EMS “Mission Moves” Team Visit I Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) / September 2015 “Mission Moves”: Akwaaba! Eye me anigyie se ma ba Ghana. [Welcome! I am glad to be in Ghana.] Team Visit to Ghana as a common journey of discovering mission history, discussing the understanding of mission today and reflecting upon mission challenges for tomorrow. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction: The Team Visit Concept . Page 2 2. The Character of our Team and the Participants . Page 3 3. Mission starts with “A” like Abokobi, Abetifi, Akropong, Akuapem: Itinerary . Page 4 4. Motivation for the Team Visit and Understanding of Mission . Page 7 5. The PCG - A Tanker of Faith with Deep Roots in the Whole Country. Page 10 6. Addressing the Questions. Discovering the challenges for today . Page 11 7. Word of Thanks . Page 25 8. Appendix I: A Short Mission History Written by Strangers and Lay People . Page 26 9. Appendix II Final Questions for our Evaluation . Page 38 „Mission Moves“ Team Visit I / PCG EMS “Mission Moves” Team Visit I Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Page 1 of 43 Sunday 20 th of September 2015 Thanksgiving Service at the Osu Ebenezer Congregation in Osu (Accra) celebrating 200 years of Basel Mission. From right: Emmanuel Tettey (Ghana) Rev. Lee, JungGon (Korea), Clement Sam-Dadjie(Ghana), Friederike Faller (Germany, Berlin), Zillah Odjelua, Schulamit Kriener (Germany / German East-Asia Mission / London, GB),Rev. Heike Bosien (Germany, Stuttgart), Ms. Philipa Odjelua, Rev. Samuel Odjelua, Aphiwe Mpeka (South Africa), Rev. Asao Mochizuki (Japan), Rahel Anne Römer (Germany, Mannheim). 1. Introduction: The Element of Strangeness and the View of Unprejudiced People rather than that of Ghana-Experts. The Concept of our Team Visit At its meeting in November 2014, the EMS General Meeting resolved that the EMS Secretariat would conduct a series of Team Visits in order to ‘mirror’ the differing understandings and practices of mission in the churches and missions of the EMS Fellowship and also of churches which are linked to Basel Mission German Branch. It was agreed that four such visits would take place, the hosting churches being in Ghana, India, Indonesia and Germany. The Team Visits are designed to emphasize the element of strangeness. For this reason, the team was deliberately not composed of persons who already know Ghana and the Ghanaian context well. The EMS was looking for first impressions which could lead to new insights. The element of strangeness was underlined for the composition of the team. The EMS Theological Orientation, Item 6, expresses this as follows: We witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ at all our respective places in an inviting and faithful way. The experience of being strangers to each other in encounters and in exchange across borders helps us to rediscover the Gospel in new ways . The EMS General Meeting adopted a catalogue of questions which gave orientation for the encounters and discussion during the team visit. EMS “Mission Moves” Team Visit I Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Page 2 of 43 2. The Character of our Team The characteristic element of the composition of the Ghana-Team was that six persons among nine were under 32 years old. Two third were therefore under 32. Rev. Lee was the only person among the foreigners who had visited Ghana, years ago for a short time only. All the others were in Ghana for the first time and some members of the group were in Africa for the first time. Our dialogues and our discussions were therefore strongly influenced by this young generation of church members. With this composition of the group we didn’t quite achieve the average age in Ghana which is 21,4 years but we came closer to this number than any other Team Visit group . Therefore a focus of our team was getting to know the richness of mission history in general and the specific mission history in Ghana. Dialog South – Nord – East - West: What do we mean when we talk about “Mission” today? The choice of the Team Members was a process in itself. All EMS member churches and mission organizations as well as those churches cooperating with the Basel Mission German Branch were invited to nominate suitable persons for the trip. In a letter sent to those institutions, the following qualifications were mentioned: Members of the team should have a special interest in the understanding and practice of mission, be willing to contribute their own experience, bring theological and intercultural competence, have a good command of English, be willing to contribute to a written report on the team visit and to share their insights with others. The Teams will be composed of ordained and lay persons, men, women and youth, persons from different churches and missions and different areas of work. Participants from Ghana: 1. Rev. Elizabeth Aduama (Presbyterian Church of Ghana / Pastor of Anum Congregation / Clerk of Volta Presbytery) 2. Emmanuel Kwame Tettey (Presbyterian Church of Ghana / Research