Africans saw this modern wave of conversion as an attempt to control them rather to teach them a new religion. 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. The people in Nigeria had their traditions which they believed and worship God. From Lagos, efforts moved to the East. As happened in parts of Yorubaland in the last century, some of the Christian missionaries often engaged in local politics and took an active part in helping the colonial authorities in their wars of territorial expansion. He was a missionary of the Christian Missionary Society of the Church of England that arrived in Nigeria in 1843. Randy was interviewed by his local church, Good Shepherd, for their annual Global Outreach weekend. He was ordained in 1845 and got consecrated as a Bishop in 1864. By the close of the nineteenth century the major Christian missionary churches had opened elementary schools in many part of southern Nigeria with an enrolment of about 74,000 by the First World War. 1.898 Billion worldwide. A Cornish missionary and explorer, George Grenfell served as a Baptist missionary in Cameroon in the late 1800s. Missionaries were used by the colonial power as an avant garde, to expand into new regions, a fact keenly . Christianity in northern Nigeria. Missionary Involvement in Africa (Historical & Current) 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. CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO WEST AFRICA. West Africa, 1919-1925. Why I don't want to become godfather like Oshiomhole, Tinubu - Obaseki gives reasons. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. However, the discovery of quinine and other curative medicines in the late 19th century made the history of the missionary work in West Africa a different thing altogether. The youngest of the 'Studd Brothers', who were known for their cricket skills at Eton and Cambridge, Charles played in the first Test match between England vs Australia where the Ashes were named. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. 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. African people did not have to give up their cultural identity in order to follow something Western and foreign. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Besides education, they cared for the sick. They were closed down in 1852 in favour of schools opened in Lagos which, in 1851, had one time British control. *Baptist High School, Bodija, Ibadan, 1940; began work in many parts of Africa. It is important to emphasize that the modern history of the Christian Mission in Africa started from the late Eighteenth Century, the Catholics had been there earlier in the first centuries of the Christian era especially during the first Portuguese adventures. The Muslims started the slave trade in this region. It started first among the Yoruba recaptives who had embraced the Christian faith while in Sierra Leone (freed from slave trading ships by the British Royal Naval Squadron), and who returned home between 1839 and 1845. At the end of the eighteenth century, the Evangelical Revival began to bring to Africa an influx of missionaries whose laoburs would produce the first fruits of an enduring Christian presence in Sub-Sahara Africa. Furthermore, during this same period, the anti-Islamic sentiment was quite high in Europe and North America within Christian circles. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. 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. J. C. Taylor, in these parts of southern Nigeria can still be seen today. Collection consists largely of historical essays and archives written and collected by Cecil Roberson to document the history of Baptists in Nigeria. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004. Of 31 secondary schools surveyed from 1859 and 1037, only the government, federal or state, established seven; 24 belonged to the Missions. Polycarp. Secondary Schools in the Protectorate started later, following the establishment of Bo Government Secondary School in 1906. 11 March 2021 | 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. Bebe Golf Ranch. "Missionaries and other white Christians were alarmed by the idea that the equality of all people before God means they should be equal in public life. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. The work of the missionaries also had little success initially. 26. He facilitated several social reforms such as the abolition of human sacrifices in aristocratic funerals, in collaboration with Rev. Debrunner, Hans Werner. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. 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. Within a short time the missionaries spread their activities inland. Porter, Andrew. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, Persecuted Christians read Bible for first time in their own language after 182 year wait, Meet the Christian woman who adopted EIGHT children from a Russian orphanage, Watch the amazing moment six Christian converts get baptised in the Amazon, The man who converted Ireland: 10 things you might not know about St Patrick, God is on the move in the broken Anglican Communion, Church of England bishops urged 'to step back from the brink' on same-sex blessings, Lessons for today from the Salem Witch Trials. Please click this link to download the chapter. Africa and the Winder World 3. The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. A short history of education in British West Africa. In spite of the division, the parent Methodist missionary church played an important role in the history of Christianity in Sierra Leone. Africa Christian Press, 1996. William F. P. Burton missionary pioneering in the, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 14:42. Nigerians back US, UK over ban on election riggers, say it should be extended to their family members. 