The Brock Family: A Journey Through History and Ghana's Diaspora

Jun 06, 2025 0

Ghana’s call to the African diaspora has resonated deeply, with hundreds of Black Americans embracing the opportunity to gain citizenship in the West African nation. In 2019, Ghana launched the “Year of Return” to mark 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia in 1619. This initiative has since evolved into “Beyond the Return,” aimed at fostering deeper connections with the African diaspora.

In November, Ghana hosted its largest citizenship ceremony yet, granting citizenship to 524 members of the diaspora. Among them were Keachia Bowers and her husband Damon Smith, who moved from Florida to Ghana in 2023. As President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration, which spearheaded the “Year of Return,” transitions out, the momentum for granting diaspora citizenship shows no signs of slowing. Ghana’s citizenship program operates under the 2000 Citizenship Act, which allows presidential concessions for diaspora members.

While Americans face few hurdles in obtaining residency in Ghana, citizenship holds deeper significance. The Ghanaian government emphasizes the economic benefits of attracting the diaspora, including investment opportunities. It feels good to have a connection to an African country as a Black American.

Let's delve into the history of the Brock family, tracing their origins and connections to the African diaspora.

The Origins of the Brock Surname

The surname of Brock is of an Old French and an Anglo-Saxon origin, and there are three possible origins from which this surname is derived:

The first possible origin of the surname of Brock is that it was a nickname for someone who looked like a badger.
The second origin of the surname of Brock is that it may hail from an Old French word.
The third possible origin of the surname of Brock is that it could have been a topographical surname from England, which was used to describe someone who lived by a stream.

This origin of the surname derives from the Old English, Pre 7th Century word of “brocc” which can be translated to mean “a badger.” In this case, the surname of Brock could have been used to describe someone who was vexing or mischievous. The nickname was used to describe both the physical characteristics of the person, but also could have been used to describe their personality.

These two words it could have originated from, “broque” or “brocke”. They could also possibly have different meanings. “Young stag” is a possible definition for both or alternatively could also mean one who is young, enthusiastic, and full of life.

The first recorded spelling of the surname of Brock was found in the country of England in the year of 1222. This person, who was recorded to bear the name Joel le Broc, was mentioned and recorded in the document referred to as the Calendar of Patent Rolls of Essex. This document was ordered, written, and decreed under the reign of King Henry III, who was known as “The Frenchman” and ruled from the year of 1216 to the year 1272.

Other mentions of the surname of Brock that were found in the country of England included Richard Brock, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in the year 1275, and Daniel de Lisle Brock was the baliff of Guernsey and represented the interests of the island in London, and lived from the year 1762 to the year 1842.

The European Migration was a movement of people from the European countries who left their homeland in search of a better life. Many of these people went to the United States of America, which at that time was referred to as The New World or The Colonies, because this new land promised the freedoms that they were so hoping for.

Read also: Understanding "Yes!" by Chad Brock

Notable Figures Named Brock

William Emerson “Bill” Brock III (born in 1930) who was a politician from America.
William H. Sir Thomas Brock (1847-1922) who was a British sculptor who created the Queen Victoria Monument.
Sir Isaac Brock (1769-1812) who was killed in the Battle of Queentston Heights, Niagara Falls.
Lou Brock, among the greatest MLB leadoff hitters and known for stealing bases, died on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020.

Mr. Brock helped the St. Louis Cardinals to three pennants and two World Series titles. Playing 1961 to 1979, the left-handed outfielder stole 938 bases, including 118 in 1974. Known as the “Running Redbird” and “Base Burglar,” Mr. Brock briefly worked as a baseball analyst for ABC and the Chicago White Sox. Mr. Brock’s No. 20 jersey was retired by St. Louis.

Here are some additional coats of arms associated with the Brock family:

(Cheshire, granted 3 Sept., 1580). Sa. a fesse humettee, betw.
(Saltwood, co. Kent). Ar. on a bend sa.
(Guernsey). Gu. a fleur-de-lis ar., on a chief of the second a lion pass. guard. of the first.
(granted to Sir Isaac Brock, of Guernsey, 15 Feb., 1813). Gu. an eagle displ. or, on a chief embattled ar. a lion pass. guard. of the field. Crest-Out of a mural crown ar. a demi Canadian Indian, the dexter hand supporting a tomahawk erect ppr. Motto-Canada.
Az. a fieur-de-lis or, on a chief ar.
Ar. on a chev. engr. betw. three boars’ heads couped sa. an.
Ar.
Chequy ar.
(Clutton-Brock, Pensax Court, co. Worcester. Thomas Henry Clotton-Brock, Esq., of Pensax, was son of Col. Thomas Clutton, Worcester Militia, who took the additional name and arms of Brock in 1809). Quarterly, 1st and 4th, gu., three trefoils, slipped, or; on a chief, ar., a lion, pass. guard. of the field, for Brock; 2nd and 3rd, ar., a chev. erm. between three annulets gu., for Clutton. Crest-A demi lion, guard., gu., on the body a chev. or, charged with three trefoils slipped vert holding betw.

Ghana's Call to the Diaspora: A Broader Context

Ghana’s call to the African diaspora is part of a broader movement to reconnect with its roots. This initiative not only provides an opportunity for individuals to gain citizenship but also aims to foster economic growth and cultural exchange.

Many Black Americans are finding a sense of belonging and connection to their heritage in Ghana. The slave trade’s legacy is a painful but essential part of this journey. Like Bowers, Deijha Gordon found her calling in Ghana. After moving from Brooklyn in 2019, she opened Deijha Vu’s Jerk Hut, a food truck offering Jamaican cuisine.

While the process isn’t straightforward, many see the benefits as invaluable. “I really feel like my father is smiling where he is,” Bowers said.

