More than a Hostage

In its effort to control Ghana (the Gold Coast), the British took “hostages” from leading families. Prince Owusu-Ansa of the Asante was one. His captivity, such as it was, was part of a peace treaty and was neither cruel nor onerous and it resulted in the expansion of the kingdom of Christ. Owusu-Ansa converted to Christianity while in this arrangement. Afterward, he became a leading Methodist evangelist in his homeland, responsible for the conversion of thousands. His work began in the 1840s with increasing responsibilities until December, 1862, when he resigned from the mission because of its overt racism.