Early Beginnings of the Educational Activities of the Seventth-Day Adventist (Sda) Church in Ashanti at Agona Township, Ghana, 1914 – 1932: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

This paper examines the early educational endeavours of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in Ashanti Region of Ghana from 1914 to 1932. In particular, it focuses on the pivotal role played by the church in its formative period in Ghana towards the accelerated development of a key traditional township in Ashanti namely Agona and its environs. It further looks at the teething challenges that confronted the educational activities of the church. Utilizing historical and analytical review of both primary and secondary documentary evidence as well as some interview sessions with key figures of the church and of the Agona township, the author examines briefly the introduction of the SDA Mission in Agona, Ashanti and discusses in some detail, the Agona-State and SDA Church relations .It further examines the aspects of education promoted in and around Agona and the challenges of the early educational endeavours of the mission. The study revealed, inter alia, that the establishment of cordial relationship between the pioneer missionaries of the church and the Agona traditional council  facilitated the promotion of holistic education in the form socio-economic, moral and intellectual advancement of the people. The main challenge however was inadequate funding and lack of adequately

trained teachers.

Key words: Seventh-day Adventist Mission/Church, Agona-Ashanti, Agricultural/farming education, Industrial/technical education, Character-training and Religious education.