Ghana

Ghana
Workshop session at Accra Regional Conference, 2009.
Location of Ghana
National Assembly		Ghana
Statistics:
Total Population
-	UN 2021	32,833,031
Bahá'í pop.
-	Bahá'í source
-	Non-Bahá'í source	17,949
History: Firsts
-	Local Bahá'í	Albert Buapiah
-	Pioneers	Ethel Robertson Stephens
-	National Assembly	1970
How to contact:
-	Email	bahaighana@yahoo.com
Official Website		https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/ghana
Related media
Categories: Ghana • People

The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. The official language of the country is English, but numerous native languages are widely spoken as well.

The region has been inhabited since the prehistoric era, and from the ninth century several kingdoms have held power in the region, most notably the Ashanti kingdom which was an Empire by the 17th century. In 1900 the British Empire officially annexed the region and establishing the colonies of the Gold Coast, the Ashanti Protectorate which was under the jurisdiction of the Gold Coast, and the Northern Territories. In 1956 British Togoland voted to become apart of the Gold Coast, and in 1957 the entire region declared independence as the nation of Ghana.

The Bahá'í Faith was first present in Ghana in the early 1950's, and by the early 1960's it had been firmly established with several Local Spiritual Assemblies. A National Spiritual Assembly was established in 1970 and the community has continued to develop to the present day.

History

The colony of the Gold Coast was opened to the Faith in 1951 by Ethel Robertson Stephens, an African American Bahá'í from Virginia, who pioneered to the colony for one year. At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 the Ashanti Protectorate, the Northern Territories Protectorate, and British Togoland were set as goal territories in which the Faith was to be established in.

Major E. Dunne and his wife Zahra moved to the Gold Coast in May 1953 settling first in Accra, but relocating to Topremang after being unable to find work. Albert Buapiah became the first Bahá'í of the Gold Coast in Topremang in October 1953 after being introduced to the Faith by the Dunne's, and his wife, Grace, also accepted the Faith. The third convert was Abu Appiah Sam, and by November 1953 there were ten Bahá'ís in the Gold Coast. Godwill Fiawoo, a Bahá'í from the area who had converted to the Faith while studying in the USA returned to the Gold Coast around this time. A Local Spiritual Assembly was established in Topremang and also in Osenase where Buapiah had moved to establish the Faith. The Dunne's were unable to renew their visas and departed for Liberia in January 1954.

The Northern Territories Protectorate was the first Ten Year Crusade goal in modern day Ghana to be opened to the Faith, with Julius Edwards pioneering to the colony from Jamaica, arriving on September 29, 1953, and converting three locals during his time there, however he was unable to secure permission to remain in the colony and had to depart after three months, moving to Liberia. In April 1954 Shoghi Effendi tasked Enoch Olinga with securing volunteers to open goal territories to the Faith, and Enoch secured several volunteers in the Cameroons, and later the same month Benedict Eballa opened the Ashanti Protectorate to the Faith, Edward Tabe opened British Togoland to the Faith, and was soon joined by Albert Buapiah, and Martin Manga re-opened the Northern Territories Protectorate to the Faith.

The National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa formed in 1956 was given the responsibility of administrating the Faith in the region of Ghana. In 1957 David and Esther Tanyi pioneered to Ghana, and in April 1957 a Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in Ghana. In 1958 the Hands of the Cause mentioned Ghana in their message to the Intercontinental Conference in Kampala, Uganda, noting the importance of strengthening the teaching work in the then relatively newly formed country. When Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister of Ghana, visited the United States in 1958 the United States National Spiritual Assembly had a letter expressing appreciation for his efforts towards religious freedom forwarded to him. The Bahá'í community of Ghana doubled its number of Local Spiritual Assemblies and membership from 1959 to 1960.

As of 1962 there were Local Spiritual Assemblies in Kumasi, Anyirawase, Ho, Matse, Accra, Osenase, Chanayili, Pagaza, Wamale, Lagu and Tamale. In 1962 Bahá'í Doctors Alfred and Charlotte Neumann moved to Ghana on a public health mission sponsored by Harvard University, giving up a private practice in order to be of service. In 1963 the National Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa was formed, assuming administration of the Faith in Ghana at the national level. At the opening of the Nine Year Plan in 1964 there were ten Local Spiritual Assemblies in Ghana, thirty-four areas with Bahá'í groups, and forty four localities opened to the Faith. The goal was set for Ghana to establish forty Local Spiritual Assemblies and incorporate ten by 1973. In late 1968 a Bahá'í Teaching institute was held in Accra and another in Channyile. In 1969 a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was purchased in Accra, and it was dedicated at the first National Convention of Ghana the following year.

In March 1970 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum visited Ghana during her tour of West Africa arriving in Accra on March 2 for a brief visit, during which she visited the newly purchased National Bahá'í Headquarters. She gave three lectures and a television interview, and a longer visit to the country was planned for later in her tour. In April 1970 the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Ghana was established in Accra, with Hand of the Cause Jalál Kháḍih attending the Convention at which it was formed. In June 1970 Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qásim Faizi visited Ghana and gave a series of talks in Accra, and was able to give a joint television interview with Jalál Kháḍih in the country. In November 1970 a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh was presented to the Asantehene, ruler of the Ashanti people, at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi by Geraldine Ankrah, an American pioneer. In late November 1970 Rúhíyyih Khánum returned to Accra, Ghana, arriving on November 20 and she, Violette Nakhjavani, and Chair of the National Spiritual Assembly, Golgasht Mossafai, met with the Acting Prime Minister, Education Minister and Minister of Information on November 27. She gave an address to young women at a Teacher's Training College in Tamale, and met with Asantehene Otomfuo Opoku Ware II in Kumasi. She also visited Pagaza village in Northern Ghana.