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. Several missionaries died at a youthful age due to the unfriendly tropical climate. Europeans were not only curious to explore the lands but also the native people. Aged just 28, she sailed to West Africa in August 1876 and was assigned to the Calabar region. A Brief History Of Missionary Efforts In Nigeria - Sermon Central The history of this religion actually roots back to the days when Jesus commanded to take the Good News that He saves those believing and trusting Him to the ends of the world. Originally a freed African slave from Freetown, Sierra Leone of Yoruba ancestry, was instrumental in the establishment of Christian missions in Nigeria. Thus, for instance, in 2008, the survey by one organization showed that there are at least 53% Muslims, and 45% Christians, while the other study demonstrated other numbers which were 50% Christians and 49% Muslims. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995. By 1844, he erected the Ake Church in Abeokuta. Shaw, Mark. The oldest secondary school in Nigeria, it was founded on 06 June, 1859. It was founded in 1895. According to his biography by Norman Grubb, in one of his last letters home, Studd wrote: "As I believe I am now nearing my departure from this world, I have but a few things to rejoice in; they are these: 1. A history of Christianity in Ghana. As happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the gospel alone. The missionary traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade. 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. Privacy Policy. The following are notable Christian missionaries: These are missionaries who predate the Second Council of Nicaea so it may be claimed by both Catholic and Orthodoxy or belonging to early Christian groups. The History of Christianity in West Africa. Legit Nigeria. Chaplains were assigned to forts, but their role was to serve the Europeans, not to evangelize Africans. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. 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. BBC. In 1902 the Methodists opened a clinic at Igbo-Ora. Groundless fears that the converts would become contaminated with paganism led some of the Christian missionaries, notably the Presbyterians, to separate the Christians from the rest of the township. 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) A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. Important among these, all in Lagos, were the Baptist Academy in 1855, the C.M.S. Etherington, Norman. Their greatest legacy in the field of education was the foundation which the Methodist laid for what is today the Gambia High school. Following agitation by the people in 1934, the government opened the old Yaba Higher College and Medical School, which awarded diplomas acceptable only locally. The first attempts to bring Christianity to the area where the modern country is today date back to the 1470s and 1620s. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. Two missionaries serving in Nigeria currently are Katie Morrison with Mission Africa & Youth with a Mission (YWAM). Later on, she and her husband, Rev. She was a missionary with the Christian Reformed Church who arrived in Nigeria in January 1920. A notable example was the Asafo Company, a purely military and social organisation of the peoples of Ghana, which was condemned by the early missionaries because of its presumed connection with fetish practices. They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. *Holy Rosary College, Enugu, 1935; Mzuni Press, 2018. Thus, first Christians appeared on the West Coast of Africa, Yorubaland, Niger, and Cross River, state that Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology. Initially, a majority of the missionary journeys was done with English-Speaking Protestants and later, in the 1820s and 1830s, they were joined by continental Protestantism from Germany, Switzerland and France. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. In 1845 the C.M.S. Within ten years of Father Bergheros visit, the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria had become so well established that it ceased to be under administration from Dahomey. These pioneer mission schools met with a discouraging response. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. Establishment of Christian Churches In Sierra Leone. And yet the Asafo provided most of the services which a community needed: protection against military attacks, communal services, etc. Tinubu said in his administration workers will find a dependable. (Gen. 8:22) May this indeed be the season of harvest for us all. In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. Hope Waddell of the Church of Scotland had opened a school at Duke Town, Calabar. . History of christianity in Nigeria - Legit.ng He was a missionary from Sierra Leone that arrived in Nigeria in March 1859. Dr & Mrs H. Henry Budd (the third Principal of ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja) 3. The Methodists founded Mfantsipim (1876) for boys and Wesley Girls High School (1884). Slessor saved hundreds of children during her time in Nigeria; even adopting one young girl as her own daughter. ", Comparing them to the apostle Paul, Francis added: "I think it is only right that we give thanks to the Lord for their testimony. Another important German missionary was Wilhelm Johannson, better known by the English version of his name, William Johnson, who is revered in the history of the CMS in West Africa. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. "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. The early Christians saw an especially urgent need to spread their faith before the second coming of Christ, which they believed was imminent. This article will answer your questions. Introduction, spread and effects, 6: Christian Missionary Activities in West Africa, 7: Scramble for and Partition of West Africa, 9: Problems of Independent West African States, 10: West Africa and International Organizations, 11: Women and Authority in West African History, 12: The Environment in West African History. Kalu, Ogbu. They often attributed natural ailments to supernatural causes and resorted to mystic cults to appease the unknown spirit, before applying medicine to the sick person. British Prime Minister. From the beginning of the world, the Lord has decreed that there will always be the season of harvest. 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. C.M.S. In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. Perhaps the greatest service of the missionaries was the promotion of western education and the development of vernacular literature. Meanwhile, the research by the Pew Research Center that same year showed at least 52% Muslims, 46% Christians, and 1% non-religious individuals. Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. Many missionaries died because of the climate and tropical disease. *Anglican Girls Grammar School, Lagos, 1945. The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. The topic of our focus is, BEHAVING WISELY. It is lifted from 1 Samuel 18:14,15 and 30. 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. The American Episcopal Evangelical (A.M.E.) Zion Church owes its foundation in Ghana to Bishop J. Bryan Small, who started work first at Keta in 1898. Thus as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic Sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. The people received the message with indifference. The birth of the Christian Church in the Northern Nigeria. Mission Africa - Katie Morrison Katie Morrison is a missionary with Mission Africa in Nigeria. Vol. Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. Mr & Mrs Jim & Doris Guth Custer (served at SIM Teachers Training College, Igbaja) 4. 6 inspiring Christian missionaries who gave up everything for Christ But in 1800, he baptised his first convert to Christianity, and over more than 20 years went on to translate the Bible into dozens of major Indian languages and dialects. North Kaffraria, 1883-1904. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. 3 (2002): 555-584. She was reputed to have made indelible contributions to the area she served during her missions in Nigeria. *Government College, Ughelli, 1945: He resigned from BMS when it emerged that his Jamaican housekeeper was pregnant with his child. Among other things the regulations required that all teachers should be registered, and a minimum salary was fixed. In the Gambia, the Methodist missionary and first principal of what later became known as the Gambia High School, the Rev. The tropical climatic condition in the country was not favourable to the early missionaries who came to the shores of West Africa. So, when talking about the impact of Christianity in Nigeria, we should mention how the helped them advance this area. *Barewa College, Zaria, 1921; In the meantime, the Middle Belt is where people we know as pagans lived. They had their own particular system of laws, administrative organization, and the strong influence of the traditionalists power. Ministry/Place of Ministry. Falae, Vivien. . (PDF) The 19th Century European Missionaries and the Fight Against This is a list of early missionaries in Nigeria: He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. The good news for the Christianity is that Islam did not come to this region until in the 1970s the civil war broke out. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. James Fieldhouse, produced a Wolof Grammar in 1876. *St. Theresa College, Ibadan, 1932; 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. The Presbyterians, also, opened hospitals in several parts of the country, including the one at Agogo in Asante-Akyem. This cannot be appreciated until we run our eyes through the list. *Ibo Boys High School, Uzuakoli, (CMS), 1923; How did Christianity come to Nigeria? *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; Russia 146.02. The CMS began to work in the freed slave villages in Sierra Leone in 1804 and the Methodist in 1811. Interdenominational Faith Missions in Africa: History and Ecclesiology. These included the Basel Missionary Society, founded in Switzerland, and the Breman Mission formed in Germany. For instance, in Nigeria, one of the first groups of missionaries to introduce organised medical services were the Roman Catholics. They were of much interest to different scientists and religious activists from all over the world. 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. Lewis, Donald M., ed. Development of Education in Sierra Leone. Until his last day on this Earth, he worked hard to bring God to Nigerians. 