Imagine Accra in 1924. Claude Brown arrived. He was a Bible Student from the West Indies. He started sharing the Kingdom message. This was the beginning of JW in Ghana.
The good news spread quickly. Bible study groups formed throughout the country. By 1927 the first Gold Coast natives were baptized. During the 1930s and early 1940s, the brothers faced trials. Their Christian neutrality was tested. But Jehovah blessed their efforts. By the end of World War II in 1945, nearly 600 Witnesses were in Ghana.
In June 1947, more help arrived. Brothers George Baker and Sidney Wilkinson were the first Gilead-trained missionaries. Within five years, Kingdom proclaimers grew to nearly 4,500. A branch office was established in 1948. It oversaw the preaching work. Thousands more joined in pure worship.
Today nearly 160,000 Witnesses share in preaching. They make disciples throughout Ghana. The Ghana branch translates Bible materials. They translate into 12 Ghanaian languages.
A special program marked 100 years of the Good News in Ghana. It was held on November 9, 2024. Over 500 people attended the event. Videos reenactments and talks highlighted key moments.
Brother Samuel Kwesie spoke. He is a member of the Ghana Branch Committee. He recounted trials and blessings. He quoted Isaiah 60:22. He said: “The little one will become a thousand.”
Ghana is located in West Africa. Until March 6, 1957, it was known as the Gold Coast. The indigenous religion is based on animism. The question of the soul is important. People worship rivers and lakes. They revere certain animals. Mountains, rocks, trees are held in superstitious awe.
The Portuguese introduced the cult of Saint Anthony. Today the people of Elmina have built a shrine. They call it Nana Ntuna. They also created an attendant god. His name is Brafu Kweku.
Two centuries passed. Then Protestant missions tried to evangelize the Gold Coast. The Basel and Bremen missionaries studied native languages. They reduced Twi, Ewe and Ga to writing. By 1871 the entire Bible was available in these languages.
The translations were accurate. The Divine Name was used. It appeared as Iehowa and Yehowa. The early missionaries taught the people. They taught that the name of God is Iehowa or Yehowa. They established schools. They produced books.
After World War I education grew. Churches were linked to schools. It was prestigious to be baptized. But many churchgoers continued pagan practices. They paid homage to ancestral gods.
In the 1920s, some Africans felt the churches were a fraud. Men like Eddy Addo and J. B. Commey sought truth. They questioned church practices. I. K. Norman challenged the Trinity doctrine. These men found animism unsatisfactory. Christendom had failed them.
In 1924, Claude Brown arrived. He helped them learn the truth. He had been jailed for neutrality. He left Winnipeg Canada. He sailed to Sierra Leone. There he teamed up with W. R. Brown.
Claude Brown lectured in the Gold Coast and Nigeria. He located a Sierra Leonian family in Accra. They owned the Merry Villas. It was a popular spot for lectures. Claude Brown used the hall for his Bible lectures.
He put up posters advertising the lectures. People wondered: Where are the dead? Some refused to go to church. They wanted to hear the strange Bible expositor.
By 2:30 p.m. the hall was half full. No less than 500 people were present. There was no elaborate platform. There was just a writing table. Claude Brown introduced his talk. He pointed out that death is a universal problem. He refuted the idea that the ancient worthies went straight to heaven.
After a second lecture Eddy Addo took great interest. He helped Claude Brown put up posters. Claude Brown distributed books on the streets. Some attendees formed a discussion group. They asked him to stay. He assured them help would be sent.
Thus 1924 saw the installation of spiritual light in the Gold Coast. The truth traveled countrywide. Claude Brown’s lectures set off a chain reaction. J. O. Blankson was one example. He initially disagreed. Then he changed sides.
Today, the legacy of JW in Accra remains. It is a testament to faith. It highlights perseverance and growth. It all began with Claude Brown’s arrival. The impact continues to resonate throughout Ghana.