"Clerk's Report for 1897"

He has the impression that the presence of the church is causing changes, including the point that now it does not cause a crisis when someone wants to become a Christian. Even fetish priests and their families are content to see their children becoming Christians. Worawora - increased from 28 to 58, with 33 catechumens and 22 pupils in the school. The first presbyter has been chosen - Josef Kwame. The great problem is maintaining Christian discipline in sexual matters, and he was very happy to celebrate Christian marriages for two of the first Christians, baptised 6 years previously, Charles and Thomas. Several people have been brought to confess secret sins. Gyasekan - the community increased from 30 to 33, with 10 catechumen, and 17 pupils in the school. A weak church - often on his visits Clerk meets no members there at all. The main problem is division between Christians from the two Gyasekans. Also the senior and most influential Christian, Goerge Zate, is not giving good leadership - he is almost certainly about to break up his marriage with a Christian woman. The catechist too is weak in community affairs, better at preaching journeys and the school. Guaman - the community increased from 25 to 47, there are 10 catechumens and 13 pupils in the school. The community scattered among the villages of Guaman, Atonko, Aka, Ksuta, Kagyebi. Richard Ata of Guaman, the first Christian in the area, has been chosen as presbyter. In Guaman the increase in the Christian village has meant a significant decrease in the small heathen village, and the heathens no longer come to street preaching. Borada - an increase from 1 to 7, with 27 catechumens, and 7 pupils in the school. The Catechist there lost much respect with the heathen when, at the birth of his first child, he used heathen medicine, and to allowed himself to be persuaded to trust to ‘unclean' specifics. The catechumens there are not moving onto mission land.

22.02.1898

22.02.1898

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