For the West Africans, the acceptance of Christianity meant the total rejection of most of the cherished institutions upon which their society rested. Bebe Golf Ranch. Mary Slessor was the first women missionary in Nigeria, Africa, during the early 1900s. 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. 3 (2002): 555-584. He was an American missionary with the Southern Baptist Church. President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to put in place a living wage for Nigerian workers. *St. Theresa College, Ibadan, 1932; Christian missionary activities in West Africa. Missionary Involvement in Nigeria. Accessibility Statement. 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.. Finally, another factor that the Church had to deal with was that of the British invasion which brought its own system. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. 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 . *St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan, 1896; REPORT: How COVID-19 increased child labour in Lagos state (parents, children share experiences), READ ALSO: Meet Footballers Who Converted To Christianity From Islam. Soon after the Methodist experiment, the church Missionary Society set up their own school at Badagry. Among the first missionaries was the Rev. He was a missionary that engaged in preaching engagements in Ijaye after he arrived from Abeokuta in 1853. He was a missionary under the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that carried on missionary work in Ibesikpo between 1944 and 1948. 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. Noble were the exertions, labour and sacrifice that went into giving Nigeria foundational materials Gov. His efforts were successful in Great Britain, so in the 1840s the country sent three huge ships with people who were supposed to bring peace and establish healthy trading relations with people living in the Niger state. Furthermore, during this same period, the anti-Islamic sentiment was quite high in Europe and North America within Christian circles. Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. 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. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! 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. . The missionary traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade. *Anglican Girls Grammar School, Lagos, 1945. African Catholicism: The Birth of the Liturgical Vernacular in Igboland These ex-slaves asked British missionaries to come help establish churches. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. Kalu, Ogbu. But the funds and other needed materials even when available could not reach their station in time. European missionaries in southern Africa: the role of the missionaries Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. The first secondary school in the East was Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, now Cross River State capital. In facts, when the scientists call the Middle Belt of the country, was an area with no systems of one law and political systems. 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 next stop was Ibadan, St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan. He became known as the "Apostle to . Ministry/Place of Ministry. The Roman Catholic Church was also able to build a permanent stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Abeokuta, and Idaban. The kingdom of God in Africa: A short history of African Christianity. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. The achievement of the purpose of these Christian Missions came with some costs. Like the Methodists, the Roman Catholic missionaries spread the faith notably in the interior, which later became Protectorate. Aged just 28, she sailed to West Africa in August 1876 and was assigned to the Calabar region. 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). *Edo College, Benin, 1937. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. 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. Evans Brothers, Ltd. London. For instance, in Ghana, it was in 1858 that Rev. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. 2: Trans-Saharan Trade. Christian converts were indoctrinated to frown upon the use of indigenous first names in favour of Christian ones. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. They were followed in turn by the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. 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) This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. Early Missionaries THE KONGO In 1490 the first missionaries came to Sub-Saharan Africa at the request of King Nzinga of Kongo (also known as the Manikongo). She is regarded as the first solo female missionary to Nigeria when she arrived in 1876. The early African converts to Christianity, were made to abandon their ancestral culture and way of life as pagan therefore to be shunned. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. In the days of Portuguese contacts with Nigeria, Catholic priests had established missionary stations in Benin and the neighbourhood. Christianity reborn: the global expansion of evangelicalism in the twentieth century. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. *Methodist College, Uzuakoli, 1923; Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. And yet this was what earlier missionaries in pagan Europe had done when, for example, they had changed the Sabbath to suit the pagan Sun Day (hence Sunday), and had also adopted the dates of the pagan festivals to celebrate Christmas Day and the Easter festival. Nevertheless, they say that the Northern states are where most Muslims live which Christians can be found mostly in the South of the country. In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. When Lawson died, Aylward ran the mission alone. Hope Waddell of the Church of Scotland had opened a school at Duke Town, Calabar. 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. 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. *St. Gregorys College, Obalende, Lagos, 1928; The tropical climatic condition in the country was not favourable to the early missionaries who came to the shores of West Africa. Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. PDF Christianity in Northern Nigeria: Origins and Problems - Social Theology 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. She went on to serve in the Chinese government as a 'foot inspector' visiting women all over the country to make sure they were following the new law against foot-binding which she saw as part of her missionary work. 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. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. They helped them by establishing better medicine. 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. Christians who came to Africa to help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ tried to do several things which would demonstrate the love of Christ to people living here. Similar organizations were formed in several other European countries. Catholicism in Nigeria. To follow suit and take a bow is Methodist Boys High School, 1878. List of Sim Missionaries Who Served at Igbaja in Nigeria The expansion of the missionary movement into Africa was part of the growing conception of Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. 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. Perhaps the greatest service of the missionaries was the promotion of western education and the development of vernacular literature. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. (PDF) The 19th Century European Missionaries and the Fight Against Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. This influenced the country greatly too. The oldest secondary school in Nigeria, it was founded on 06 June, 1859. People accepted Jesus Christ but still had the mentality impacted by the indigenous religions. Reels 12-14 cover correspondence concerning the return of German missionaries to the stations in West and East Africa after World War I . They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. 