History Made in Ghana
Diocesan Press Service. August 9, 1965 [XXXIV-2]
Ralph S. Dean, Executive Officer, Anglican Communion
Ask any person well informed about missionary matters who was the first African priest to be ordained in the Anglican Communion, and when it was, and the answer will usually be Samuel Adjai Crowther who in fact became the first African bishop about a hundred years ago. I confess that until recently I would have given just that answer. Imagine my surprise therefore, when I learned that the first African ordained priest was Philip Quaque of Ghana (then the Gold Coast) and that his ordination took place 200 years ago-on May 1st, 1765!
It is an amazing and little known story. In 1754 the first Anglican missionary to West Africa--the Rev. Thomas Thompson--sent three native lads to England from Cape Coast, Ghana to be educated and trained for the ministry. Alas, only one survived and he was Philip Quaque. After due training he was ordained to the priesthood by the Bishop of London in the Chapel Royal in St. James, London, on May 1st, 1765. He was not only the first African priest to be ordained in the Anglican Communion--he was the first non-European to be so ordained since the Reformation.
His story is one of humble, patient, devoted service in and around the Castle in Cape Coast, seeking to serve Europeans and Africans alike. The fifty extant letters he wrote to England speak of loneliness, sometimes of despair, of lack of encouragement from his superiors, and a sense of his unworthiness and inadequacy.
Yet, without a doubt, in a real sense his ministry in all its loneliness and difficulty sowed the seeds from which has sprung the vigorous church life which is now to be seen in the Diocese of Accra. These thoughts were in my mind when I flew to Ghana to take part in the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Philip Quaque's ordination. As the plane touched down in Accra on May 1st, the tremendous spirit of independent Ghana struck me at once. "Welcome to Ghana. Long Live May 1st". screamed at me from the banner over the entrance to the Air Terminal. There was little doubt of Ghanian attachment to that particular form of African socialism called "Nkrumahism". The sense of it permeated the atmosphere everywhere and made one conscious of it throughout the week spent in Ghana.
By the most happy arrangement the Quaque celebrations coincided with the first meeting of the Provincial Synod of West Africa ever to be held in Ghana, an event all the more significant since it was probably the last meeting of that Synod as presently constituted, since seven dioceses of Nigeria are likely to form the United Church of Nigeria in December together with the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches of that country. History was certainly being made on all sides!
A ninety mile drive took us to Cape Coast, to the magnificent Anglican boys school called Adisadel College -- a college which has provided Ghana with many of its leaders. This College with its 600 pupils has a wonderful principal in the person of Mr. Robert Orleans-Pobee, himself a Ghanian and a man who has spent almost the whole of his life as pupil, teacher, and principal of the school. Highly intelligent, well-trained, and a devoted and enthusiastic churchman he is much sought after by other educational institutions, but despite the more lucrative posts he is offered, he refuses to be tempted. There can belittle doubt that the enthusiastic staff, including a fine young Canadian, as well as the students gain their sense of loyalty from this magnificent Christian. I certainly thank God that now I can number Bob Pobee among my friends.
It was in the courtyard of this college that the local Ghanians welcomed the delegates to the Provincial Synod. Never surely has a Synod been so welcomed! Groups of dancers in what appeared to be teams, clad in red or green or yellow each performed. It was intriguing to notice that these are the colours of the flag in Ghana and this and the fact that it was May 1st gave the unmistakable impression of a proud sense of independence. And when the dancers gave way to an exhibition of flag waving, the impression was quite indelible. Yet equally obvious, it was truly a welcome to a Christian Synod by Christians, and the sight of the dancers bending low over the feet of the Archbishop and beseeching his blessing showed how truly national pride and Christian devotion were intermingled. And all the time excited participants fired blank cartridges in the air! Whatever the quality of the session of the forthcoming synod might be, it was certainly prefaced by fireworks!
Sunday May 2nd dawned clear and fiercely hot, and by 9 a. m. Christ Church, Cape Coast was absolutely packed with enthusiastic worshipers. It was to be a High Mass and I was to be the preacher. In the West, an invitation to preach at the Eucharist is usually accompanied with a polite if oblique request to keep the sermon short. Not so in Ghana! Indeed I was told that the people would be deeply disappointed if there was not a full-length sermon. They had come to worship and time was of no consequence. Nor was it. The service took a full three hours and everyone enjoyed every minute of it! How different from the West where having gone to Church we seek to leave it as soon as possible. In Ghana people positively enjoy worship and the longer the better. Where we sing one hymn they will sing three or four running, with vast enjoyment and tremendous enthusiasm. What a thrill it was! "Surely the Lord is in this place", I found myself repeating again and again. It was certainly the highest High Mass I have ever attended, beautifully celebrated by the Bishop of Accra and superbly organized by the Reverend Father A.D. Amoah who would be an asset as a major-domo to any diocese whatever its churchmanship anywhere in the world.
There followed in the afternoon a diocesan reception, and the way the deeply religious African can easily move from say, prayer to dancing, and back again was a most moving experience. The day ended unforgettably, a large procession wended its way through the castle gates and grouped itself round the simple grave of Philip Quaque, marked only by his initials P. Q. and dates of his birth and death. As the Bishop of Sierra Leone spoke movingly of him one thought Philip was much more honoured in his death than ever he was in his life. The Communion of Saints sprang to immediate life. Was Philip embarrassed by it all I wondered, or did he share the joy of all of us at the vigorous life of the Church in Ghana! After Solemn Evensong, a torchlight procession round the city and the abiding sense that here the Church was proud of its existence, and prouder still of its Lord. Who dares to say the younger churches have nothing to teach us? The Church in Ghana certainly has!