Seven Day Adventis Church

In 1894, the seeds of Adventism were sown in Ghana. This was the humble beginning of the Seven Day Adventis Church in Accra. The first missionaries, Edward Sanford and Karl Rudolph, arrived at Apam. Malaria forced Sanford’s return. Rudolph persevered, shifting the base to Cape Coast. Cape Coast officially became the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in West Africa in 1895. Dudley Hale arrived with a team. This included nurses George and Eva Kerr, and colporteur G. P. Riggs. They joined Rudolph who had already relocated. The Seven Day Adventis Church in Accra continued to grow. In 1897, the first baptisms in West Africa took place. Francis Dolphijn, Fred Dolphijn, Isaac Dolphijn, and George Peter Grant were baptized by Hale. Grant, along with Dawson and Dolphijn, then spread Adventism along Ghana’s coast. The Seven Day Adventis Church’s story intertwined with education in 1907. Christian Ackah established the first Adventist school in Cape Coast. He later brought Adventism to his hometown, Kikam. Kikam became a new headquarters in 1908. The first official SDA school, built by Ackah, opened in Kikam that same year. The Seven Day Adventis Church continued to expand its reach. In 1915, William Lewis pioneered work in Agona, Asante. The paramount chief of Agona, Nana Kwame Boakye, donated land. Lewis built a house and a school. This school became a central hub for Adventist education in the region. In 1921, J. K. Garbrah became the first Ghanaian Adventist minister. The Seven Day Adventis Church in Accra has played a crucial role in Adventist history within Ghana.