A high-ranking delegation from Ghana visited Mission 21 in Basel on July 29, 2025. Led by the regional head of "Osu Mantse", Professor Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV, the delegation was also shown historical documents from the 19th century. The background to the visit is a special historical connection between Mission 21 and Osu, the seat of the head.
Professor Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV is a lawyer and attorney. As Osu Mantse, he now works in an office that has its roots in the 17th century and is accordingly endowed with royal dignities - officially, the Osu Mantse is addressed as "Majesty". The office was revived in the 1990s and recognized by the state. As Mantse, Notse Nii Nortey is strongly committed to sustainability and is also active in promoting education. The visit to Mission 21, particularly to the research archive, therefore fits in with his commitment.
The delegation was formally welcomed by Evelyn Borer, President of Mission 21 and members of the Mission 21 Executive Board, as well as by Karl F. Appl, President of the Basel Mission, the largest supporting organization of Mission 21.
Karl F. Appl, President of the Basel Mission, HRM Prof. Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV, Evelyn Borer, President of Mission 21 Photo: C. Rácz
Soon to be a 200-year relationship and partnership
Mission 21 has a special relationship with Ghana. The then "Gold Coast" was the Basel Mission's first area of activity and Osu was the region in which the Basel Mission established its first permanent mission station in 1828.
Basel missionaries were very active in the field of education on the Gold Coast in the 19th century, founded schools and, together with local experts, were later instrumental in writing down the Ga language and laying the foundations for its preservation - among other things by translating the Bible into the Ga language.
In the research archive, Notse Nii Nortey had the significance of this translation explained to him and engaged in a lively discussion with the experts from Mission 21.
Lively discussion on the importance of translating the Bible into the Ga language. Photo: G. Ullrich
The delegation from Ghana will also cultivate political and economic relations during their visit to Switzerland. The visit to the Mission House in Basel has a special significance for Mission 21 in view of its church partnership in Ghana. In 2028, Ghana's largest church, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), will be celebrating its 200th anniversary - as it regards the start of the Basel mission's work in Osu in 1828 as a founding act. Intensifying the relationship between Mission 21 and the PCG is also part of the long-term preparations for the anniversary activities.
Mission 21 is still present in Ghana today through its German partner organization EMS with projects in the areas of health and education, which are run by the PCG.
