The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has begun the Bicentennial Ecumenical Pilgrimage to Switzerland and Germany, a historic journey tracing the church’s missionary roots and strengthening long‑standing ecumenical partnerships.
The 11‑day pilgrimage, which commenced on Friday, 4th September 2026, brings together a high‑level delegation of church leaders, ministers, congregants and Head Office staff for a series of institutional visits, services and engagements with partner churches and mission organisations.
The delegation arrived in Basel on Saturday, 5th September, where Mission 21 Director, Rev. Jochen Kirsch, welcomed them. After settling, the group began its programme with a guided introduction to the city, and a welcome lunch hosted by Mission 21.
On Sunday, 6th September, the team will worship at the Collegial Church in Neuchâtel, the historic congregation associated with missionary Fritz Ramseyer. The visit will include fellowship with congregants and a tour of the Church Museum (Missionsstube), offering participants deeper appreciation of the early missionary movement that shaped Presbyterian witness in Ghana.
The pilgrimage continues on Monday, 7th September, with a trip to Bern and a meeting with Ghana’s Ambassador to Switzerland. Delegates will also visit the House of Religions, an intercultural and interfaith centre reflecting Switzerland’s diverse religious landscape.
A major highlight next week will be the delegation’s tour of the Basel Mission Archives and Mission House. The archives hold invaluable records of the Basel Mission’s work in Ghana, while the Mission House remains a symbol of the Church’s historic partnership with the Swiss mission movement.
The team will also travel to Zürich for a city tour and a visit to the Grossmünster, one of the most significant churches in the Reformation tradition, before continuing to Lörrach, Baden, for further engagements.
The pilgrimage will then move to Stuttgart, Germany, where the delegation will visit the EMS Secretariat and travel to Bad Boll for a tour of the Bad Boll Karhaus. Planned visits also include Basel for Missionary Day, Winnenden, the birthplace of missionary Johannes Christaller, and the Sepulchral Chapel in Württemberg.
The group will worship at St. Peter’s Evangelical Church in Gerlingen, interact with descendants of early missionaries and participate in a local street festival before concluding the trip with worship at a PCG congregation in Stuttgart.
The Bicentennial Ecumenical Pilgrimage forms part of the PCG’s celebration of 200 years of Presbyterian witness, honouring the foundations laid by early missionaries and strengthening partnerships for the future.
By Jerome Otchere
