A Royal Visit

  • By Lisa Amstutz
  • November 21, 2011
  • 1141
                        
Summary: Mark Rockson, known in Ghana as Awulae Amihere Kpanyinl III, is king of the Nzema tribe. Rockson lived in this area for a year in the mid-eighties and forged friendships that have continued to this day. Main article: All kinds of people call Wayne County home, but perhaps the most surprising is Mark Rockson, or Awulae Amihere Kpanyinl III as he is known in his native Ghana. Rockson is king of the Nzema tribe in Ghana. Last week he had the chance to visit this area again and spend time with the friends who have become his American family. Rockson first came to Wayne County in 1985 through a Mennonite Central Committee exchange program. He had learned to know several Mennonite mission workers and attended a Mennonite Church in Amasaman, Ghana. One of those mission workers was Anna Marie Kurtz. “Mark lived with his uncle nearby and came to our house many times over the years,” said Kurtz. “He was like one of our sons and still treats me as a mother when he visits.” When Ethel Mumaw of Berlin went to Ghana for three months to help at the mission, she got to know Rockson as well. She suggested he consider the exchange program, and put him in contact with the Steiners. So Rockson came to live with the Dallas Steiner family for a year in 1985, working on the family farm and welding for Steiner Corp. After returning to Ghana for two years, he attended Hesston and Bethel Colleges in Kansas and spent some time working in Honduras. Eventually he opened a business in Kansas. All the while, Rockson kept returning to visit the Steiners, and has continued to stay in touch since returning to Ghana. “He is like a son to us,” said Dallas Steiner. “We always appreciated his humbleness, servant heart, the way he cares about people and also the wisdom we see in him.” Ten years ago, Rockson was called back to his country to inherit the leadership of his tribe. The Nzema leaders are chosen by their matriarchal family lines, known as gates. Rockson said that although he knew of his lineage, he did not grow up with the expectation of being king. “My parents did not push us to that level,” he said. “My Dad was also from a royal family and knew the burden of it.” As king, Rockson has 73 senior divisional chiefs under him. Under each of these chiefs are divisional chiefs and chiefs. His duties involve meeting with senior divisional chiefs to settle land disputes, family feuds, etc. He also serves on committees at a national level. Rockson said there are some challenges to being a public figure. “Some people think it’s a glorious life,” he said. “But my personality is very independent. When you’re in the public’s eye, your private life is limited. I feel a duty to my family and helping the people in Ghana. It was something that had to be done, but part of me will always be here.” Overall, though, Rockson said he enjoys being part of his culture and being in a position to help in decision-making. “Some of it comes naturally for me—my interests have always been to help. I worked in community development for a while and this is a platform to continue what I do." Current challenges facing the region include the recent discovery of offshore oil and the resulting influx of people to the capital twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi. “A lot is changing,” Rockson said. “Working with the local traditional people and also with the government—our interests tend to clash. “Having had the chance to live among other cultures gives me a little better background for what I do now. And meeting Christians like the Steiners, Ethel and Anna Marie had a big impact on my thinking. It has been a privilege and blessing to have met these people.”


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