Bremen Missionary Activities Among the Avatime: Their Socio-Economic and Religio- Cultural Impact

Abstract

As part of the Great Commission, European Missionaries took it upon themselves to evangelise in West Africa. They faced diverse challenges including language barrier and the effects of tropical diseases. However, their presence impacted the lives of the natives they lived with. In Ghana, the Bremen Missionaries are one of the major missionary groups to have propagated the Gospel in the then Gold Coast in the 1880’s. The principal focus of this study is to highlight fifty-eight years (1882-1940) of missionary activities by Bremen Mission and their socio-economic and religio-cultural impact on Avatime. The study adopted the qualitative research method to examine the topic. The researcher engaged in participant observations and used relevant text books as secondary sources. Focus Group Interviews were also conducted to elicit vital information from three main youth groups who were Christians, Muslims and Avatime Traditional Religious Activists. The study revealed some challenges faced by the Bremen missionaries and the strategies they implemented in order to overcome the challenges. The study also highlighted the overwhelming positive impacts the activities of the Bremen missionaries had on the entire way of life of the people of Avatime. In addition, this research drew attention to the relationship between the Bremen Mission and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana in Avatime. In the end, it was evident that, the spirit of co-operation exists among the various religious groups in Avatime although each group still maintains it doctrines. Finally, the study concludes that, within the Ghanaian context in general and Avatime in particular, mission should not only be seen in the proclamation of the word but also in the light of secular education that goes a long way to embrace enrichment of culture through science and technology.