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. The Story of Africa| BBC World Service That part of Africa was then known as the White Man's Grave. The first attempts to bring Christianity to the area where the modern country is today date back to the 1470s and 1620s. 4,039 Total People Groups. 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. A history of Christianity in Ghana. She died aged 67 in 1970, and her story was made into a film 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'. Unlike the Portuguese, the French colonial officials encouraged the Christian missionaries in the promotion of formal education and social services, notably health. Crampton, Edmund Patrick Thurman. 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. Here are ten ways missions has impacted Africa. That was 1879. From the beginning of the world, the Lord has decreed that there will always be the season of harvest. . *Baptist Academy, Lagos, 1885; In any study of colonial Nigeria, the groundwork accomplished by the missionaries in pre-colonial days must be a central concern. 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. The Roman Catholics established their first secondary school, St Augustines, at Cape Coast in 1936. Following agitation by the people in 1934, the government opened the old Yaba Higher College and Medical School, which awarded diplomas acceptable only locally. 1876 - In September, a rusty ocean steamer arrived at a port on the Calabar River in what is now Nigeria. Tinubu said in his administration workers will find a dependable. British Prime Minister. He later transferred to the Congo, and explored the Congo river with Thomas Comber, finding locations for mission stations. 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. A history of African Christianity 1950-1975. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1791737&site=ehost-live&scope=site. 1809-1898. As you probably know, Nigerian is home to people from two major religions: Christianity and Islam. Ben Ayade came late. Miss Alice Olstrander (SIM Teachers Training College, Igbaja) 2. If you are interested in learning more about it, then read on. 70-155/160. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. A German missionary with Church Missionary Society, he arrived in Badagry on March 25, 1849. Important among these, all in Lagos, were the Baptist Academy in 1855, the C.M.S. They did not take into consideration the already established cultural characteristics; Igbo religious traditions had long been engraved into the African society. *CMS Grammar School, Lagos, 1859; *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos,. The next year, he travelled to India with his family, but his struggles continued. David . The Missionaries' Arrival In Fiji Changed The Island Forever Two missionaries serving in Nigeria currently are Katie Morrison with Mission Africa & Youth with a Mission (YWAM). These churches incorporated their old religious and cultural ideals with their new teachings of the Bible. Another important Catholic missionary in this area was the Irishman, Bishop Shanahan. Wm. Etherington, Norman. * Abeokuta Grammar School, Abeokuta, (Anglica), 1908; https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section8.shtml, https://bethanygu.edu/missions/missionary-involvement-in-nigeria/. 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. Gladys Aylward was a British evangelical Christian missionary to China in the 20th century. 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. 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. She and her husband were charged by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to lead missionary expeditions in Nigeria. *Igbobi College, Lagos, (Anglican) 1932; Lewis, Donald M., ed. J. G. Christaller produced a Twi Grammar and Dictionary. When God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine.". The coming of Christianity to Nigeria I (Primary 6) 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 lead was followed by other missionaries, notably the Roman Catholic, whose first higher institution was St Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. *United Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1928; He was a missionary of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that arrived Nigeria in 1937 to lead the mission work of WELS. Christian missionaries believed that their dedication to Christianity would be enough for conversion. It was founded in 1895. While it has brought undoubted benefits, it has also harmed the traditional way of life. *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, 1878; The Muslims started the slave trade in this region. 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. 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. 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. Name. Missionaries and the intellectual history of Africa: a historical survey. Itinerario 7, no. 1 (1971): 103-115. 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. 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 introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. 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. . God the Creator of all, including time, has packaged everything in this world in time. The first school in Nigeria was started by the Methodist missionaries at Badagry in 1842. Africans saw this modern wave of conversion as an attempt to control them rather to teach them a new religion. Europeans were seen as ruling Africans both in political and ecclesiastical matters'' (Falae). Please click this link to download the chapter. The Christian religion teaches the doctrine of one supreme God and is opposed to the worship of any other forms of deity. He travelled extensively from east to west . Origins of the Niger Mission 1841-1891, by K. Onwuka Dike (1957) By the 1970s a lot of missionaries cam to Nigeria to help spread the Christianity here. 3. *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; They had their own particular system of laws, administrative organization, and the strong influence of the traditionalists power. 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. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and Africa. House, 1967. Arrived in Nigeria between 1944 and 1948 as part of the missionary staff stationed in Ibesikpo by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. I knew then what it was to be 'born again,' and the Bible which had been so dry to me before, became everything. Missionary schools in Nigeria | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and EVANGELICAL MOVEMENTS AND MISSIONARY SOCIETIES IN THE ENGLISH COLONIES. How did missionaries try to reach out to the Africans? Henry Townsend, were co-principals of the C.M.S Female Institution of Lagos from 1871 until 1872. He successfully established churches in Ibesikpo, which gave rise to the present Lutheran Church of Nigeria. The Methodists, known as the Wesleyan Missionaries (after their founder), arrived in Freetown in 1811. Timeline of Great Missionaries - Eternal Perspective Ministries As the abolition of slavery progressed in the different European colonies, converting freed slaves became a powerful motive for setting up European Christian missions. 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. In conclusion, Christianity planted its roots only when a more secretic form was formed. 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. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. COVID-19: FG says children under five dont have to wear face masks, here's why. She was reputed to have made indelible contributions to the area she served during her missions in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Soyinka is unfair, Christianity is a peaceful religion - CAN, How 2 useless presidential candidates will emerge in 2023 - Sanusi goes prophetic. But the equality of believers is an idea. C.M.S. missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. He was ordained in 1845 and got consecrated as a Bishop in 1864. 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.
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