Assistant, Interfaith Research and Resource Centre, Accra / born 1986) Participants from Korea, Japan, South Africa and Germany 3. Rev Lee, Jung Gon, (Presbyterian Church of Korea/ Senior Pastor of Dansandong Church / born 1959) 4. Rahel Anne Römer, (Protestant Church in Baden / deacon and social worker in Mannheim / born 1989) 5. Rev. Asao Mochizuki (United Church of Christ in Japan/ Pastor of Kyodon Yotsukaido Church / born 1983)) EMS “Mission Moves” Team Visit I Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Page 3 of 43 6. Friederike Faller (Evangelical Church in Württemberg / Youth Worker in a local YMCA Berlin / born 1985) 7. Schulamit Kriener (German East-Asia Mission / student of Koreanistic and Law in London/ born 1989) 8. Aphiwe Mpeka (Moravian Church in South Africa / Student of Theology / Vice President of Moravian Youth Union / born 1989) 9. Rev. Heike Bosien (Evangelical Church in Württemberg/ Executive Secretary, Service for Mission, Ecumenism and Development (DiMOE) / born 1970) Team visiting the Johannes Zimmermann memorial in Abokobi, the first so called “Salem” in Ghana 3. Mission starts with “A” like Abokobi, Abetifi, Akropong, Akuapem: Our Itinerary The itinerary for the visit was drawn by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, its contents stemming largely from Rev. Samuel Odjelua, Director of Ecumenical and Social Relations for the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Emmanuel Tettey, Research Assistant, Interfaith Research and Resource Centre, Accra and Rev. Elizabeth Aduama, Pastor of Anum Congregation and Clerk of Volta Presbytery. “We believe in the world wide church”, said Rev. Samuel Odjelua when he welcomed the team on its first day in Ghana. This belief and commitment motivated him to invite the EMS Team Visit. “The PCG as it stands was installed by missionaries”, underlined Rev. Elizabeth Aduama. “We always see the church as being in motion. People left their homes. They lost a lot. It is a duty to go out and make disciples. We now have a lot of evangelistic drive. For mission is a long vocation.” Through this visit the Team had the opportunity to experience this vocation. EMS “Mission Moves” Team Visit I Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Page 4 of 43 The itinerary was drawn as a journey throughout the history of Basel Mission in Ghana which started in 1828. And it gave the opportunity to experience this commission today and its challenges influenced by the heritage of Mission in the past. The group began each day with a devotional which Team members took turns in leading. These moments of sharing the bible, prayers and songs offered an opportunity to get to know something about the spiritual background of each participant and his and her church tradition in the different countries. Mission moves from South to the North, from East to the West! Itinerary of the Team Visit 1st Day : Friday, 11 th Sept. 2015 Lodge at Presbyterian Women Centre , Abokobi 2nd Day: Zimmermann-Day Briefing and g etting to know the team members. Saturday, 12 th September 2015 Visit Abokobi (Ga Presbytery): Zimmermann Memorial, Basel Mission Cemetery. Church of Abokobi. Travel to Akropong (Akuapem Hospitality Centre). 3rd Day: Riis and Christaller-Day Church Service at Christ Congregation, Sunday 13 th September 2015 Akropong (Akuapem Presbytery): Visit some historic sites at Akropong. ‘Mother of all schools’, Akrofi-Christaller Institute, School for blind children. 4th Day: Ramseyer-Day Travel to Abetifi : Visit some historic sites. Monday 14 th September 2015 Memorial Service for the Missionaries. Theatre by a Women Group telling the story of Ramseyer. Spend the night at the Ramseyer Training Centre. EMS “Mission Moves” Team Visit I Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) Page 5 of 43 5th Day: Ashanti-Day and the relations Travel to Kumasi . Visit historic sites. Spend between missionaries and traditional leaders the night at the Basel Mission Guest House. Tuesday 15 th September 2015. 6th Day: Creation Day - Care for nature, the Leave Kumasi and pass through Akyem problem of climate change and the effect of mining Abuakwa Presbytery on the way to Accra; Wednesday 16 th September 2015 Discover the drums of Ramseyer in Kwaso Meeting in Kyebi, a mining area. 7th Day: Symposium in Accra: Visit Historic sites at Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian 200 Years of Basel Mission Church / Symposium and International Mission th Thursday 17 September 2015 Exhibition Ebenezer Church Hall in Osu 8th Day: Day on Education and Self- Travel to Anum and Odumase Sufficiency Krobo / Visit the Ghana-German-Korean Friday 18 th September 2015 Computer Training School at Akosombo. 9th Day: Day of Reflection Work on the Report / Discussion on the main topics Saturday 19 th September 2015 10 th Day: Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Service at the Osu Ebenezer Sunday 20 th September 2015 celebrating 200 years of Basel Mission; in Accra th 11 Day: Visit the PCG General Assembly Office Monday 21st September 2015 at 10.00 am.