And yet the Asafo provided most of the services which a community needed: protection against military attacks, communal services, etc. 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. She is regarded as the first solo female missionary to Nigeria when she arrived in 1876. And for our independence and banished ignorance, for broadening minds so we could recognize liberty and freedom. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. She participated in establishing mission presence in Abeokuta for over two decades. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. Privacy Policy. *Government College, Ughelli, 1945: A.G. Frazer, did much to encourage the promotion of indigenous culture, but by and large the colonial authorities contributed to dwindling a good deal of our cultural heritage. This is a list of early missionaries in Nigeria: Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. Bamgboye & Company Press, 1976. Henry Townsend, were co-principals of the C.M.S Female Institution of Lagos from 1871 until 1872. *Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Anambra, 1927; In any study of colonial Nigeria, the groundwork accomplished by the missionaries in pre-colonial days must be a central concern. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. The story goes that in 1787, he suggested that all Christians had a duty to share the gospel around the world, after which he was told: "Young man, sit down. He also founded Serampore College to train local ministers. Legit Nigeria. In Sierra Leone, among the earliest higher institutions which the C.M.S. *Government Secondary School, Ilorin, 1914; Henry Townsend, Sarah Townsend was a missionary under the Christian Missionary Society. Natal, 1874-1909. *St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan, 1896; When the women of Israel sang the praise of David for killing Goliath, this made King Saul angry and envious. His work, however, did not extend much beyond Cape Coast and the neighbouring area. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; They brought educational programs to fight off the illiteracy through different educational programs and institutions. By 1885, they had become the largest European-led churches in Nigeria, spreading further inland. It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. A history of Christianity in Africa: From antiquity to the present. 1813-1843. 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. 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. Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? https://bethanygu.edu/missions/missionary-involvement-in-nigeria/. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. It was first sited in Abeokuta before it was relocated to Lagos. Prepared by Doug Nichols, Action International Ministries, (and a few other well-known historical and church figures and events), Bible Translation, founded boarding schools with Carey(India), A missionary leader with the British Baptist mission(India), Jamaica One of first American missionaries, Pastored first black church in America and becamemissionary to Sierra Leone, With Rev. Major World Religions ISLAM. Nevertheless, when Christianity came here around the same time it did to the Western part, it met no obstacles in spreading.It It is important to realize that the religions in Nigeria were all influenced by the common traditionalists beliefs and superstitions. You can learn more about it, as many historians found this subject matter interesting too. 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. Joseph Dunwell. Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. 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. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. But the funds and other needed materials even when available could not reach their station in time. Ex-slave missionary to Nigeria. 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. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. *Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, 1895; Thus, in the South of Nigeria, mostly Yoruba and Edo groups were ruling and dominating. Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, 1878; Two missionaries serving in Nigeria currently are Katie Morrison with Mission Africa & Youth with a Mission (YWAM). 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. Lewis, Donald M., ed. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and Africa. 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. Pastor Douglas Weiser accepts the call to be a visiting missionary to Nigeria after visiting since 1997 and serving as WELS Liaison to the field from 2002 to 2014. In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. In the Western Region, the Catholic Sisters running a hospital at Eikwe specialized in maternity cases, and like Slessor in Nigeria succeeded in stamping out the practice of killing twins at birth. 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. Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. Tinubu said in his administration workers will find a dependable. opened was the Christian Institute, established in 1814 for the training of teachers, catechists and priests. Also the missionaries set up model farms where scientific agriculture was taught and new crops were introduced for the people, to go alongside longstanding indigenous production. Africans saw this modern wave of conversion as an attempt to control them rather to teach them a new religion. Soon after the start of elementary schools, the missionaries started opening higher institutions also. 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. Reels 12-14 cover correspondence concerning the return of German missionaries to the stations in West and East Africa after World War I . In 1845 the C.M.S. *Anglican Girls Grammar School, Lagos, 1945. 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. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. The emergence of the Christian Church in this region had to struggle with the difficulties three different contexts brought. Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. The CSGC reports that "of the ten countries sending the most missionaries in 2010, three were in the global South: Brazil, South Korea, and India." Other notable missionary senders included. "This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me," Carey wrote at the time. The Roman Catholics established their first secondary school, St Augustines, at Cape Coast in 1936. Robert Murray M'Cheyne. Public money was spent only on the small number of government schools, totaling nineteen when Governor Guggisberg assumed office in 1919. Isichei, Elizabeth. Later, Prisilla and the couple's four daughter stayed in England, while Charles worked in Central Africa until his death in 1931. BREAKING: Edo 2020: Oshiomhole finally breaks silence, reveals why he was moved to tears on election day. Another important Catholic missionary in this area was the Irishman, Bishop Shanahan. He was dedicated to the growth of the Ake Church that he ordained a Priest and grew the church to a capacity of a hundred and eighty members. A History of West Africa, Cambridge University Press, 1969, Fynn , J. K and R. Addo-Fening History for Senior Secondary schools. He furthermore continued his missionary expeditions, moving to Badagry and later to Abeokuta, whereafter he returned to the United States due to failing health. History. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. *Igbobi College, Lagos, (Anglican) 1932; The Glasgow Missionary Society pamphlet of 1796, "Report on the Character of a Missionary, etc." lays considerable stress upon "piety, prudence and aptitude to teach" but not once mentions the need for craft skills (Williams 1959 . This cannot be appreciated until we run our eyes through the list. Missionaries -- Nigeria Cecil F. and Marie Roberson were Southern Baptist missionaries in Nigeria between the 1950s and 1970s. 1 (1971): 103-115. station in 1858, it was not until 1889 that the missionaries entered Hausaland, which was predominantly Muslim. church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centres being Bonny and Brass. To follow suit and take a bow is Methodist Boys High School, 1878. *Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, 1942; 1809-1898. Polycarp. 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. 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. Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language, and in 1874 the Rev. Having been raised in North London in a working class family, she initially worked as a housemaid, but had a long-harboured dream of becoming a missionary, and was convinced of her calling to China. 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. * St. Charles College, Onitsha, 1929; But the equality of believers is an idea. In Proverbs Chapter 3, the wise man admonished us to acknowledge God in all our ways. Rendall) wife of Rev. Christian missionary activities in West Africa, https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/, https://webbschool.libguides.com/PurpleHibiscusResearch2021. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12), Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange was happening to you. Modern Catholic missions were established by priests from the Society of African . Clarke, Peter Bernard. Furthermore, during this same period, the anti-Islamic sentiment was quite high in Europe and North America within Christian circles. 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. 1931. The first secondary school in the East was Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, now Cross River State capital. The first missionaries in the Western regions were Methodists and Baptists. These churches incorporated their old religious and cultural ideals with their new teachings of the Bible. They came with craftsmen who rebuilt . Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. This is when conversion numbers started to rise and more locals became keen to this new religion. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. 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. Noble were the exertions, labour and sacrifice that went into giving Nigeria foundational materials for human capital development, which provided the building blocks for our social and economic development, cultivation of refinement and civilization. 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. By 1885, the church had spread further inland, thanks to Father Joseph Lutz who started work around Onitsha in 1886 and spread the gospel in many parts of the present day Imo and Anambra States. They saw a way to incorporate the loving message of the religion with their own unique lives. The people in Nigeria had their traditions which they believed and worship God. Besides education, they cared for the sick. There was also a growing number of Nigerian pastors and independent Nigerian churches at the time. He successfully established churches in Ibesikpo, which gave rise to the present Lutheran Church of Nigeria. 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. 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. 26. In conclusion, Christianity planted its roots only when a more secretic form was formed. 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. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. Its the generous support of our ministry partners that enables us to continue our eternity-shaping work. 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. The early missionaries set up craft centres as part of their educational programmes. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. In facts, when the scientists call the Middle Belt of the country, was an area with no systems of one law and political systems. As you probably know, Nigerian is home to people from two major religions: Christianity and Islam. 2017: Pastor Weiser retires in June, and Missionary Jeff Heitsch is called to serve Nigeria half-time from Cameroon. *Methodist College, Uzuakoli, 1923; As a result, many African converts began breaking away from European churches and forming their own. He set up a mission chapel in the Ijiaye area and another mission outpost at Ogbomosho. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. Oates, Joan. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Fulani and Jihadists forced people living in the North to support Islam. Among other missionary hospitals of long standing and reputation are those run by the Methodists at Wenkyi in the Brong-Ahafo Region, and by the Seventh Day Adventists at Kwahu Atibie in the Eastern Region. A history of African Christianity 1950-1975. From Lagos, efforts moved to the East. If you are interested in learning more about it, then read on. Within a short time the missionaries spread their activities inland. 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. 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. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20). Pope Francis has said that missionaries are the "heroes of evangelism". Amazingly, Elisabeth and the sister of another of the missionaries, Rachel, were introduced to the Waodani just two years after their murder, and were invited to live among the tribe. She reached Nigeria for the first time in 1876. West Africa, 1919-1925. Slavery: An Unlikely Catalyst In the fifteenth century, Christianity came to Africa's coastlines through forts established by European slave traders. Gladys Aylward was a British evangelical Christian missionary to China in the 20th century. For the West Africans, the acceptance of Christianity meant the total rejection of most of the cherished institutions upon which their society rested. My only joys therefore are that when God has given me a work to do, I have not refused it.". The work of the missionaries also had little success initially. There were related organizations that sprang up in Scandinavia, Holland and the USA. Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. This page is not available in other languages. Nevertheless, the first higher institution in Ghana, now the Presbyterian Training College at Akuapem Akropon, was established in 1848, first as a centre for training catechists, and later to train teachers as well as ministers of the Presbyterian Church. That was 1879. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14), Be nice to bandits, Sheikh Gumi tells Nigerians, releases tips on how to live peacefully with them, Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! (Luke 6:22), The beginning of the history of Christianity in Nigeria. Here, the history of Christianity turns its new page in the 1840s. *United Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1928; 2. 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. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. William F. P. Burton missionary pioneering in the, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 14:42. Name. *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; *Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, 1933; 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. The glory of our Church!". William Carey William Carey is regarded as the "father of modern missions". House, 1967. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Missionaries were used by the colonial power as an avant garde, to expand into new regions, a fact keenly . Hope Masterson Waddell. Baptist Academy, Lagos, followed in 1885. Christian missionary activities in West Africa. Babalola, E. O. Christianity in West Africa. Within ten years the C.M.S had opened twelve more schools in what is today Cross Rivers State. This is a list of early missionaries in Nigeria: He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. As they could not recruit British missionary volunteers initially, the Church Missionary Society sponsored the services of German missionaries, who were Lutherans, to come out to Sierra Leone. He saw no conversions for seven years, his son Peter died of dysentery and his wife's mental health deteriorated rapidly. Europeans were not only curious to explore the lands but also the native people. The CMS began to work in the freed slave villages in Sierra Leone in 1804 and the Methodist in 1811. Other Roman Catholic hospitals were built in all the nine regions of the country; including those at Asikuma and Foso (Central Region), Akyem Swedru (Eastern Region), Berekum (BrongAhafo), Maase (Asante Region) and Anfoega (Volta Region). The Sudan United Mission (SUM) was a conglomeration or umbrella of different mission societies whose missionaries came from all the Caucasian- dominated nations of the Commonwealth as well as the USA. Therefore the period for the rise of Christianizing Missions in the late Nineteenth Century has been considered as reprise. NUUT Co. Ltd. Kumasi, Ghana, 2011, Baarkinado. In the days of Portuguese contacts with Nigeria, Catholic priests had established missionary stations in Benin and the neighbourhood. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. 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. BBC. Today, I want to briefly share with you how God leads. 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. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995. Among these were the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (commonly known as the Holy Ghost Father), the Society of African Missions (SMA), the Society of Missionaries of Africa, popularly known as the White Fathers because of the white Muslim-like clothing which the Fathers wore, and the society of the Divine Word (SVD, abbreviated from its Latin name). South Africa, 1919-1928. In the 19th century more stable missions were sent into Nigeria as European nations gained tighter control over their African colonies. In the 19thh century, too, Afro-Brazilians returned to Benin and Nigeria with Catholicism. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. Calabar and the neighbouring communities were the areas she performed her missionary work. 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. 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. 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. "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. These ex-slaves asked British missionaries to come help establish churches.
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