A widely shared video from Ghana’s Central Region shows traditional leader Nana Kobena Kwedu IV lifting the Holy Bible high while dancing on a palanquin during a public procession. Dressed in rich kente and gold ornaments, the chief is carried through the crowd as he honors Scripture in the middle of a colorful cultural celebration.

Nana Kobena Kwedu IV serves as the Tufohene (warlord) of Gomoa Ngyiresi and Banbohene of the Adonten Division within the Gomoa Assin Traditional Council. In the viral clip, he picks up the Bible from the palanquin, raises it, and makes gestures that many viewers understood as declaring the supremacy of God. The crowd responds with loud cheers as he continues the traditional dance. The event, believed to be part of a local festival, also featured musketeers firing as part of customary rites.

The moment stands out because it brings two deep Ghanaian realities together in one frame: royal tradition and public Christian faith.


Faith and Culture in One Procession
Palanquin processions are a living part of Ghanaian chieftaincy. Chiefs appear in full regalia, kente cloth, gold jewelry, and ceremonial umbrellas while being carried above the people. In this case, the Bible became part of that royal display. By holding Scripture aloft in front of the community, Nana Kobena Kwedu IV created a striking image of the Word of God being honored in public, not only inside a church.


Christianity has long roots in Ghana. The first recorded Catholic Mass at Elmina dates to 1482. Catholic and Protestant missions later spread across the former Gold Coast. According to Ghana’s 2021 census, about 71 percent of the population identifies as Christian. Scenes like this show how that faith often lives alongside, not instead of, traditional leadership and festival life.
For many believers watching the video, the message is simple: earthly authority can still point upward. A chief on a palanquin can still lift the Bible and say, in action, that God is supreme.


Why the Video Resonated
The clip spread because it is visually powerful: kente colors, gold, a decorated palanquin, a crowd, and a Bible held high. It also answers a question many people ask about African Christianity—whether faith and indigenous culture can meet without one canceling the other. Here they appear side by side.
The scene invites reflection:
How can leaders honor God in public roles?
What does it look like to carry Scripture into cultural spaces rather than leaving it only in church?
How can Christians celebrate heritage while still proclaiming that Jesus is Lord?