They believed in evil spirits, and other things peculiar to this religion. *African Church School, Kajola, Ifo, 1943; Christian converts were indoctrinated to frown upon the use of indigenous first names in favour of Christian ones. COVID-19: FG says children under five dont have to wear face masks, here's why. If you are interested in learning more about it, then read on. 1931. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. *Olivet Heights, Oyo, 1945; The people in Nigeria and their traditions which they believed and worship God. C.M.S. That was 1879. William Gladstone. Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. The Church had its strongest hold in the Senegambia area. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Fulani and Jihadists forced people living in the North to support Islam. Missionaries today have brought education, medical care, and Holistic Development Centers into Nigeria. These included the Basel Missionary Society, founded in Switzerland, and the Breman Mission formed in Germany. CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO WEST 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. 2 Longman Group Ltd. London 1974, Ampadu B.K Notes on History of Ghana for Senior High Schools. A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. The couple later transferred to Lagos to become co-principals of the Christian Missionary Society (CMS) from 1871 till 1872. By the 1800's, various parts of Nigeria had a rooted Catholic Mission presence. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. William F. P. Burton missionary pioneering in the, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 14:42. Before they came, Nigerians were uneducated. He facilitated several social reforms such as the abolition of human sacrifices in aristocratic funerals, in collaboration with Rev. 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. The original Yaba College in Lagos has grown into a polytechnic. The story generated worldwide news coverage, and Elliot's wife, Elisabeth, has since written a bestselling book entitled 'Through the Gates of Splendor' about her husband's journey. 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. This is what we can state about the situation with the Christianity in Nigeria and the impact it has on the population. 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. In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. *Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, 1895; She arrived in Ibadan in 1852, and with her husband, David Hinderer, they set up a mission in Ibadan and also built schools for young children which she taught and ran the affairs. 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. They believed in sacrifice to make money and do many other things like killing of twins. They believed and practiced rituals to make money and do many things like killing of twins. He set up a mission chapel in the Ijiaye area and another mission outpost at Ogbomosho. Henry Townsend, were co-principals of the C.M.S Female Institution of Lagos from 1871 until 1872. Privacy Statement They were followed by other major missionary bodies, including the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. 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. 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?" They were not strangers from a foreign land, they were native people. 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. He became known as the "Apostle to . 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. Today 49% of the Nigerian population is Christian. There were related organizations that sprang up in Scandinavia, Holland and the USA. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. The Roman Catholic Church was also able to build a permanent stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Abeokuta, and Idaban. 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. 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. Crampton, Edmund Patrick Thurman. Thus, the first missions came to this area around the same time the trade and colonialists came here too. These trends occasionally brought kings into conflict with the missionaries and their converts. When the missionaries arrived, some of these evils practiced stopped. 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. 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. Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. . 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. *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; 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. My only joys therefore are that when God has given me a work to do, I have not refused it.". Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. Under a very convivial atmosphere, the Busy Bee Society of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Lagos, recently handed over a N40 million project comprising a library, a science laboratory and borehole to Ebenezer Baptist Academy in Oshorun, Ibeshe, Lagos State. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. For instance, in Nigeria, one of the first groups of missionaries to introduce organised medical services were the Roman Catholics. *Baptist High School, Bodija, Ibadan, 1940; Baptist Academy, Lagos, followed in 1885. *Methodist Girls High School, Lagos, 1879; The Church Missionary Society established churches in several towns like Abeokuta, Lagos, Idaban, Oyo, and Benin. Babalola, E. O. Christianity in West Africa. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. Rendall) wife of Rev. He started this massive campaign in the Great Britain stating that African slaves should be freed. There was also a growing number of Nigerian pastors and independent Nigerian churches at the time. *Ibo Boys High School, Uzuakoli, (CMS), 1923; 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. Islam was viewed as the greatest social evil which threatened the survival of Africa, in particular. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. J. G. Christaller produced a Twi Grammar and Dictionary. Renewed evangelisation started when the Basel (later known as Presbyterian) missionaries started work at Osu (Accra). And yet the Asafo provided most of the services which a community needed: protection against military attacks, communal services, etc. In 1827 it grew into Fourah Bay College. From the second half of the eighteenth century, a fervent wave of evangelical spirit developed in the United Kingdom, Europe and the New World which inspired men and women with the missionary fervour to found religious societies whose members would go out to Africa and the other lands. https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section8.shtml, https://bethanygu.edu/missions/missionary-involvement-in-nigeria/. For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. 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. Here are ten ways missions has impacted Africa. Unfortunately, a lot of conflicts, sometimes even military ones took place here and in between the tribes. "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! But they were unable to convert the kings and traditional rulers as these leaders were only interested in the guns and mirrors the Europeans offered them. South Africa, 1919-1928. William Carey William Carey is regarded as the "father of modern missions". ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. The Christian religion teaches the doctrine of one supreme God and is opposed to the worship of any other forms of deity. Missions cover: Nigeria and Gold Coast, 1919-1928. In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. What Are The Impacts Of Missionaries In Nigeria? They did not take into consideration the already established cultural characteristics; Igbo religious traditions had long been engraved into the African society. Thus, as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. *Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1913: Grammar School for Boys in 1859, St Gregorys College opened by the Catholics in 1876, Methodist Boys High School 1878 and Methodist Girls High School 1879. The identity of each is easy to decipher. Reels 12-14 cover correspondence concerning the return of German missionaries to the stations in West and East Africa after World War I . Finally, they established new missions to keep up the good work. Soon after secondary schools were opened in other parts of southern Nigeria, including Bonny High School, which was taken over by government in 1904. He furthermore continued his missionary expeditions, moving to Badagry and later to Abeokuta, whereafter he returned to the United States due to failing health. 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.. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; Both in England and North America, the theme, "The Sudan, the worst manned mission field in the whole world" was beginning to ring louder and louder in many missionary conferences, especially the Keswick conventions in England and later Canada. 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. In . There were no Bibles in local languages, likewise grammar books were scant, so the missionaries had to spend time learning local languages, and translated the Bible and wrote series of grammar books. In the field of education, however, the missionaries had to adjust their programmes to fit in with the policy of assimilation. 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. I knew then what it was to be 'born again,' and the Bible which had been so dry to me before, became everything. According to ot the Nigeria Christian Fellowship, there are at least seventy million people who consider themselves Christians. 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. 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. Today, I want to briefly share with you how God leads. He was converted to Christianity along with his brothers while at Eton. A German missionary with Church Missionary Society, he arrived in Badagry on March 25, 1849. That I deliberately at the call of God, when alone on the Bibby liner in 1910, gave up my life for this work, which was to be henceforth not for the Sudan only, but for the whole unevangelized World. In 1925 the Governor introduced measures which helped the efforts of the missionaries. In due course leprosariums and orphanages were built to supplement their medical services. *CMS Grammar School, Lagos, 1859; *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos,. Lack of transport from the coast to the interior parts of West Africa was one of the major difficulties encountered by the missionaries. They came with craftsmen who rebuilt . He travelled extensively from east to west . 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. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Until his last day on this Earth, he worked hard to bring God to Nigerians". Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. From 1937 until her demise in 1838, she carried on evangelical duties within West Africa. The people in Nigeria had their traditions which they believed and worship God. 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). In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. Baptists. https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/. Calabar and the neighbouring communities were the areas she performed her missionary work. 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. *Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode (Anglican), 1913; "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. Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. She and her husband were charged by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to lead missionary expeditions in Nigeria. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. Kalu, Ogbu. In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. *Baptist Academy, Lagos, 1885; To follow suit and take a bow is Methodist Boys High School, 1878. It was first sited in Abeokuta before it was relocated to Lagos. Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. Yemi Osinbajo reveals why FG is not planning to increase taxes, Bulus Y. Galadima and Yusufu Turaki explored the spread of Christianity of Nigeria in the work they called Christianity of Nigeria.. The missionary traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade. Textbooks were heavily biased towards western ideas and values. Paul, a former persecutor of the Christians, became one of the most influential leaders in the mission movement after he experienced a dramatic conversion to the faith. Teacher training colleges in Ghana did not expand as fast as the secondary schools. Besides education, they cared for the sick. 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. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES. It included the opening up of Africa to forces of change namely commerce (legitimate commerce, i.e. Missionaries were used by the colonial power as an avant garde, to expand into new regions, a fact keenly . Andreas Riis, assisted by a team of West Indian evangelists, laid the foundations of the Basel Missionary Church in the country. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20). Also, Christian missionaries in Ghana were as zealous as their counterparts in Nigeria in pioneering medical services. In spite of the division, the parent Methodist missionary church played an important role in the history of Christianity in Sierra Leone. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Two other training colleges opened by the missionaries, in the early days, were the Wesley College in Kumasi (1922) and the Roman Catholic Training College at Amisano, near Elmina (1931) which in 1936 moved to the campus of the newly founded secondary school, St Augustines College at Cape Coast. 26. Besides education, they cared for the sick. By the 1970s a lot of missionaries cam to Nigeria to help spread the Christianity here. Polycarp. 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. She championed women's rights, and set up a mission hospital for the local people. https://www.legit.ng/1145690-history-christianity-nigeria.html. Later on, she and her husband, Rev. Creative man builds fine house with mud and sticks, video goes viral on TikTok, BREAKING: Kano new emirates have come to stay, Ganduje sends strong reply to Kwankwaso, How to reset GOtv after payment: 4 quick and easy ways for resetting, Christina Randalls biography: age, height, net worth, prison, Top 30 funny text messages you can send to your friends, Top 20 common weeds in Nigeria every citizen should know, Unique nicknames for guys: 200+ cute, cool, and funny names with meanings, Airtel data plan: how to buy, plans, bundles, guidelines (2023), 100+ cool nicknames for boys and girls that are pretty impressive, Top 30+ best funny jokes for girls in 2023: Impress them, "Queen of Afrobeat": Tiwa Savage emerges only African artist to perform at King Charles' Coronation, 'N75 per litre': Beer, Tokunbo cars, phone calls, others to get more expensive as FG introduces new taxes, "N4bn Daily": Rabiu beats Aliko Dangote as Nigerian top 3 billionaires' wealth rises by over N184.1bn in April, "More money": Dangote, other cement producers in Nigera record over N600bn revenue in 3 Months, "I just buy curtain rod": Nigerian lady rents fine room, packs in without furniture, dances to celebrate. Trans Britain: are the numbers really adding up. opened was the Christian Institute, established in 1814 for the training of teachers, catechists and priests. For seven years he carried on teaching English and converting the locals to Christianity. Soon after the Methodist experiment, the church Missionary Society set up their own school at Badagry. About the same time, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) headed by the Rev. From that time on, the first Christians took the Gospel to all the ends of the world including the places where Nigeria is now. Scottish minister. Slavery: An Unlikely Catalyst In the fifteenth century, Christianity came to Africa's coastlines through forts established by European slave traders. 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. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. How did Christianity come to Nigeria? 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). The Portuguese were the first to introduce the Christian faith into West Africa but following their departure from the West Coast in the mid-seventeenth century, the Christian religion survived only in Upper Guinea where a bishop was maintained in the Cape Verde Islands serving also a part of the mainland. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. Although modern scientific research has confirmed the medicinal properties of these concoctions, traditional medical practice had several shortcomings. It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. 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. President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to put in place a living wage for Nigerian workers. Civil Servants in Cross River said the lifting of embargo placed on promotion of civil servants by Gov. Name. Accessibility Statement. People accepted Jesus Christ but still had the mentality impacted by the indigenous religions. They were able to successfully establish churches in Ibesikpo. Modern Catholic missions were established by priests from the Society of African . *Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan, 1938; 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. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. Henry Townsend. Clarke, Peter Bernard. Thus, in the South of Nigeria, mostly Yoruba and Edo groups were ruling and dominating. Bebe Golf Ranch. But despite the work of Portuguese missionaries based on the island of Sao Tome and later of Spanish missionaries in Benin, it was not until the nineteenth century that the Christian religion was firmly established in Nigeria. In this chapter, we shall examine how Christianity and Western-style education influenced West Africans values, attitudes and life-styles. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. Here is the list of the early schools, mission, private or government owned. Interdenominational Faith Missions in Africa: History and Ecclesiology.
Onondaga County Noise Ordinance,
Glasgow University Secret Society,
Lucy Name Puns,
2018 Block Island Quarter Errors,
La County Parks And Recreation Staff,
Articles L