Read also: Country Star Chad Brock

Ghana's Year Of Return Increased Black American Arrivals By 26%

Word of Faith Fellowship

Word of Faith Fellowship is a Protestant non-denominational church in Spindale, North Carolina. Word of Faith Fellowship began in 1979, when Jane Whaley, then a math teacher, and her husband Sam Whaley converted a former steakhouse into a chapel. In Brazil, missionary John Martin started Ministerio Verbo Vivo (Live Word) near Belo Horizonte in 1987 after serving as pastor of a Baptist church. The Word of Faith Fellowship eventually developed a greater influence on the church.

Former members said in 2017 that the Whaleys and others from Spindale visited Martin's church after Martin met Sam Whaley in 1986. On April 27, 2020, an attorney for the church confirmed three members had died of COVID-19 and that it was not known how many had the virus, though the church claimed to be "100 percent compliant" with guidelines released during the pandemic.

A 2012 Charlotte Observer article described worship at Word of Faith as "ecstatic [...] Sometimes members hop. Sometimes they speak in tongues. According to the Associated Press, members of the Fellowship follow a list of rules 145 entries long. Followers are not allowed to enroll in college without permission and, if permission is granted, can attend only alongside other members so their behavior can be monitored. Children in the Fellowship are isolated, monitored and controlled closely by the church, being educated in the church-controlled school, and prevented from watching television under threat of punishment.

In 1995, Jane and Sam Whaley denied allegations made by several former members of the TV program Inside Edition. One former student said he had been beaten multiple times by church members to remove a "destructive spirit". The church was investigated by the SBI in the 1990s for child abuse, after more than 40 former members gave testimony to the Forest City Daily Courier and other news outlets as to their experiences in the Fellowship. No charges resulted.

In 2000, a woman testifying in a child custody case said her one-year-old son was subjected to "blasting", or standing in a circle and loudly praying, sometimes for hours, in order to "drive out demons". She also said her son was beaten enough to cause bruises. Jane Whaley was convicted of misdemeanor assault in 2004 as a result of an incident two years earlier where former member Lacy Wien described "blasting" by a group of members, followed by the assault by Whaley.

Another former member, Michael Lowry, claimed to have been beaten and held prisoner in 2011 to drive out "gay demons".[19] Lowry testified before a grand jury but in 2013 he rejoined the church, recanting his allegations. Former member Jamey Anderson, who joined the Fellowship aged 4, described the treatment by the church that he had undergone, with many former members describing his treatment as some of the harshest anyone suffered.

Anderson stated he was frequently sent to a storage area called the green room, and one former member said he was "brutally paddled" after incidents where other children told on him for the minor offenses in school. Anderson also stated that when his grandfather died, he was not allowed to attend the funeral and was left out of the obituary. Anderson also testified to being forced to work, and that in 2002, he and four other boys were punished by being put in a room by themselves to watch Whaley on video during school; Anderson was restricted to his home outside of school.

He said after leaving the church, family members who remained members cut off contact. An Associated Press investigation included interviews with 43 former members, who told stories of physical abuse resulting in injuries which were not treated, families being separated, and males being held prisoner in a former storage building for as long as a year. Former members described being afraid to leave the church or even oppose Whaley for fear of public reprimand or worse. Children at the church's school were beaten for minor offenses, former members said, even by the other children. The investigation also included numerous documents, and recordings of Whaley made without her knowledge.

Whaley denied abuse took place and defended certain practices as being protected by the First Amendment. In 2017, Matthew Fenner testified that, after he and his family joined the church in 2010, he witnessed members being shouted at for hours to remove "demons". In January 2013, Fenner[2] was allegedly beaten for two hours "to break me free of the homosexual 'demons'", he said in a police affidavit.[21] He said he escaped to the home of his grandparents, who reported the incident to law enforcement.

Fenner tried and failed to get law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to pursue the case. Because Fenner persevered, five church members were indicted in December 2014 and charged with kidnapping and assault.[2] Fenner and his girlfriend at the time of the alleged incident, Danielle Cordes, testified in the trial. In May 2017, Brooke Covington, with whom Fenner lived before his escape, became the first Word of Faith member to go on trial. Because the jury foreman shared documents that were not supposed to be made public, Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus declared a mistrial and a new trial was scheduled for September 11, 2017.[2]

As of October 2017, Covington's trial had not taken place but it would still be in Rutherford County. Four other related cases were moved to Buncombe County. A month later on June 19, 2017, Matthew Fenner's grandfather Robert Marvin Rape was found dead in his yard from a gunshot wound to the chest. The Associated Press found that the churches in Brazil also have the same practices as the Spindale church. Former members claimed that a move by Verbo Vivo and its members was intended to keep them away from the rest of the world. The church and the area where members lived were both surrounded by high fences.

In 2009, two of the pastors quit, accusing the church of "brainwashing". A committee of the Minas Gerais state legislature held hearings. John Martin described practices as "guidelines and not prohibitions". Both churches lost many members. For the Associated Press investigation in 2017, over three dozen former members were interviewed and many reported being afraid of what the church would do if they spoke out. Some needed therapy. While the changes in Brazil happened slowly, they were drastic. Some young people were taken to the United States and allegedly required to work at the church or companies owned by members. Some young people were told not to contact their families.

Here is a table summarizing the key points about the Word of Faith Fellowship:

Aspect	Description
Founding	Established in 1979 in Spindale, North Carolina by Jane and Sam Whaley.
Practices	Includes ecstatic worship, speaking in tongues, and strict rules for members.
Controversies	Allegations of child abuse, physical abuse, and forced labor.
Investigations	Subject of multiple investigations by law enforcement and media.
Brazilian Connection	Similar practices in Ministerio Verbo Vivo in Brazil, with allegations of abuse and exploitation.