The people in Nigeria had their traditions which they believed and worship God. The third, St Nicholas Grammar School (now Adisadel College), was founded by the Anglican Church in 1910. As a result, many African converts began breaking away from European churches and forming their own. This is what we can state about the situation with the Christianity in Nigeria and the impact it has on the population. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. Abstract. Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. Being ignorant of the significance of certain institutions and practices of the people of West Africa, and occasionally being misled by their over-zealous followings into wrongly interpreting the peoples heritage, the missionaries compelled pupils in their schools and docile adult converts to shun their own ancestral practices. Calabar and the neighbouring communities were the areas she performed her missionary work. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. This happened after He resurrected and showed up to the disciples. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. Accessed February 27, 2021. 3. Accessed February 28, 2021. It was of the same scale as the one initiated by the Europeans. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. In 1902 the Methodists opened a clinic at Igbo-Ora. 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. West Africa, 1919-1925. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. She reached Nigeria for the first time in 1876. Jim Elliot was among a group of US missionaries who felt called to share Christ's teaching with the Waodani tribe in Ecuador in the 1950s. They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. The brief history of Christianity in Nigeria. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and 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. She also travelled to dangerous regions where previous male missionaries had been killed, and was known for her pragmatism and sense of humour. The American Episcopal Evangelical (A.M.E.) Zion Church owes its foundation in Ghana to Bishop J. Bryan Small, who started work first at Keta in 1898. Lewis, Donald M., ed. Africa and the Winder World 3. ", 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.". Following agitation by the people in 1934, the government opened the old Yaba Higher College and Medical School, which awarded diplomas acceptable only locally. In many missions, doctrines like the Doctrine of Love (p.L. From 1937 until her demise in 1838, she carried on evangelical duties within West Africa. 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. 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.. 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. church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centres being Bonny and Brass. 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. The identity of each is easy to decipher. New missionary societies (the LMS, the CMS, the Holy Ghost Fathers, the White Fathers, etc.) Similar organizations were formed in several other European countries. The story of the planting of Christianity in Nigeria would be incomplete without a mention of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Father Berghero. She was a British missionary with the Christian Missionary Society. From that time on, the first Christians took the Gospel to all the ends of the world including the places where Nigeria is now. Missionaries were used by the colonial power as an avant garde, to expand into new regions, a fact keenly . Daystar Press, 1978. 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. While it has brought undoubted benefits, it has also harmed the traditional way of life. 1991. *United Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1928; Apart from giving to the converts a new religious faith which they consider is superior to the traditional religions, the Christian missionaries did pioneering work in introducing new crafts, industries, Western education and modern health services. About the same time, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) headed by the Rev. Nevertheless, they say that the Northern states are where most Muslims live which Christians can be found mostly in the South of the country. Chaplains were assigned to forts, but their role was to serve the Europeans, not to evangelize Africans. Reels 12-14 cover correspondence concerning the return of German missionaries to the stations in West and East Africa after World War I . 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. Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. 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. In 1845 the C.M.S. They came into cities like Benin and Warri where they preached Christianity. These men encouraged many ex-slaves to become involved in preaching the gospel. 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. David . "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). opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. There were related organizations that sprang up in Scandinavia, Holland and the USA. He set up a mission chapel in the Ijiaye area and another mission outpost at Ogbomosho. He started this massive campaign in the Great Britain stating that African slaves should be freed. 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. 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 . They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. Missionaries today have brought education, medical care, and Holistic Development Centers into Nigeria. 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. Accessibility Statement. It was founded in 1895. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. That is why, they had a contact with the rest of the world throughout the whole time, especially during the Middle Ages. Missionaries and the intellectual history of Africa: a historical survey. Itinerario 7, no. It included the opening up of Africa to forces of change namely commerce (legitimate commerce, i.e. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. Rendall) wife of Rev. *Anglican Girls Grammar School, Lagos, 1945. Christian missionary activities in West Africa, https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/, https://webbschool.libguides.com/PurpleHibiscusResearch2021. That God called me to China and I went in spite of utmost opposition from all my loved ones. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. 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. She was a wife to Thomas Birch Freeman and was part of the missionary expedition to Nigeria. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. The people received the message with indifference. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Despite the violence and persecution which follows those not supporting Islam in the different area but opt for Christianity or staying away from any religion, the number of Christianity adherers constantly grows. *African Church School, Kajola, Ifo, 1943; British Prime Minister. They were able to successfully establish churches in Ibesikpo. *Etinan Institute, Etinan, Akwa Ibom: 1915; 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. Here, the history of Christianity turns its new page in the 1840s. How did Christianity come to Nigeria? Establishment of Christian Churches In Nigeria. Ex-policeman who claims to be reincarnation of Jesus Christ finally arrested (photos). The President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has assured Nigerian workers of a minimum wage, social and economic justice. *Adeola Odutola College, (Old Olu-Iwa College), Ijebu-Ode, 1945; Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. They believed in evil spirits, and other things peculiar to this religion. In facts, when the scientists call the Middle Belt of the country, was an area with no systems of one law and political systems. The training college later became part of Achimota College. Polycarp. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba. However, by the turn of the Nineteenth Century there was systematic efforts by churches of Christian Europe, namely: Anglicans, Methodists, and Baptists who were active in Sierra Leone and, with Presbyterians, in Nigeria, while Methodists also set up missions in Ghana, Gambia, and Dahomey. It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. Malaria once turned Africa into the "missionaries' graveyard" as many European missionary personnel and families perished planting the Gospel in the Continent in the 19th century . "Missionaries and other white Christians were alarmed by the idea that the equality of all people before God means they should be equal in public life. One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. This is when conversion numbers started to rise and more locals became keen to this new religion. *Methodist Girls High School, Lagos, 1879; Falae, Vivien. In the 17th century, the Roman Catholic missionaries found their way to Nigeria. 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. 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. The northern area of the state was where Hausa and Bornu people lived. In the 19th century more stable missions were sent into Nigeria as European nations gained tighter control over their African colonies. It started first among the Yoruba recaptives who had embraced the Christian faith while in Sierra Leone (freed from slave trading ships by the British Royal Naval Squadron), and who returned home between 1839 and 1845. 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. 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. This page is not available in other languages. Establishment of Christian Churches In Sierra Leone. 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. These churches incorporated their old religious and cultural ideals with their new teachings of the Bible. Between the period of 1841 and 1900, the Church Missionary Society of the Church of England, the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society from England, the French Catholic Society for African Missions, the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the Southern Baptist Convention of the United States, carried out missionary expeditions of significant success in the then Niger Area, presently regarded as Nigeria. Fiedler, Klaus. CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO WEST AFRICA. Hope Waddell was later joined by the Rev. The next year, he travelled to India with his family, but his struggles continued. 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. He travelled extensively from east to west . 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. The early Christians saw an especially urgent need to spread their faith before the second coming of Christ, which they believed was imminent. These trends occasionally brought kings into conflict with the missionaries and their converts. 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. The impact of Christianity on West African society has persisted to this day. REPORT: How COVID-19 increased child labour in Lagos state (parents, children share experiences), READ ALSO: Meet Footballers Who Converted To Christianity From Islam. The Muslims started the slave trade in this region. In the field of education, however, the missionaries had to adjust their programmes to fit in with the policy of assimilation. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. 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. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Establishment of Christian Churches In The Gambia. Today 49% of the Nigerian population is Christian. A history of Christianity in Ghana. Arrived in Nigeria between 1944 and 1948 as part of the missionary staff stationed in Ibesikpo by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. So, when talking about the impact of Christianity in Nigeria, we should mention how the helped them advance this area. He was a missionary from Sierra Leone that arrived in Nigeria in March 1859. The Methodists, known as the Wesleyan Missionaries (after their founder), arrived in Freetown in 1811. The Presbyterians, also, opened hospitals in several parts of the country, including the one at Agogo in Asante-Akyem. William Carey William Carey is regarded as the "father of modern missions". In 1827 it grew into Fourah Bay College. *St. Theresa College, Ibadan, 1932; Timeline of Great Missionaries (and a few other well-known historical and church figures and events) Dates. 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. The emergence of the Christian Church in this region had to struggle with the difficulties three different contexts brought. Debrunner, Hans Werner. When the missionaries arrived, some of these evils practiced stopped. 1813-1843. Unfortunately, a lot of conflicts, sometimes even military ones took place here and in between the tribes. Slessor suffered from serious bouts of malaria and other tropical diseases, and was forced on more than one occasion to return to Scotland to recover. Several missionaries died at a youthful age due to the unfriendly tropical climate. However, this early wave had no success as local kings were more interested in obtaining guns rather than the tales of Christianity. 1809-1898. The people in Nigeria and their traditions which they believed and worship God. 1876 - In September, a rusty ocean steamer arrived at a port on the Calabar River in what is now Nigeria. John G. Christaller (described as the Father of Twi Literature) produced a Twi grammar and dictionary, a collection of Twi proverbs, a Twi translation of the Bible as well as prayers and hymns. *St. Johns School, Bida, 1904; BBC. Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? You can learn more about it, as many historians found this subject matter interesting too. COVID-19: FG says children under five dont have to wear face masks, here's why. By the end of the Victorian Age, (1832-1900), missionary work had started already in other parts of the world, such as China, Japan, Korea, India, South Africa and other parts of the world, except the Sudan (Central Nigeria). The blessings which Christianity has brought to West Africa are many. Category:Christian missionaries in Nigeria Tools Subcategories This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total. Up until the 19th century, European missionaries were not especially successful. Collection consists largely of historical essays and archives written and collected by Cecil Roberson to document the history of Baptists in Nigeria. Missions cover: Nigeria and Gold Coast, 1919-1928. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! She was rejected by the China Inland Mission after failing to pass the necessary exams, but agreed to work for a 73-year-old missionary, Jeannie Lawson, who was looking for a young woman to carry on her work in the country. "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. A lot of epidemics and viruses claimed lives of people living here. NUUT Co. Ltd. Kumasi, Ghana, 2011, Baarkinado. Hope Masterson Waddell. Another important missionary doctor was J. R. Stephen who for many years headed a missionary hospital at Ilesha. *St. Gregorys College, Obalende, Lagos, 1928; He facilitated several social reforms such as the abolition of human sacrifices in aristocratic funerals, in collaboration with Rev. . Vol. T. Nelson. 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. Before they came, Nigerians were uneducated. Scottish minister. One gift God has given to every man equally is the gift of time. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. The work of the missionaries also had little success initially. He was a missionary of the Christian Missionary Society of the Church of England that arrived in Nigeria in 1843.
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