As of 1971 Ghana had twenty-nine Local Spiritual Assemblies and one hundred and seven localities had been opened to the Faith. Counsellor William Maxwell attended the second Ghana National Convention in April 1971. In 1971 Rúhíyyih Khánum visited Ghana again, beginning by visiting the city of Takoradi and the village of Adukrom. She spoke at Ghana National College and at the Catholic Holy Child College. When she arrived in Accra she was able to meet five pioneers who were departing for other parts of Accra. From Accra she visited surrounding villages which had been opened to the Faith visiting Domiabra, Amanfro, and Matsi on one day, Kewimango and Pedause on another day, and Ashiaman shortly before the end of her visit.

In August 1972 Bahá'í Holy Days received recognition from the government of Ghana. In 1973 the Bahá'í National Teaching Institute of Ghana completed construction in Fankyenebra, six miles from Kumasi. In 1974 the Ghana Bahá'í community was invited to serve on an Ad-Hoc Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a Human Rights Day observance, the only religious group to be invited, with the Vice-Chair of the national Assembly acting as a representative. In July 1975 the first West African International Youth Conference was held in Accra at which Enoch Olinga represented the Universal House of Justice, and one hundred and twenty one youth volunteered to pioneer and travel teach. Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir also visited Ghana between 1973 and 1976.

In July 1976 a Teaching Conference for Togo and Ghana was held in Accra. In 1977 a Paramount Chief in Ghana wrote an appreciation of Bahá'í literature that he had received. Some large gatherings to proclaim the Faith in Ghana in 1977, with a slide show on the Faith being presented to the entire community of Asebu, a proclamation event attended by two hundred being held in Ankroman, and four meetings being held in two days, two of which received high attendance despite being held at 6:30 in the morning, in Akoasi. In January 1979 Collis Featherstone visited Ghana with his wife, visiting Kumasi where he gave a talk at a university and met with the Queen Mother of the Ashanti. He also spoke in Accra. As of 1979 Ghana had seventy-seven Assemblies, four of which were incorporated, had opened three hundred and thirty localities to the Faith, and secured eighteen Local and one Regional Bahá'í Center.

In 1980 a teaching campaign held from July to October resulted in over one thousand declarations, and thirty-three new Local Assemblies being established, with thirteen Chiefs and one Paramount Chief declaring. In 1981 another teaching campaign was held from August to September in northeast Ghana which resulted in one thousand and eighty-seven declarations, forty-four new Local Assemblies, and the opening of six localities to the Faith. In 1981 the Timonde Tutorial School was established by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Timonde, and in 1983 the school was absorbed into the public school system. In 1984 the Bahá'í International Community donated $5,000 to an emergency appeal for Ghana. In 1984 a teaching campaign was held in the Enchi District of Ghana from July to September which resulted in two hundred and ninety one declarations.

In December 1985 the Promise of World Peace by the Universal House of Justice was indirectly presented to the President of Ghana through the Secretary for Culture and Tourism. In 1987 a teaching team of thirty undertook a teaching trip through Nzema land, forming five Local Spiritual Assemblies and opening eighteen localities to the Faith. In January 1988 the first Bahá'í Women's Conference in west Ghana was held in Bowodie with seventy-eight attending, including Counsellor Beatrice Asare. In September 1988 Asare presented The Promise of World Peace to the Asantahene in Kumasi. From July to September 1989 twenty-five Bahá'ís conducted a teaching campaign in Gonja district, securing one hundred and forty declarations, and establishing seven Local Spiritual Assemblies.

In August 1992 the Bahá'ís of Ghana organized a symposium on the environment in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Council of Ghana. In October 1992 Bahá'ís participated in a Peace March in Accra. From 1996 to 1997 the Bahá'í National Women's Committee of Ghana developed programs to promote family health and helping women reach their full potential. In August 1998 the Light of Unity musical group toured Ghana, with thirty six people declaring in response to their performances. In June 1999 the Ghana government opened an Institute of Local Government Studies in Madina to train local government employees, and a Bahá'í delegation donated a set of Bahá'í books to the newly formed body. In 1999 the Olinga Foundation for Human Development, a Bahá'í-inspired non-governmental organization, was founded and it held a workshop on moral leadership in Accra in 2001.

In 2004 the 50th Anniverary of the Bahá'í Faith in Ghana was celebrated. The book Conquering the Hearts about the history of the Bahá'í Faith in Ghana written by by Akwasi Osei was launched at the celebration. During the celebrations there were musical performances, talks, and accounts of the early years of the Faith in the country from early Bahá'ís Blanche Fredua-Agyemang, Emmanuel Budu, Ernest Bentsil, and Prince Abaidoo. In 2009 a Regional Bahá'í Conference was held in Accra with 1,700 attendees.

In 2013 one of 114 Bahá'í Youth Conferences held across the world was held in Accra with 670 youth from Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone attending the event at Accra Academy Secondary School. In 2017 the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh received press coverage in Ghana, with local reports estimating that there were 3,000 Bahá'ís in ten regions of the country.

See also

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