B. et al. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. The early European Christian missionaries in West Africa experienced a number of difficulties, some arising from factors outside their control and others of their own making. *St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan, 1896; 2017: Pastor Weiser retires in June, and Missionary Jeff Heitsch is called to serve Nigeria half-time from Cameroon. Longman Publishing Group, 1980. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. This was where the Efik people lived; a community that believed in traditional West African religions and had particular superstition of twins, who were often killed or abandoned. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1791737&site=ehost-live&scope=site. He resigned from BMS when it emerged that his Jamaican housekeeper was pregnant with his child. A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. They were not strangers from a foreign land, they were native people. Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. With the support of the Propagation of the Faith within the Vatican, whose Cardinal Secretary became Pope Gregory XVI, various Roman Catholic missionary societies were founded. They had to speak through few interpreters who did not have sufficient education to interpret correctly. As happened in Ghana, the development of training colleges in Nigeria was slower than secondary schools, though the C. M. S. had opened the first training college at Abeokuta as far back as 1849. Soon after the start of elementary schools, the missionaries started opening higher institutions also. Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. Ex-policeman who claims to be reincarnation of Jesus Christ finally arrested (photos). The Methodists founded the Boys High School in 1874, and another high school for girls six years later. With collaborations with other missionaries like William De Graft, he built a Mission house and Chapel, which was completed in November 1842. The anti-slavery issue and the humanitarian conscience also played a vital role in stimulating European interest in Africa and gave an impetus to mission work. *CMS Grammar School, Lagos, 1859; 2. She and her husband were charged by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to lead missionary expeditions in Nigeria. History books tended to exaggerate in achievements of Europeans, making no reference to Africans own great past. The lead was followed by other missionaries, notably the Roman Catholic, whose first higher institution was St Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. *Government College, Katsina-Ala, 1914; She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. Another missionary whose memory is revered in Nigeria was Mary Slessor, she arrived in the country in 1876, and for many years worked assiduously as a missionary nurse. "I'm thinking of them in their last moment on earth, far from their homeland, their families and their loves ones, who said: 'What I did was worth it! One of the most prominent people that were largely responsible for the Christianisation of Nigeria is Samuel Ajiya Crowther, a former slave of Yoruba origin. Almost all the missions in West Africa faced financial problems in the early stages of their missionary work. History of the church in Africa: a survey. I knew then what it was to be 'born again,' and the Bible which had been so dry to me before, became everything. https://bebegolf.com/history/. *Offa Grammar School, Offa, 1943; A new era began with the settlements of Black Christians from Nova Scotia in Sierra Leone in 1787 and the missionary advance inland from Cape Town beginning with the arrival there of J. T. van der Kemp in 1799. In due course leprosariums and orphanages were built to supplement their medical services. By the 1970s a lot of missionaries cam to Nigeria to help spread the Christianity here. He was a missionary under the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that carried on missionary work in Ibesikpo between 1944 and 1948. *Etinan Institute, Etinan, Akwa Ibom: 1915; Christian missionary activities in West Africa, https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/, https://webbschool.libguides.com/PurpleHibiscusResearch2021. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. The third, St Nicholas Grammar School (now Adisadel College), was founded by the Anglican Church in 1910. He saw no conversions for seven years, his son Peter died of dysentery and his wife's mental health deteriorated rapidly. Again, in West-Africa, the efforts to go beyond the coast to reach those inland with the gospel coincided with the southwards expansion of Islam which posed some threat to the expansion of the work of Christian evangelizing missions. EVANGELICAL MOVEMENTS AND MISSIONARY SOCIETIES IN THE ENGLISH COLONIES. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! Apart from the extreme south and the Horn, the interior was hardly touched by Europeans before the last quarter of the Nineteenth Century. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centres being Bonny and Brass. From the 15th Century until the 17th Century, the efforts to evangelize made by the French, Portuguese, Catholic-controlled Italian Government, and missionary bodies in the Benin and Warri areas were futile and resulted in catastrophe. Baker Pub Group, 1996. Establishment of Christian Churches In Ghana. She participated in establishing mission presence in Abeokuta for over two decades. *Edo College, Benin, 1937. