That is why, they had a contact with the rest of the world throughout the whole time, especially during the Middle Ages. 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. He shares some of his family's experiences visiting missionaries. *Christ the King College, Onitsha, 1933; Shaw, Mark. She participated in establishing mission presence in Abeokuta for over two decades. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. There were only bush paths, and no roads in the early times. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. However, the first fruit became possible, as the Americans and British decided to free the slaves. Of 31 secondary schools surveyed from 1859 and 1037, only the government, federal or state, established seven; 24 belonged to the Missions. A history of Christianity in Ghana. But the funds and other needed materials even when available could not reach their station in time. One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Also, Christian missionaries in Ghana were as zealous as their counterparts in Nigeria in pioneering medical services. 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. History. Kalu, Ogbu. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1145690-history-christianity-nigeria.html. The following year, its female arm, Methodist Girls High School, Lagos, came on the scene. Here is the list of the early schools, mission, private or government owned. The Methodists founded the Boys High School in 1874, and another high school for girls six years later. 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. 3:03 am. In 1858 the Rev. 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. 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. Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. 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. Debrunner, Hans Werner. As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. He also founded Serampore College to train local ministers. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. 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. The vast majority of the people of The Gambia are Moslems; but a sizeable percentage of the population, especially in and around the capital Banjul, are Christians. To provide the clear understanding of how this religion came to Nigeria, we have to mention that the state we know today was divided into several regions which had their own social and economic conditions which either stimulate the spread of it or prevented it from it. Today, I want to briefly share with you how God leads. Isichei, Elizabeth. 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. After ordination in England in 1843, he returned to Abeokuta, and he and his wife Sarah Townsend remained until 1867. Meanwhile, the research by the Pew Research Center that same year showed at least 52% Muslims, 46% Christians, and 1% non-religious individuals. After he was ordained in 1849, he arrived in Nigeria later that year, particularly, Duke Town in Calabar, where he served as Head of Station of the mission until his retirement in 1891. He was a missionary of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that arrived Nigeria in 1937 to lead the mission work of WELS. The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. 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. They were instrumental in setting the scene which would meet the colonists when they started arriving. 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. LITERACY - Total Population: 86.7% . The original Yaba College in Lagos has grown into a polytechnic. As a result of such unstable situation, the Christian missions only got here in the 1840s. They were not strangers from a foreign land, they were native people. In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. Many missionaries died because of the climate and tropical disease. Mexico 130.83. *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. Other difficulties they 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. "At the turn of the [19th] century [CMS] had a staff of 1,300 missionaries, 375 local clergy, 1,000 local agents and teachers and an annual income of the equivalent of 20 million." ( http://www.adammatthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/cms_section_VII_parts_1_and_2/Publishers-Note-Part-1.aspx) It included the opening up of Africa to forces of change namely commerce (legitimate commerce, i.e. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Fulani and Jihadists forced people living in the North to support Islam. Rendall) wife of Rev. Some early success included the Liberian coast where Afro-Americans and freed slaves were converted. Here, the history of Christianity turns its new page in the 1840s. He facilitated several social reforms such as the abolition of human sacrifices in aristocratic funerals, in collaboration with Rev. Operating from Whydah in what is today the Peoples Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey), Father Berghero, in 1860, visited Abeokuta and Lagos where freed Catholic slaves from Brazil welcomed him warmly. Christian family to appeal after court dismisses school Pride parade complaint, British public don't want a secular coronation, poll finds, Relic of crucifixion cross to be used in King Charles' coronation, Challenged by the faith of those who suffer. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. Cohn Teaguefirst American missionariesto Sierra Leone, Devotional writer and promoter of missionary awakening(South Africa), Slavery abolished throughout British colonies, Indian pioneer in educational and medical missions, Norwegian missionary to Swaziland (South Africa), William Henry Shepherd (African American), Canadian missionary to China and Indonesia, Literacy pioneer and missionary (Philippines), Founder of SIL/Wycliffe and missionary to Guatemala, 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. He saw no conversions for seven years, his son Peter died of dysentery and his wife's mental health deteriorated rapidly. The others include the French trading posts at Grand Bassam (Ivory Coast), Assinie and Libreville in Gabon. This single problem made the missionary work very difficult. 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. Etherington, Norman. 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. