The Church of the Province of West Africa comprises five independent countries - namely The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. In addition, there are scattered missionary activities in the Republic of Cameroon, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Senegal. The work in the Republic of Cape Verde and Senegal is supervised by the Diocese of Gambia. Guinea supervises the work of Guinea Bissau.

There are twelve Dioceses in the province. These are Accra (Ghana), Bo (Sierra Leone), Cape Coast (Ghana), Freetown, (Sierra Leone), Gambia (The Gambia), Guinea (Guinea), Koforidua-Ho (Ghana), Sekondi (Ghana), Sunyani (Ghana), Kumasi (Ghana), Liberia (Liberia), Tamale (Ghana), and the Missionary Area of Cameroon.

The Rev. Thomas Thompson arrived at Cape Coast in 1752 as the first Anglican Missionary Priest sent by the S.P G. He was attached to the Royal Africa Company of Traders. After he had planted the seed, one of the natives was sent to England to train as a Priest. This was The Rev. Philip Quaque who returned home in 1766 and worked till 1818 furthering both Christianity and education.

Unfortunately, there was a period of stagnation after his death. This lasted until the arrival of Bishop Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn in 1940. He had arrived as an Assistant Bishop of Westen Equatorial Africa to take charge of the Gold Coast and its hinterland.

The Accra Diocese was thus created in 1909 under Bishop Nathaniel Temple Hamlyn who worked under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (S.P.G.) Bishop Hamlyn made Sekondi his headquarters and established the S.P.G. Grammar School in Cape Coast. This later became Adisadel College. Regrettably, the climate was not good for him and he had to leave the Gold Coast in 1910.

The Archbishop of Canterbury did not want the Diocese of Accra to be vacant and a caretaker Bishop was appointed, the Rt. Rev. Mather of Antigua, who was temporarily assigned to Accra in 1911. Unfortunately, since he could not stand the climate, he also returned home in 1912.

The S.P.G. still was undaunted and brought in the Rt. Rev. Mowbray Stephen O'Rooke. A tireless and inspired fighter, he arrived in 1913 and was joined soon after by the Rev. G.W. Morrison. The latter was assigned to Kumasi and later became its Archdeacon. This winsome, indefatigable twosome soon yielded abundant fruit in the Lord's vineyard. Many natives joined the Priesthood. The Diocese of Accra grew from strength to strength.

When Bishop O'Rooke left in 1924, he was succeeded by the much beloved Rt. Rev. John Orfeur Aglionby. He served the Diocese of Accra for twenty-seven years. He built in Accra the first public library in Ghana, which was known as Aglionby Library. His successor from 1951 to 1955 was the Rt. Rev. John Charles Sydney Daly.

The fifth and last English Bishop of Accra was the Rt. Rev. Reginald Richard Roseveare (1956-67). His tenure of office witnessed the great political change in the country. He was also the last Bishop of Accra whose see covered all of Ghana.

By this time, there were as many as four Ghanaian Assistant Bishops of Accra. They were the Rt. Revds. E.D. Martinson (1951-63), I.S.M. LeMaire (1963-68), A.K. Nelson (1966-94) and J.B. Arthur (1966-83).

The Most Rev. Ishmael S.M. LeMaire, GM, DD, of blessed memory, was the first Ghanaian Archbishop. Archbishop LeMaire, who was also Bishop of Accra, presided at the consecration of four new Bishops of Ghana and subsequent inauguration of their Dioceses in October 1981.

Koforidua Main Page