Theophilus Herman Kofi Opoku (1842 – 7 July 1913) was a native Akan linguist, translator, philologist, educator and missionary who became the first indigenous African to be ordained a pastor on Gold Coast soil by the Basel Mission in 1872.

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Opoku worked closely with the German missionary and philologist Johann Gottlieb Christaller as well as fellow native Akan linguists, David Asante, Jonathan Palmer Bekoe, and Paul Staudt Keteku in the translation of the Bible into the Twi language.

[1][2][3][5] He enrolled in the Basel Mission Seminary at Akropong in 1858 where he learnt Greek, Hebrew, Latin, dogmatics, homiletics, theology and pedagogy in the rigorous programme.

[1][2][3] He found out at Larteh that the locals were vehemently opposed to Christianity and wanted a European missionary stationed there instead of an Akropong native due to the socio-political environment at the time.

According to historical accounts, he correctly predicted that a thunderstorm could lead to the fall of a silk cotton tree, "onyaa" near the shrine of the fetish priest at Akonedi in Larteh.

[1][2][3][5] In 1868, while Opoku was in the Akuapem district as a catechist, two Christian converts killed an animal species, considered the “spiritual child” of the local divinity of “Topere.”[4] This escalated to a dispute which could not be resolved in the royal court.

[4] Opoku refused to pay any fines, asserting the authority of Christianity and God and stating that the idols could punish perpetrators on their own without any human intervention.

[4] Two girls, Kaade (c. 1845 – 1928) and Gyamea defied the edict and were baptized in March 1869 by Opoku, adopting the Judeo-Christian Germanic names, Wilhelmine and Maria respectively.

[4] This led to near skirmishes, the capture and persecution of the two converts until the British colonial Governor intervened in the matter to free the Christian girl-captives.

[4] On 1 September 1872, Theophilus Opoku was ordained a minister of the Basel mission by the Johann G. Widmann together with the Gold Coast historian, Carl Christian Reindorf and Jamaican Moravian missionary, Alexander Worthy Clerk.

Within this period, the German ethnologist, Gustav Nachtigal (1834 –1885) also travelled extensively in that areas with detailed description of the culture of the inhabitants of northern Ghana.

During his sickness, he composed a Christian hymn, “Ohoho ne mamfrani na meye wo fam ha” meaning "I am a stranger and sojourner in this world", a song which is sung at Presbyterian funerals in Ghana and is allusion to his journey to Salaga.

[1][5] There, he faced opposition, from his own kith and kin after criticised the lifestyles of natives, leading the traditional authorities to summon him before the royal tribunal.

Nyam had received home science and domestic training from the German educator and missionary, Rosina Widmann (née Binder), the wife of the Johann G.

Opoku and Nyam had four children: Samuel Ata Obuobisa, Victor Immanuel Bampo, John A. Dako (Mensa), and Ernestina D.

[1][4][5][16][17] The Gold Coast historian and pastor, Carl Christian Reindorf (1834 – 1917) narrated the success of the Basel missionaries between 1850 and 1875, capturing in part the legacy of Theophilus Opoku's life and work:.

Alexander Clerk, Christian Reindorf and Theophilus Opoku received this token of confidence and appreciation of faithful services by our Committee.’ ”