Saturday we prepared to make our final day trip from our base city in Obuasi to visit the Cape Coast Castle. It was this area that many of our foreparents were forcibly taken from their homeland to be taken to the shores of the Americas . As we made the 4 hour trip to Cape Coast we traveled through many small villages, people selling their wares to villagers and visitors alike. We also witnessed the rich culture of the Ghanaian people.
For many the Cape Coast tour brings back bad memories of how Africans were treated in order to make it through the slave dungeons through the "Door of No Return". For those who had never been, it gave them a new sense of pride and strength of our heritage .
The male dungeons no larger than an average bedroom housed 200 or more while comparable settings in the female dungeons housed 150 or more. Thus, a thousand or more human bodies could be trafficked at one time. We stood on the floors where many did not make it and they died.
It was in 2002 that an an apology was made to the African nations by the Churches of England and others for having been involved in the slave trade as a means of profit, greed and inhumane treatment of humankind. That is the challenge facing us today to be able to reconcile current injustices mostly based on race with the majority communities. This joint venture being forged by NBCA and the Ghana Baptist Convention will bring about tremendous opportunities for NBCA to fulfill our mandate to be bold witnesses for Jesus Christ.
This vision tour has been a source of inspiration as we look at what NBCA has done but even more what can be done as we work together. We invite you to stay tuned and get involved as opportunities present themselves.
Submitted By:
Bro. Forestal Lawton
President, NBCA Brotherhood
Former President, Brotherhood of the Baptist World Alliance
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