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba, called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. In 1858 ten years after the founding of the first college, the Presbyterians opened a sister college at Aburi for the training of women teachers. It was only after the Second World War that the colonial governments started to show a real interest in the promotion of formal education in West Africa. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. By the end of the Victorian Age, (1832-1900), missionary work had started already in other parts of the world, such as China, Japan, Korea, India, South Africa and other parts of the world, except the Sudan (Central Nigeria). Another difficulty that the early missionaries faced in the spread of Christianity was insufficient Christian literature at that time. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. 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In the later 19th century, the immense African interior remained the principal object of the Catholic Priests, and from 1867 until his death in November 1892 Cardinal Lavigerie planned the planting of churches in Africa South of the Sahara. Dr & Mrs H. Henry Budd (the third Principal of ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja) 3. Poju Oyemade: Biography, Career and Lots more, Fathia Balogun: Biography, Career, Movies & More, Prospa Ochimana Biography, Career & Lots More, Aliko Dangotes Private Jet: What We Found Out, Liz Benson: Biography, Career & Other Details. Mexico 130.83. The Methodists, known as the Wesleyan Missionaries (after their founder), arrived in Freetown in 1811. In the same year as the Basel missionaries settled in Akuapem 1835 the Wesleyan (later Methodist) Church was established at Cape Coast by the Rev. However, the early missionaries established medical centres, at first at their mission posts, and later far and wide, to attend to the sick. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Christian missionary activities in West Africa. Meanwhile, the research by the Pew Research Center that same year showed at least 52% Muslims, 46% Christians, and 1% non-religious individuals. Besides education, they cared for the sick. In this respect the Christian religion therefore differed from the traditional religions of West Africa, which along with an acceptance of one Supreme Being worshipped a hierarchy of gods. 3 (2002): 555-584. William F. P. Burton missionary pioneering in the, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 14:42. Here are a few verses about it in the Bible. In the Gambia, the Methodist missionary and first principal of what later became known as the Gambia High School, the Rev. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has pledged to continue to improve the wellbeing and welfare of workers in the state if sworn-in for his second term in office. *Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, 1923; If youve been impacted by our resources, we invite you to make a year-end gift before December 31. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. They were instrumental in setting the scene which would meet the colonists when they started arriving. Several missionaries died at a youthful age due to the unfriendly tropical climate. Isichei, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, a lot of conflicts, sometimes even military ones took place here and in between the tribes. The couple later transferred to Lagos to become co-principals of the Christian Missionary Society (CMS) from 1871 till 1872. The Hope Waddell Institute is named after him. 1.898 Billion worldwide. The first context was that of the Islamic raids which got so popular that people not always could escape from it and choose what they wanted to believe in. An American missionary with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod(WELS) began the preparatory work for WELS in Nigeria, alongside his wife in 1936. This influenced the country greatly too. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. Finally, they established new missions to keep up the good work. Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, List of missionaries to the South Pacific, List of Protestant missionaries to Southeast Asia, "Uganda's White Man of Work: A Story of Alexander M. Mackay", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Christian_missionaries&oldid=1151997040. Legit Nigeria. Christian converts were indoctrinated to frown upon the use of indigenous first names in favour of Christian ones. One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. How did missionaries try to reach out to the Africans? According to ot the Nigeria Christian Fellowship, there are at least seventy million people who consider themselves Christians. President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to put in place a living wage for Nigerian workers. *St. Theresa College, Ibadan, 1932; Thomas Freeman was a missionary of Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society that arrived in Nigeria on request of freed slaves from Freetown, of Yoruba and Aku extraction residing in modern-day Lagos, for a minister. After an unsuccessful beginning by the society of African Missions (SMA), this missionary body