He later transferred to the Congo, and explored the Congo river with Thomas Comber, finding locations for mission stations. The couple later transferred to Lagos to become co-principals of the Christian Missionary Society (CMS) from 1871 till 1872. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has pledged to continue to improve the wellbeing and welfare of workers in the state if sworn-in for his second term in office. The CSGC reports that "of the ten countries sending the most missionaries in 2010, three were in the global South: Brazil, South Korea, and India." Other notable missionary senders included. Step forward CMS Grammar School, Lagos. History. They helped them promote better situation with the translation and literature in the state to help them keep up with the rest of the world. Missionary Involvement in Nigeria. It was only after the Second World War that the colonial governments started to show a real interest in the promotion of formal education in West Africa. "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) In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. It was founded in 1895. 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. Trans Britain: are the numbers really adding up. She was a British missionary with the Christian Missionary Society. One gift God has given to every man equally is the gift of time. 3. For several years they paid attention to slave trade rather than evangelization and Christianization of the people of West-Africa. As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. Two missionaries serving in Nigeria currently are Katie Morrison with Mission Africa & Youth with a Mission (YWAM). For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. While the protestant evangelical movements were gaining ground in West Africa, similar movements were being promoted by the Roman Catholic Church in Europe. *Edo College, Benin, 1937. His work, however, did not extend much beyond Cape Coast and the neighbouring area. 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In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. They came with craftsmen who rebuilt . Christianity in Nigeria was first introduced in the 15th century by Portuegese Catholic priests during the Age of Exploration. *Oduduwa Grammar School, Ile-Ife (CMS), 1932: *Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan, 1938; At the end of the eighteenth century, the Evangelical Revival began to bring to Africa an influx of missionaries whose laoburs would produce the first fruits of an enduring Christian presence in Sub-Sahara Africa. nook and crannies of southern Nigeria. Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. My only joys therefore are that when God has given me a work to do, I have not refused it.". Debrunner, Hans Werner. The Roman Catholics established their first secondary school, St Augustines, at Cape Coast in 1936. The people in Nigeria had their traditions which they believed and worship God. It was first sited in Abeokuta before it was relocated to Lagos. 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 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. 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. William Carey William Carey is regarded as the "father of modern missions". *St. Patricks College, Calabar, 1934; They were instrumental in setting the scene which would meet the colonists when they started arriving. In such asituation, provisions and other things had to be sent into the country not in large quantities as would have been desired by the missionaries. Accessed February 26, 2021. The evangelical societies founded in the Americas included the Baptist Missionary Board and the Nova Scotian Methodists, whose members went to work among the Maroons, who had settled mainly in Liberia. Christian missions also took a leading role in the campaign to end the slave trade and to suppress slavery. 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. Again, in West-Africa, the efforts to go beyond the coast to reach those inland with the gospel coincided with the southwards expansion of Islam which posed some threat to the expansion of the work of Christian evangelizing missions. The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. 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). Besides education, they cared for the sick. He was a missionary from Sierra Leone that arrived in Nigeria in March 1859. Clarke, Peter Bernard. He was a missionary of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that arrived Nigeria in 1937 to lead the mission work of WELS. From 1937 until her demise in 1838, she carried on evangelical duties within West Africa. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba. https://bethanygu.edu/missions/missionary-involvement-in-nigeria/. SOURCES: Nov 2021, joshuaproject.net . Noble were the exertions, labour and sacrifice that went into giving Nigeria foundational materials Gov. Russia 146.02. https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/. Both of these missionaries are working to share the Gospel with the Nigerian people. 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. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. *Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1913: He successfully established churches in Ibesikpo, which gave rise to the present Lutheran Church of Nigeria. 2 (1983): 116-143. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Later on, she and her husband, Rev. Missionaries who served at Igbaja from 1950-2000 1. Unlike the Portuguese, the French colonial officials encouraged the Christian missionaries in the promotion of formal education and social services, notably health. The first secondary school in the East was Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, now Cross River State capital. Besides, the missionaries had to travel longer distances to inland towns from their southern stations. When Lawson died, Aylward ran the mission alone. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. At the same time, the first missionaries in the East were Catholics and Presbyterians. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. Library Catalog Christianity reborn: the global expansion of evangelicalism in the twentieth century. Establishment of Christian Churches In The Gambia. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. 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. The blessings which Christianity has brought to West Africa are many. Ministry/Place of Ministry. Today, I want to briefly share with you how God leads. 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. She died aged 67 in 1970, and her story was made into a film 'The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'. 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. 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. She encouraged womens rights and protected children, notably, in the abolition of infanticide of twins in the Efik regions. ", Comparing them to the apostle Paul, Francis added: "I think it is only right that we give thanks to the Lord for their testimony. Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? Besides education, they cared for the sick. Perhaps the greatest service of the missionaries was the promotion of western education and the development of vernacular literature. 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. This page is not available in other languages. BREAKING: Edo 2020: Oshiomhole finally breaks silence, reveals why he was moved to tears on election day. *St. Theresa College, Ibadan, 1932; 2: Trans-Saharan Trade. Longman Publishing Group, 1980. Some progressive Europeans, like the first principal of Achimota College, Rev. James Fieldhouse, produced a Wolof Grammar in 1876. He furthermore continued his missionary expeditions, moving to Badagry and later to Abeokuta, whereafter he returned to the United States due to failing health. Hilliard, F.H., 1957. Here is the list of the early schools, mission, private or government owned. 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. 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. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centres being Bonny and Brass. The early African converts to Christianity, were made to abandon their ancestral culture and way of life as pagan therefore to be shunned. 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. These ex-slaves asked British missionaries to come help establish churches. 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. The Church had its strongest hold in the Senegambia area. Another important Catholic missionary in this area was the Irishman, Bishop Shanahan. Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. Kalu, Ogbu. Oates, Joan. 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. Until his last day on this Earth, he worked hard to bring God to Nigerians. Henry Townsend, were co-principals of the C.M.S Female Institution of Lagos from 1871 until 1872. Therefore the period for the rise of Christianizing Missions in the late Nineteenth Century has been considered as reprise. The Roman Catholic Church was also able to build a permanent stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Abeokuta, and Idaban. They brought educational programs to fight off the illiteracy through different educational programs and institutions. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. *St. Gregorys College, Obalende, Lagos, 1928; How did Christianity come to Nigeria? The Roman Catholic Sisters provided medical care in the Upper and Northern Regions of the country before the government started to provide hospitals and clinics in the regional and district headquarters. Longman Group Ltd. London and Basingstoke, 1986, Fage, J.D. The lead was followed by other missionaries, notably the Roman Catholic, whose first higher institution was St Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. Kalu, Ogbu. No doubt, we shall continue to be in the dark, unless God leads us into His light. 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. It was of the same scale as the one initiated by the Europeans. 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. 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. A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. The birth of the Christian Church in the Northern Nigeria. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. 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. They were able to successfully establish churches in Ibesikpo. Johannes Zimmermann wrote a grammar of the Ga language and translated the entire Bible and a Bible history into Ga. Then in 1874, the Rev. *United Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1928; 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. 2 Longman Group Ltd. London 1974, Ampadu B.K Notes on History of Ghana for Senior High Schools. In 1892, the Church Missionary Society opened the Iyi Enu Hospital in Onitsha which is today a leading hospital in Anambra state. Preventive medicine was hardly known; the result was that epidemics of different kinds were frequent. 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. "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. churches were firmly established in several important towns, such as Abeokuta (1846), Lagos (1851), Ibadan (1853), and Oyo (1856). Father Jean Marie Coquard, operating in and from Abeokuta for forty years, was renowned among the Egba as a priest and surgeon in the second half of the nineteenth century. The story of Africa. Renewed evangelisation started when the Basel (later known as Presbyterian) missionaries started work at Osu (Accra). 2017: Pastor Weiser retires in June, and Missionary Jeff Heitsch is called to serve Nigeria half-time from Cameroon. Bangladesh 166.99. He was converted to Christianity along with his brothers while at Eton. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. Mary Slessor was the first women missionary in Nigeria, Africa, during the early 1900s. In 1925 the Governor introduced measures which helped the efforts of the missionaries. She participated in establishing mission presence in Abeokuta for over two decades. *Baptist Academy, Lagos, 1885; 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. 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. Christian missionary activities in West Africa. In his twenties, he served in the China Inland Mission, where he married missionary Priscilla Livingstone Stewart. Interdenominational Faith Missions in Africa: History and Ecclesiology. 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. Charles Thomas Studd was a famous English cricketer who went on to be a missionary to China, Africa and India. Burns & Oates, 1979. Longman Nigeria Plc., 1994, Boahen, A.A. et al Tropics in West Africa History. Trained as a shoemaker, William Carey became known as the 'father of modern missions' for his missionary work in India. 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. He also founded Serampore College to train local ministers. To follow suit and take a bow is Methodist Boys High School, 1878. Thus, as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. 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. He was among the missionary staff involved in mission work in Nigeria between 1944 and 1948. Today 49% of the Nigerian population is Christian. That I joyfully acted as Christ told that rich young man to act. *Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Anambra, 1927; Robert Murray M'Cheyne. And for our independence and banished ignorance, for broadening minds so we could recognize liberty and freedom. 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. The missionary traveler David Livingstone (1813-1873) believed that the slave trade could only be suppressed by a combination of Christianity and trade. Rendall) wife of Rev. . *African Church School, Kajola, Ifo, 1943; Furthermore, during this same period, the anti-Islamic sentiment was quite high in Europe and North America within Christian circles. Ajayi Crowther in writing hymns in the Yoruba language as well as publishing a Yoruba newspaper in 1859. The origin of Christianity in the North of Nigeria. Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. 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. The early Christians saw an especially urgent need to spread their faith before the second coming of Christ, which they believed was imminent. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. *Christ the King College, Onitsha, 1933; When the women of Israel sang the praise of David for killing Goliath, this made King Saul angry and envious. She was the wife of Dr. William Schweppe. 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. The early missionaries set up craft centres as part of their educational programmes. They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. *St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan, 1896; Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. 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. A History of West Africa, Cambridge University Press, 1969, Fynn , J. K and R. Addo-Fening History for Senior Secondary schools. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. Before the missionaries came to Nigeria, there were no Christians in the country. "This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me," Carey wrote at the time. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. There were only bush paths, and no roads in the early times. They also prescribed many taboos which, in the light of modern medical science, had no relation whatever with the illness being treated. Chaplains were assigned to forts, but their role was to serve the Europeans, not to evangelize Africans. This article will answer your questions. Tinubu said in his administration workers will find a dependable. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. Another important fact about this region is that to the West of the territory Nigeria has today, people were often enslaved or involved in slavery which came to this land in the seventeenth century. Many of them came to faith. 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.
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