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By Georgina Naa Anyema Collison
The General Secretary of the United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG), Revd Canon Dr. Duncan Dormor, has reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting the Anglican Church of Ghana’s proposed Heritage Village and Anglican Centre, describing it as a transformative initiative that will offer spiritual healing, preserve history, and strengthen the bond between Ghana and descendants of Africans dispersed through the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking during a visit to Ghana, Dormor said USPG was honoured to partner with the Anglican Church on what he described as a unique faith-based heritage project that combines remembrance, reconciliation, and hope.
“We’ve worked with the Anglican Church here for a number of years,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful relationship a very mutual relationship. I’m here particularly to support the work of the Church with their Heritage Village and Anglican Centre that they’re setting up.”
According to him, the initiative goes beyond tourism. Instead, it seeks to accompany visitors on a deeply personal and spiritual journey as they reconnect with their ancestral homeland.
A PLACE OF HEALING
For many members of the African diaspora, especially those from the Caribbean, North America, and other parts of the world, travelling to Ghana represents more than a holiday. It is a search for identity and a return to the land from which their ancestors were forcibly taken centuries ago.
Dormer noted that visiting historic sites associated with the transatlantic slave trade, such as Cape Coast Castle and other former slave forts, can be emotionally overwhelming.
“Clearly, coming back to the slave sites in Ghana is a very traumatic experience,” he explained. “People are returning to places connected with their ancestors, and that carries deep emotional significance.”
Recognising the emotional weight of these journeys, the Anglican Church of Ghana is developing the Heritage Village and Anglican Centre as a place where visitors can receive pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and emotional support while exploring their family history and heritage.
“The Church recognises that this is difficult work and that these are difficult places to visit,” Dormor said. “The Centre seeks to provide spiritual, emotional and psychological support while helping people understand what happened, why it happened, and how healing can begin.”
MORE THAN HERITAGE TOURISM
Dormor described the initiative as an example of faith-based heritage tourism, where history is approached not simply as an educational experience but as an opportunity for reconciliation and restoration.
While acknowledging the painful legacy of slavery, he said the Centre will also introduce visitors to the Ghana of today a nation rich in culture, resilience, creativity, and faith.
“It also gives people the opportunity to embrace the Ghana of today,” he explained. “Its vibrant culture, traditions, arts, and journey since independence all become part of the story that visitors take back with them.”
He believes this broader understanding allows descendants of enslaved Africans not only to mourn the past but also to celebrate the living heritage of the country from which their ancestors came.
Rather than leaving Ghana with only memories of suffering, visitors will be able to return home with renewed hope, a deeper sense of identity, and lasting relationships with the Ghanaian people and Church.
A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON MUTUAL TRUST
Dormer emphasized that USPG’s relationship with the Anglican Church of Ghana is founded on partnership rather than dependency.
As a global Anglican mission agency, USPG works alongside churches in more than 165 countries, supporting local priorities instead of imposing programmes from outside.”Our role is to walk alongside churches,” he said. “We work in deep partnership, supporting the priorities that local churches identify for themselves.”
The Heritage Village project is one example of how international Anglican relationships can contribute to local development while strengthening the wider Anglican Communion.
PRESERVING MEMORY, BUILDING HOPE
The proposed Heritage Village and Anglican Centre reflects the Anglican Church of Ghana’s desire to preserve the memory of one of history’s darkest chapters while creating a space for healing and renewal.
By combining historical education with pastoral care and cultural engagement, the project seeks to ensure that future generations understand the past without being imprisoned by it.
Dormor said USPG is proud to accompany the Church as the vision becomes reality. “It is a very exciting project,” he said. “We feel very honoured at USPG to be a partner.”
As Ghana continues to welcome increasing numbers of heritage pilgrims from across the African diaspora, the proposed Heritage Village and Anglican Centre promises to become more than a destination. It aims to be a place where history is remembered honestly, faith offers comfort, and broken