moved into other territories in what is now Liberia, Ghana and Nigeria. station in 1858, it was not until 1889 that the missionaries entered Hausaland, which was predominantly Muslim. The early success of the missionaries included areas like Freetown and surrounding villages. In the 19thh century, too, Afro-Brazilians returned to Benin and Nigeria with Catholicism. Christianity in West Africa: The Nigerian Story. Many of them came to faith. Aged just 28, she sailed to West Africa in August 1876 and was assigned to the Calabar region. From Lagos, efforts moved to the East. In the early missionary literature, Nigeria and indeed Africa was characterized as one of the universal den of desolation, misery, and crime, and certainly, of all the divisions of the globe it has always had an unfortunate preeminence in degradation, wretchedness and woe (Coleman, 1986). Christianity in Nigeria was first introduced in the 15th century by Portuegese Catholic priests during the Age of Exploration. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. She also travelled to dangerous regions where previous male missionaries had been killed, and was known for her pragmatism and sense of humour. She also adopted a number of orphans, leading around 100 to safety during the Japanese occupation, and became known as 'i Wi D', meaning 'Virtuous One'. A notable example, in Ghana, was the Methodist experimental farm near Cape Coast whose crops included cotton, coffee, black pepper, mango, ginger, cinnamon and olive trees. Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria, BREAKING: Photos emerge as president-elect Tinubus ADC assumes duty, Bride-to-be insists friend must shave hair for fear she will upstage her on wedding day, List of new courses NUC approves for Nigerian universities, "How much did you spend?" Missionaries today have brought education, medical care, and Holistic Development Centers into Nigeria. AMVERIFIED: Africas indigenous social network community. Their converts increased steadily in numbers until 1821 when a section broke away to form the first independent African, Christian church in West Africa, called the West Africa Methodist Church. Wm. The good news for the Christianity is that Islam did not come to this region until in the 1970s the civil war broke out. Ayades lifting of promotion embargo came late, says workers, May Day: I will pay you living wage not minimum wage, Tinubu tells Nigerian workers, Pomp as women group donates science lab, borehole to school. Longman Nigeria Plc., 1994, Boahen, A.A. et al Tropics in West Africa History. Catholic missionary efforts on the shores of Nigeria began with an initial attempt by Portuguese missionaries in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. Originally a freed African slave from Freetown, Sierra Leone of Yoruba ancestry, was instrumental in the establishment of Christian missions in Nigeria. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Christians who came to Africa to help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ tried to do several things which would demonstrate the love of Christ to people living here. Accessed February 26, 2021. The glory of our Church!". Another valuable contribution of the Christian missionaries in West Africa was the development of literature in the local vernaculars, this included the translation of the Bible into some of the important local languages. Without denying that prior to the introduction of Christianity in West Africa the people had developed their own crafts, one must admit that it was Christian missionaries who introduced modern forms of crafts such as carpentry and masonry. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. Oates, Joan. In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. The following year, its female arm, Methodist Girls High School, Lagos, came on the scene. Fiedler, Klaus. He is also reputed to have helped Rev. Joseph Dunwell. Abstract. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. The Roman Catholic Sisters provided medical care in the Upper and Northern Regions of the country before the government started to provide hospitals and clinics in the regional and district headquarters. Being ignorant of the significance of certain institutions and practices of the people of West Africa, and occasionally being misled by their over-zealous followings into wrongly interpreting the peoples heritage, the missionaries compelled pupils in their schools and docile adult converts to shun their own ancestral practices. He married her, and was later re-engaged by the society. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. They believed in evil spirits, and other things peculiar to this religion. His missionary expeditions took him to Egba, Abeokuta, and Dahomey(a Kingdom that existed in present-day Benin from 1600 until 1904). James Fieldhouse, produced a Wolof Grammar in 1876. Library Catalog Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. The Roman Catholic Church was also able to build a permanent stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Abeokuta, and Idaban. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. Slavery: An Unlikely Catalyst In the fifteenth century, Christianity came to Africa's coastlines through forts established by European slave traders. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES. *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, 1878; The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. Christian missionaries believed that their dedication to Christianity would be enough for conversion. She went on to serve in the Chinese government as a 'foot inspector' visiting women all over the country to make sure they were following the new law against foot-binding which she saw as part of her missionary work. This was the work of the great missionary, Thomas Birch Freeman, who placed two missionaries, Mr and Mrs. de Graft, in charge of the school. A short history of education in British West Africa. For instance, in Ghana, it was in 1858 that Rev. These new movements considered such ventures to be their contribution to Europes reparation for centuries of exploitation of Africans, reparation for the centuries of exploitation which the Trans Atlantic slave trade had caused to African society. The Quote from a decent work on the history of Christianity in Africa can help you gain a better understanding of what the missionaries work there looked like as well as what goals these people had. These churches incorporated their old religious and cultural ideals with their new teachings of the Bible. 2 Longman Group Ltd. London 1974, Ampadu B.K Notes on History of Ghana for Senior High Schools. This happened after He resurrected and showed up to the disciples. It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. Those who were once enslaved and got their freedom back were more likely to support Christianity, come back to their own home and help share the religion there. 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. Although Lokoja had a small C.M.S. Thanks to their faith and hard labor here, around 45% of all the population in the area became Christians. Later, Prisilla and the couple's four daughter stayed in England, while Charles worked in Central Africa until his death in 1931. Porter, Andrew. In spite of the division, the parent Methodist missionary church played an important role in the history of Christianity in Sierra Leone. In 1902 the Methodists opened a clinic at Igbo-Ora. A Anglican missionaries in Nigeria (8 P) M Mormon missionaries in Nigeria (7 P) P Protestant missionaries in Nigeria (5 C, 8 P) R Roman Catholic missionaries in Nigeria (20 P) The early Christians saw an especially urgent need to spread their faith before the second coming of Christ, which they believed was imminent. * St. Charles College, Onitsha, 1929; While the Evangelical Presbyterian missionaries were the First to develop literature in Ewe, the Roman Catholics were responsible for Nzima literature. This fact only proves what God said about those who will persecute those loving Jesus. The evangelical societies founded in the Americas included the Baptist Missionary Board and the Nova Scotian Methodists, whose members went to work among the Maroons, who had settled mainly in Liberia. He was an American missionary with the Southern Baptist Church. Originally a freed African slave from Freetown, Sierra Leone of Yoruba ancestry, was instrumental in the establishment of Christian missions in Nigeria. Senate President Ahmad Lawan, says the 9th National Assembly has performed credibility well in terms of delivering democracy dividends to Nigerians, since its inauguration in 2019. Polycarp. Bethany Global University. He became known as the "Apostle to . William Gladstone. . They brought educational programs to fight off the illiteracy through different educational programs and institutions. *Government Secondary School, Ilorin, 1914; In 1950 Albert Academy was founded in Freetown; for-a long lime it was the secondary school in the Colony serving largely children from the provinces, among them were the future heads of state, Sir Milton Margai and Dr. Siaka Stevens. The challenge for Christian missions was of two kinds: (l) to stop the spread and influence of Islam in Africa; and (2) to win Africa for Christ before it was too late.. In a solidarity message to mark International Workers' Day, he said his administration would leave no stone unturned to put in place measures aimed at empowering the Nigerian workers. Vol. Accessed February 25, 2021. Instead of adapting the teachings and practices of the new religion to suit indigenous values, as it did when the same Christian religion adopted Greek, Roman, German and Anglo-Saxon native practices, the early Christian missionaries condemned totally as pagan, and to be avoided by their converts, whatever they considered strange. Teacher training colleges in Ghana did not expand as fast as the secondary schools. These missionaries are our glory! How did Christianity come to Nigeria? When the women of Israel sang the praise of David for killing Goliath, this made King Saul angry and envious. Elliot and his fellow missionaries initiated contact with the tribe after being taught some of their language; first by dropping gifts down from a plane and later establishing a camp not far from the Waodani settlement. They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. She encouraged womens rights and protected children, notably, in the abolition of infanticide of twins in the Efik regions. Debrunner, Hans Werner. Wm. Accessed February 27, 2021. He was ordained in 1845 and got consecrated as a Bishop in 1864. The training college later became part of Achimota College. Indeed, in some situations the converts were taught to feel that they were absolved from obeying their own traditional rulers and certain laws of the state. The origin of Christianity in Nigeria in this part roots back to the 1930s when Christians were allowed to enter the territory which was previously closed to them by the Muslims. Natal, 1874-1909. SOURCES: Nov 2021, joshuaproject.net . CUP Archive, 1979. 1813-1873. Jim's journal, which famously features the quote "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose", has also been read by thousands of believers around the world. That part of Africa was then known as the White Man's Grave. The topic of our focus is, BEHAVING WISELY. It is lifted from 1 Samuel 18:14,15 and 30. For several years they paid attention to slave trade rather than evangelization and Christianization of the people of West-Africa. *Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, 1933; T. Nelson. 3:03 am. Though their first attempt was unsuccessful, these missionaries persisted and in the 19 th Century, there was a successful expansion of Christian missions in Nigeria. 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. She was a British missionary with the Christian Missionary Society. From 1937 until her demise in 1838, she carried on evangelical duties within West Africa. This is a list of early missionaries in Nigeria: He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. The next stop was Ibadan, St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan. Missionary activity in Nigeria cannot, of course, be viewed apart from the general European invasion of the West African territories from the advent of the Portuguese. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995. As you probably know, Nigerian is home to people from two major religions: Christianity and Islam. In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. He started this massive campaign in the Great Britain stating that African slaves should be freed. *Holy Rosary College, Enugu, 1935; The government gave grants according to the strength of the staff and the efficiency of the school judged by inspection reports and the results of public examinations. There were only bush paths, and no roads in the early times. They were closed down in 1852 in favour of schools opened in Lagos which, in 1851, had one time British control. The Niger areas were first touched by the Christian missionaries thanks to the effort of Sir William Wilberforce who fought for the freedom of the slaves. *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; However, the first fruit became possible, as the Americans and British decided to free the slaves. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. BREAKING: Edo 2020: Oshiomhole finally breaks silence, reveals why he was moved to tears on election day. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. Missions cover: Nigeria and Gold Coast, 1919-1928. Bishop of Smyrna. The blessings which Christianity has brought to West Africa are many. To follow suit and take a bow is Methodist Boys High School, 1878. Another important missionary doctor was J. R. Stephen who for many years headed a missionary hospital at Ilesha. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20). Although modern scientific research has confirmed the medicinal properties of these concoctions, traditional medical practice had several shortcomings. Missionaries were used by the colonial power as an avant garde, to expand into new regions, a fact keenly . In January 1956, however, the five men were killed by members of the tribe as they approached them in person for the first time with the hopes of sharing the gospel. churches were firmly established in several important towns, such as Abeokuta (1846), Lagos (1851), Ibadan (1853), and Oyo (1856). *Christ the King College, Onitsha, 1933; What Are The Impacts Of Missionaries In Nigeria? Missionaries who served at Igbaja from 1950-2000 1. By 1885, they had become the largest European-led churches in Nigeria, spreading further inland. The first attempts to bring Christianity to the area where the modern country is today date back to the 1470s and 1620s. Other difficulties the early Christians faced were the problems of the many languages and dialects and their ignorance of the true meaning of the various cultures, beliefs, values and ways of life of the people whom they set out to convert to Christianity. In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. As an institution introduced by agents with radically different values, the Christian religion damaged the culture and traditional beliefs of the people of West Africa. C.M.S. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. Europe in those days looked upon Africa as the Dark Continent with very primitive civilizations, and most Europeans refused to adapt their religion to suit the local situation. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. Between the period of 1841 and 1900, the Church Missionary Society of the Church of England, the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society from England, the French Catholic Society for African Missions, the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the Southern Baptist Convention of the United States, carried out missionary expeditions of significant success in the then Niger Area, presently regarded as Nigeria.
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