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. This fact only proves what God said about those who will persecute those loving Jesus. However, with time, they brought some crops, which they cultivated and which sustained them. J. C. Taylor, in these parts of southern Nigeria can still be seen today. Accessed February 25, 2021. Category:Christian missionaries in Nigeria Tools Subcategories This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total. 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. Burns & Oates, 1979. *CMS Grammar School, Lagos, 1859; The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. Almost all the missions in West Africa faced financial problems in the early stages of their missionary work. The first missionaries in the Western regions were Methodists and Baptists. The northern area of the state was where Hausa and Bornu people lived. BBC. These missionaries are our glory! 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. One of the few ethnic groups that were always open to the influence of different religions is the Hausa people. 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. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. *African Church School, Kajola, Ifo, 1943; Two missionaries serving in Nigeria currently are Katie Morrison with Mission Africa & Youth with a Mission (YWAM). Slavery: An Unlikely Catalyst In the fifteenth century, Christianity came to Africa's coastlines through forts established by European slave traders. Ex-policeman who claims to be reincarnation of Jesus Christ finally arrested (photos). He travelled extensively from east to west . It was not until 1841 that the British Government sponsored Niger Expedition, of which missionaries from the Church Missionary Society of the Church of England were part of, did progress in missionary works begin to thrive. The writer gives us not only melodious measures, but also valuable truths. Well sustain improvement in workers welfare- Gov Yahaya, May Day: Tinubu assures Nigerian workers of better wage, social, economic justice, 9th Assembly has performed credibility well- Lawan, Gov. 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. Ages enduring gratitude the nation owes them all. The first attempts to bring Christianity to the area where the modern country is today date back to the 1470s and 1620s. Scottish minister. Besides education, they cared for the sick. She was a missionary of Scottish origin with the United Presbyterian Church. 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. 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. In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. 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. Although Lokoja had a small C.M.S. Several missionaries died at a youthful age due to the unfriendly tropical climate. She encouraged womens rights and protected children, notably, in the abolition of infanticide of twins in the Efik regions. Missionary Involvement in Nigeria. In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO WEST AFRICA. What Are The Impacts Of Missionaries In Nigeria? Accessed February 26, 2021. 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. Today 49% of the Nigerian population is Christian. From 1937 until her demise in 1838, she carried on evangelical duties within West Africa. 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. When the missionaries arrived, some of these evils practiced stopped. They saw a way to incorporate the loving message of the religion with their own unique lives. Christian converts were indoctrinated to frown upon the use of indigenous first names in favour of Christian ones. Robert Murray M'Cheyne. Catholicism arrived in the territory that would come to be known as Nigeria with Portuguese explorers in the 15th century, though their missionary efforts were largely unsuccessful and Catholicism virtually disappeared by the 17th century. Clarke, Peter Bernard. "This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me," Carey wrote at the time. 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). https://www.legit.ng/1145690-history-christianity-nigeria.html. 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. Up until the 19th century, European missionaries were not especially successful. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Henry Townsend, were co-principals of the C.M.S Female Institution of Lagos from 1871 until 1872. West Africa and Christianity. This page is not available in other languages. Bangladesh 166.99. It was founded in 1895. Some progressive Europeans, like the first principal of Achimota College, Rev. Ex-slave missionary to Nigeria. In the 19thh century, too, Afro-Brazilians returned to Benin and Nigeria with Catholicism. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. Vol. 1991. The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. 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. Vol. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. 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. They were able to successfully establish churches in Ibesikpo. A lot of epidemics and viruses claimed lives of people living here. She championed women's rights, and set up a mission hospital for the local people. 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. AMVERIFIED: Africas indigenous social network community. In Sierra Leone, the Church Missionary Society (CMS), offshoot of the Anglican Church, was the first to become firmly established chiefly among the freed captive and freed slave settlers from Britain, Nova Scotia and other parts of the New World. These pioneer mission schools met with a discouraging response. They also prescribed many taboos which, in the light of modern medical science, had no relation whatever with the illness being treated. She reached Nigeria for the first time in 1876. *Baptist High School, Bodija, Ibadan, 1940; 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. He is considered to have laid the foundation for Christian witness in tropical Africa. Besides education, they cared for the sick. Within a short time the missionaries spread their activities inland. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1791737&site=ehost-live&scope=site. *Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan, 1938; 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 sacrifice to make money and do many other things like killing of twins. She was a missionary with the Christian Reformed Church who arrived in Nigeria in January 1920. *Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1913: 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. When Lawson died, Aylward ran the mission alone. The story of Africa. Until his last day on this Earth, he worked hard to bring God to Nigerians". In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. "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. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. Bebe Golf Ranch. The Roman Catholics established their first secondary school, St Augustines, at Cape Coast in 1936. Their converts, for many years, were confined to the people of southern Nigerian extraction resident in the north, and to the-large non-Muslim population of the north. Africa and the Winder World 3. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. *Government College Umuahia, 1927; Finally, another factor that the Church had to deal with was that of the British invasion which brought its own system. Lewis, Donald M., ed. Christianity in West Africa: The Nigerian Story. The Methodists, known as the Wesleyan Missionaries (after their founder), arrived in Freetown in 1811. They were to spread the message of the Gospel, render social services to the people and to assist in the suppression of slavery and the slave trade. Falae, Vivien. NUUT Co. Ltd. Kumasi, Ghana, 2011, Baarkinado. They believed and practiced rituals to make money and do many things like killing of twins. 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. These missionary societies laid the foundations of the Roman Catholic Church in West Africa, which lasted through to the independence period when African clergy replaced the white pastors. Miss Alice Olstrander (SIM Teachers Training College, Igbaja) 2. Predominantly Muslim territory, the North received western education later than the South. The people in Nigeria and their traditions which they believed and worship God. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. Soon after the Methodist experiment, the church Missionary Society set up their own school at Badagry. Crampton, Edmund Patrick Thurman. ", When he decided to give up sport to pursue a career as a missionary, he said: "I know that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come.". The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. T. Nelson. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba, called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. 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. . ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. Speaking at morning Mass in Rome, the Pope praised Christians who had given up everything to share their faith. While the protestant evangelical movements were gaining ground in West Africa, similar movements were being promoted by the Roman Catholic Church in Europe. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and Africa. *Etinan Institute, Etinan, Akwa Ibom: 1915; Please click here to learn how. 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. 1877 - James Chalmers went to New Guinea; 1878 - Mass movement to Christ in Ongole, India. 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. In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. By the 1970s a lot of missionaries cam to Nigeria to help spread the Christianity here. 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. The identity of each is easy to decipher. The training college later became part of Achimota College. Dr & Mrs H. Henry Budd (the third Principal of ECWA Theological Seminary, Igbaja) 3. The pastors of the Church Missionary Society, from Badagry and later from Sierra Leone, visited these Christian communities in Abeokuta and other towns. Ministry/Place of Ministry. 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. Development of Education in Sierra Leone. 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. Both of these missionaries are working to share the Gospel with the Nigerian people. They had to speak through few interpreters who did not have sufficient education to interpret correctly. Among the early Protestant evangelical societies founded in Great Britain were the Baptist Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Wesleyan Missionary Society and what became known as the Presbyterian Missionary Society of the Church of Scotland. In spite of the division, the parent Methodist missionary church played an important role in the history of Christianity in Sierra Leone. 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. The missionary traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade. C.M.S. https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/. To supplement these missionary efforts in the field of higher education, the government opened its own secondary school in Lagos in 1909, this was Kings College. In 1827 it grew into Fourah Bay College. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. 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. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. *Edo College, Benin, 1937. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. He was converted to Christianity along with his brothers while at Eton. Depending on the year of the survey conducted as well as the organization that conducted it, the numbers differ as well as the ratio of Muslims to Christians. Accessed February 28, 2021. It was difficult for the European missionaries to communicate freely with the local people. 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. 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. * St. Charles College, Onitsha, 1929; West Africa owes to the Christian missionaries not only a new religious faith which has changed the beliefs and life of millions of people, but also the foundation of western education. House, 1967. Missionaries -- Nigeria Cecil F. and Marie Roberson were Southern Baptist missionaries in Nigeria between the 1950s and 1970s. *Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Anambra, 1927; He was a missionary that participated in missionary work in Ibesikpo under the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod during the mid-1940s. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. *Methodist Boys High School, Oron, 1903; 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. Nigerians back US, UK over ban on election riggers, say it should be extended to their family members. 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.
Law Firm Summer Associate Salary 2019,
Do Meet And Greet Tickets Include The Concert,
Can I Take Paracetamol Before A Colonoscopy,
Articles L