mampong where they met Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith. He is the Bishop of Asante Mampong and was elected Archbishop of the Province of West Africa in 2022. They worshipped at the cathedral and spent the night there, before heading back via Kumasi and meeting the Bishop of Kumasi, the Rt Rev Oscar Amoah.
And on their final day, they met the Rt Rev Felix Odei Annancy, Bishop of Koforidua. When they travelled back to Accra to catch the plane home, Bishop Jonathan was also pleased to meet Maxwell, an old friend he was chaplain to at the University of Surrey, and his daughter.