CELEBRATING OUR HERITAGE: HONOURING A FORGOTTEN FLAME, MANTSE FETREKE OF OSU
In a moving and deeply reflective public lecture delivered at the historic Eben-Ezer Congregation in Osu of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, led the Church and members of the Osu community on a journey through time, to celebrate a remarkable yet oft-forgotten servant of God and son of the land—Mantse Fetreke of Osu, also known as Dowuona of Osu.
The lecture, under the topic: “Celebrating Our Heritage – Honouring a Forgotten Flame, Mantse Fetreke of Osu,” was a poignant biography and tribute to one of the most influential figures in the intersection of traditional leadership and early Christian mission in Ghana. With a commanding presence and academic depth, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Opare Kwakye unfolded the story of Dowuona with an opening from Esther 6, where the king had sleepless night until the good deeds of Modecai was recovered and honoured. This is the turn Noi Dowuona who served faithfully but has been forgotten.
The lecture began with a historical overview of Osu, one of the oldest and most culturally rich communities along the Gulf of Guinea. Formerly known as Danish-Accra due to the influence of Danish colonial settlers, Osu has long been a cradle of politics, commerce, tradition, and education.
The Moderator emphasized Osu’s pivotal role in early missionary enterprise, noting how Major Johann Christian von Richelieu, who was the Danish Governor of Christiansborg arrived at Osu and his call for the reintroduction of chaplaincy at Christiansborg. This request to the Danish Government brought in the first batch of missionaries Basel Missionary Society (BMS).
The BMS sent four young men, three Germans and a Swiss in response to the request. They were Karl F. Salbach, Gottlieb Holzwarth, Johannes Henke and Johannes G. Schmidt. When they left Basel, they went to Copenhagen where they were ordained by the Bishop of Zealand. It was in Copenhagen that the group encountered a young African prince from Osu, Nii Noi Dowuona, who had been baptised in Copenhagen and who became their travelling companion to Christiansborg.
Tracing the roots of Dowuona, the Moderator highlighted the extraordinary chapter of his life that took him to Copenhagen, Denmark. A rare feat for a Ga youth of his time, Dowuona’s journey to Europe was pitched on two reasons from the father, King Notei Dowuona, then Osu Manste to the Danish Governor Richelieu: 1. Pursue scientific studies in Europe and 2. Train as a Christian. He received formal education and exposure to European Christian doctrine, an experience that would later shape his life as a bridge between cultures, traditions, and the faith.
During his sojourn in Denmark, the young Osu prince converted to Christianity, a realization of his father’s second hope. Consequently, he was baptized on 14th June 1828, and named Frederik after the Danish King, Frederik VI, who had saved him from Richelieu. Hans Debrunner indicates that it was a great occasion and was celebrated in Copenhagen. Moderator noted that, his conversion and baptism had both religious and political consequences.
“Dowuona had, by his baptism, rejected the religion of his ancestors and adopted the religion of the foreigner.”
He saw himself as an African Christian in return from the diaspora with a mission to bring the gospel to his own people. He can therefore be placed among the category of diasporan Africans like Protten, Quaque, Crowther, and the many West Indian groups who returned to Africa with the gospel.
When the Basel missionaries sailed from Copenhagen to the Gold Coast in The Hope, Dowuona was their travelling companion. Due to the distance, the journey takes several months. Dowuona prepared the missionaries for the evangelistic mission in the Gold Coast, Dowuona provided them with free tuition in the Ga language on board the ship.
Returning to the Gold Coast with new knowledge and a burning zeal for God, Dowuona served as a teacher and missionary assistant, working alongside Basel Missionaries as interpreter. His dedication to education and evangelism was instrumental in spreading literacy and Christian values among the Ga people. He can be described as “a flame of knowledge and faith,” igniting transformation through both the chalkboard and the pulpit.
The lecture highlighted the effect of the death of the three missionaries in rapid succession, Holzwarth, Schmidt and Salbach. Although downhearted, Henke and Dowuona refused to give up. In a correspondence between Henke and the Inspector of the Mission, he mentioned the support of Dowuona and urged the mission to send new brothers along. As he waited for these new brothers, Henke wrote that with the support of Dowuona, “the school has 100 children, 22 mulattoes to be baptized on Easter Monday or Pentecost Monday, depending on level of preparation”.
Perhaps, the most profound segment of the lecture, is when Rt. Rev. Dr. Opare Kwakye spoke about Dowuona’s eventual enthronement as Osu Mantse (chief). This development symbolized the culmination of a life devoted to the well-being of his people—spiritually, culturally, and politically. As Mantse Fetreke, Dowuona’s legacy became one of service, wisdom, and humility, reminding the Church and community of the enduring power of leadership rooted in faith and selflessness.
However, Dowuona’s journey was not without struggle. The Moderator recounted the changing fortunes that defined Dowuona’s later years—moments of opposition, cultural tension, and the burden of navigating dual allegiances to both the stool and the church. These challenges, the Moderator noted, mirror the struggles faced by many African pioneers who straddled tradition and transformation in the colonial and post-colonial eras.
The lecture concluded with a heartfelt call to the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and Ghanaian society to rediscover and celebrate the forgotten flames in our history—those who, like Mantse Fetreke, sacrificed personal ambition for the greater good of faith and nation. The Moderator encouraged a renewed appreciation for heritage, the documentation of indigenous Christian history, and the empowerment of local communities through historical awareness and pride.
As hymns of gratitude and remembrance echoed through the Eben-Ezer Congregation, the name Dowuona of Osu was restored—not just to memory, but with the unveiling of a plaque of honour.
“May his (Dowuona’s) example urge us to be a light in our time. Even when we are not acknowledged let us work for the Lord who will honour us in due season” — Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye