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. Timeline of Great Missionaries (and a few other well-known historical and church figures and events) Dates. *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, 1878; A history of African Christianity 1950-1975. Among the first missionaries was the Rev. 1991. The Church of Nigeria is the second largest province in the Anglican Communion after the Church of England. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. Apart from the extreme south and the Horn, the interior was hardly touched by Europeans before the last quarter of the Nineteenth Century. During the same period, the Student Missionary Movement was beginning to have a strong influence on the need of global evangelization in North America and Europe. Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. J. G. Christaller produced a Twi Grammar and Dictionary. For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. He is also reputed to have helped Rev. Besides, the missionaries had to travel longer distances to inland towns from their southern stations. He was a missionary that participated in missionary work in Ibesikpo under the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod during the mid-1940s. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. List of Early Missionaries in Nigeria - Nigerian Finder Of the moment he met God for the first time, he said: "right then and there joy and peace came into my soul. However, despite all the efforts of the Portuguese missionaries, there was not much fruit from this. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Meanwhile, there were a lot of people whom the scholars characterize as the pagans who struggled between their traditional approach to religion and faith in Christ. Born in Aberdeen in 1848, Mary Slessor became missionary to Nigeria under the United Presbyterian Church's Foreign Mission Board. Here are ten ways missions has impacted Africa. The others include the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, which was tasked with the responsibility of promoting the translation and printing of the Holy Bible. Next, branches of the C.M.S. 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'. One of the few ethnic groups that were always open to the influence of different religions is the Hausa people. *African Church School, Kajola, Ifo, 1943; The Roman Catholics established their first secondary school, St Augustines, at Cape Coast in 1936. As the abolition of slavery progressed in the different European colonies, converting freed slaves became a powerful motive for setting up European Christian missions. His missionary expeditions took him to Egba, Abeokuta, and Dahomey(a Kingdom that existed in present-day Benin from 1600 until 1904). West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Missions cover: Nigeria and Gold Coast, 1919-1928. Jim Elliot was among a group of US missionaries who felt called to share Christ's teaching with the Waodani tribe in Ecuador in the 1950s. They also prescribed many taboos which, in the light of modern medical science, had no relation whatever with the illness being treated. Prior to advent of the Christian missionaries and indeed well into the pre-independence period, most sick people depended for cure upon concoction herbs and roots and barks of trees. D. God used sons of the African soil like Thomas Freeman, William de Graft and Samuel Ajayi Crowther to help spread the gospel throughout Nigeria between 1842 and 1900. Many of them came to faith. *Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1913: What Are The Impacts Of Missionaries In Nigeria? He started this massive campaign in the Great Britain stating that African slaves should be freed. This special relationship continued until 1960 when Fourah Bay became a college of the newly reconstituted University of Sierra Leone; the other constituent college located at Njala developed from a training college founded in 1920. Reels 12-14 cover correspondence concerning the return of German missionaries to the stations in West and East Africa after World War I . Accessibility Statement. These trends occasionally brought kings into conflict with the missionaries and their converts. Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language and translated the entire Bible and a Bible history into Ga. Then in 1874, the Rev. Bishop of Smyrna. However, with time, they brought some crops, which they cultivated and which sustained them. 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. European missionaries in southern Africa: the role of the missionaries He and other missionaries facilitated the abolition of human sacrifices in the Calabar area. In the 17th century, the Roman Catholic missionaries found their way to Nigeria. How did Christianity come to Nigeria? While the protestant evangelical movements were gaining ground in West Africa, similar movements were being promoted by the Roman Catholic Church in Europe. In any study of colonial Nigeria, the groundwork accomplished by the missionaries in pre-colonial days must be a central concern. Badagry was so receptive to missionaries at that time, so he moved to Abeokuta before finally settling in Ibadan in 1853, where he carried on preaching engagements and educating young children with the aid of his wife, Anna Hinderer. She died aged 67 in 1970, and her story was made into a film 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'.
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