The Ghanaian Perspective: Opinion Articles on Current Issues

In 1869, when war broke out between the Ashantis and the people of Ho, several atrocities were inflicted on the people of Ho, who had already converted to Christianity at the time.

The Ashantis took away the treasured church bell belonging to the then Ewe Presbyterian Church from Ho-Kpodzi to Kumasi.

After 34 years, the German Governor of Eweland, Adolf Friedrick Herzog Zu Macklenburg, who was based in Lome, Togo, ordered the return of the bell which was a donation from Sunday School children of the Bremen Mission in Germany, back to Ho.

The bell was returned broken and handed over to the Administrator of the German colonial authorities, Dr Hans Grunner, who sent it to Amedzofe, where it remained for 26 years.

In 1929, German missionary of the church, Rev. Alex Funke brought it back to Ho-Kpodzi, its original home, after it spent 60 years in captivity.

Old bell

The bell was manufactured in Stuttgart for the Nord Bremen Mission in 1857, meaning it is 166 years old.

The bell has since rested silently in front of the old chapel of what is now the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG) at Ho-Kpodzi, leaving many visitors with more questions than answers.

It is one of the striking relics of the presence of the Bremen Missionaries at Ho-Kpodzi.

Old chapel, cemetery

Apart from the broken bell, the old chapel at Ho-Kpodzi is one of the oldest storey buildings in the Volta Region.

It was built between 1860 and 1864.

The ground floor was the place of worship, while the top served as a middle school in those days.

It has withstood the test of time and remained an imposing structure in Ho till date.

The missionary cemetery at Ho-Kpodzi also adds to the rich church history of Ho-Kpodzi.

Meanwhile, an old German-style building which served as a kindergarten on the ground floor and pastors’ residence on the top floor is now being rehabilitated, to be used as a museum for historical data and other materials for the EPCG.

“So, this sets the ground for a vigorous tourism development plan by the church,” said the Clerk of the General Assembly of the EPCG, Rev. Dr Lawson Dzanku.

He said there were plans to fence the old part of Ho-Kpodzi before embarking on a drive to attract visitors to the place which still features some almond trees introduced to the locals by the missionaries.

Today, although one part of Ho-Kpodzi features the offices of the headquarters of the EPCG, the massive Dela Cathedral, the Kekeli Hotel and other modern buildings, including clinics and manses, many visitors to Ho-Kpodzi are held captive by the old side, where the old chapel, broken church bell and old brick buildings in a serene environment can be found.

Also preserved in its original state at Ho-Kpodzi is the residence of the first Headmaster of the Mawuli School, Rev. Walter Trost.

The antic missionary buildings, the broken church bell and the entire layout of the Ho-Kpodzi community are, indeed, treasures ideal for tourism development.

The EPCG has 748 congregations and membership of 600,000.

Over the decades, the church has built schools, hospitals and contributed massively to the social development of the country.

So, successfully raising the funds for the envisaged tourism development plan, is to be expected without difficulty.