When one sees a goat being slaughtered in a palace and calls it syncretism, we must remember that the blood of Jesus surpasses every earthly sacrifice. Christ is the final

sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11–28). Just as poultry, fish, and meat must be killed before being eaten, so too is the slaughter of animals in traditional settings a symbolic purification. For Christians, the altar is not about blood but about presenting ourselves with clean hearts before God in worship. All traditions and cultures began as the primal imagination of our forebears. Some practices, such as human sacrifice, must rightly be abolished, but others, like the substitution of animals, may be understood differently.

It is also important to note that remembering our loved ones is not idolatry. Christians hold memorials, share tributes on anniversaries, and pray for the departed. In the same way, traditional practitioners remember their ancestors. When they pour libation, they first point to the sky, acknowledging God’s supremacy, before invoking the memory of their forebears.

Scripture remains the foundation that reforms and redeems us as Africans. It shapes our cultural identity and guides us to see Christ more clearly. Christianity is not opposed to culture; Jesus himself lived within Jewish tradition. He was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), attended weddings (John 2:1–12), and observed Jewish festivals. He also used parables, drawn from everyday cultural experiences, just as African chiefs use proverbs as vehicles of wisdom.

Our kings and queens must therefore submit their thrones to Christ, embody the gospel, and continue cultural practices that do not contradict Scripture. Christianity is not a western religion; it is for all people. In heaven, there is no racial distinction; Christ is for all.

It is true that some stools (especially black stools) involve rituals that conflict with Christianity. These must be avoided. Yet, through faith, Christ can reign even from these thrones. Ministers of the gospel must not withdraw from culture but rather reform and transform it in light of Scripture. As Paul reminds us, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14–16). This does not call for rejection of culture but for Christ to transform it.

A Reverend Minister becoming a chief must, therefore, be seen not as compromise but as an opportunity to reform cultural practices, affirm identity, and reveal Christ in our context. As Scripture declares: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), but it is through grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8).

Jesus Christ entered a specific culture, spoke its language, respected its customs, and reinterpreted them for the kingdom of God. He was culturally attuned yet stood above culture. In the same way, Christian ministers are called to uphold Scripture, which stands above culture but not against it.

It is in this spirit that I, Reverend Obed Danquah, have humbly accepted my enstoolment as Adontsenhen of Gomoa Abrekum I and Divisional Chief Arbitrator (Nkabomhen) of Gomoa Ajumako Traditional Council. May Christ, the King of kings, continue to guide this path of cultural renewal and spiritual transformation.