3. The problems created by the white missionaries themselves arose largely from a misconception of what Africa represented. In Fanteland, the Methodists and Roman Catholics pioneered similar works. Besides education, they cared for the sick. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. As a missionary of the Christian Missionary Society, he wrote hymns and translated the Bible into the Yoruba language. Perhaps the greatest service of the missionaries was the promotion of western education and the development of vernacular literature. A history of Christianity in Ghana. AMVERIFIED: Africas indigenous social network community. The first secondary school in the East was Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, now Cross River State capital. Rendall) wife of Rev. Kalu, Ogbu. The Christian religion teaches the doctrine of one supreme God and is opposed to the worship of any other forms of deity. Lastly, the missionaries were not used to eating our local foods. She championed women's rights, and set up a mission hospital for the local people. How did missionaries try to reach out to the Africans? Arrived in Nigeria between 1944 and 1948 as part of the missionary staff stationed in Ibesikpo by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. 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. 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 . The next stop was Ibadan, St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan. Establishment of Christian Churches In Nigeria. Undeterred, however, he founded the Baptist Missionary Society five years later in 1792, preaching a message during which he said one of his most famous quotes: "Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God". In 1827 it grew into Fourah Bay College. 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. Nigerians back US, UK over ban on election riggers, say it should be extended to their family members. 1813-1843. Privacy Policy. The high temperatures coupled with high rainfall patterns in some parts of the country experienced during the daytime, made the missionaries stay indoors, which slowed down their activities. Here, the history of Christianity turns its new page in the 1840s. Catholicism in Nigeria. The real success of Christian conversion came when freed Christian slaves began to return to Nigeria towards the end of the 20th century. Henry Townsend, were co-principals of the C.M.S Female Institution of Lagos from 1871 until 1872. They were closed down in 1852 in favour of schools opened in Lagos which, in 1851, had one time British control. And for our independence and banished ignorance, for broadening minds so we could recognize liberty and freedom. A Brief History Of Missionary Efforts In Nigeria - Sermon Central Some progressive Europeans, like the first principal of Achimota College, Rev. 1876 - In September, a rusty ocean steamer arrived at a port on the Calabar River in what is now Nigeria. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. The others include the French trading posts at Grand Bassam (Ivory Coast), Assinie and Libreville in Gabon. The first missionaries in the Western regions were Methodists and Baptists. The Methodists founded the Boys High School in 1874, and another high school for girls six years later. She and her husband were charged by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to lead missionary expeditions in Nigeria. 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. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. 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. 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. C.M.S. He furthermore continued his missionary expeditions, moving to Badagry and later to Abeokuta, whereafter he returned to the United States due to failing health. There were related organizations that sprang up in Scandinavia, Holland and the USA. The birth of the Christian Church in the Northern Nigeria. Other Roman Catholic hospitals were built in all the nine regions of the country; including those at Asikuma and Foso (Central Region), Akyem Swedru (Eastern Region), Berekum (BrongAhafo), Maase (Asante Region) and Anfoega (Volta Region). He was an American missionary with the Southern Baptist Church. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. Civil Servants in Cross River said the lifting of embargo placed on promotion of civil servants by Gov. The CMS began to work in the freed slave villages in Sierra Leone in 1804 and the Methodist in 1811. 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. *Methodist College, Uzuakoli, 1923; Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. Christianity in northern Nigeria. It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. West Africa and Christianity. The northern area of the state was where Hausa and Bornu people lived. However, the first fruit became possible, as the Americans and British decided to free the slaves. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. *African Church School, Kajola, Ifo, 1943; Missionary Involvement in Nigeria (Historical & Current) This happened after He resurrected and showed up to the disciples. *United Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1928; Next, branches of the C.M.S. 3:03 am. You can learn more about it, as many historians found this subject matter interesting too. 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. Isichei, Elizabeth. Soon after the start of elementary schools, the missionaries started opening higher institutions also. opened was the Christian Institute, established in 1814 for the training of teachers, catechists and priests. They were not strangers from a foreign land, they were native people. *St. Gregorys College, Obalende, Lagos, 1928; 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. North Kaffraria, 1883-1904. 1.898 Billion worldwide. In any study of colonial Nigeria, the groundwork accomplished by the missionaries in pre-colonial days must be a central concern. At the time, the Waodani were one of the most violent known people groups on earth, who regularly practised homicide and fiercely defended their territory against those wishing to exploit the rich Amazonian land. 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. He was in charge of the Ake Church in Abeokuta originally erected by Rev. She encouraged womens rights and protected children, notably, in the abolition of infanticide of twins in the Efik regions. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. Mary Slessor was the first women missionary in Nigeria, Africa, during the early 1900s. People accepted Jesus Christ but still had the mentality impacted by the indigenous religions. 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. They were followed by other major missionary bodies, including the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. It was first sited in Abeokuta before it was relocated to Lagos. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Fulani and Jihadists forced people living in the North to support Islam. List of Christian missionaries - Wikipedia However, with time, they brought some crops, which they cultivated and which sustained them. Longman Nigeria Plc., 1994, Boahen, A.A. et al Tropics in West Africa History. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14), Be nice to bandits, Sheikh Gumi tells Nigerians, releases tips on how to live peacefully with them, Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! (Luke 6:22), The beginning of the history of Christianity in Nigeria. Thanks to their faith and hard labor here, around 45% of all the population in the area became Christians. 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. While it has brought undoubted benefits, it has also harmed the traditional way of life. Henry Townsend. This single problem made the missionary work very difficult. The Church of Scotland started missionary work in the area of Calabar. Bebe Golf Ranch. The next major Christian missionaries to go out to Sierra Leone were the Roman Catholics. 70-155/160. Originally a freed African slave from Freetown, Sierra Leone of Yoruba ancestry, was instrumental in the establishment of Christian missions in Nigeria. Here is the list of the early schools, mission, private or government owned. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. *Barewa College, Zaria, 1921; Accessed February 25, 2021. The achievement of the purpose of these Christian Missions came with some costs. In conclusion, the converts tended to look down upon many things in their ancestral culture. . Name. Spreading the Faith: Early Christian Missionaries - HowStuffWorks Miss Alice Olstrander (SIM Teachers Training College, Igbaja) 2. Born in Aberdeen in 1848, Mary Slessor became missionary to Nigeria under the United Presbyterian Church's Foreign Mission Board. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba, called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. He was a missionary under the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that carried on missionary work in Ibesikpo between 1944 and 1948. As they could not recruit British missionary volunteers initially, the Church Missionary Society sponsored the services of German missionaries, who were Lutherans, to come out to Sierra Leone. BBC. 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). *Government College, Ibadan, 1927; "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. Originally a freed African slave from Freetown, Sierra Leone of Yoruba ancestry, was instrumental in the establishment of Christian missions in Nigeria. Furthermore, during this same period, the anti-Islamic sentiment was quite high in Europe and North America within Christian circles. He resigned from BMS when it emerged that his Jamaican housekeeper was pregnant with his child. 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. A permanent station was established in Lagos in 1868, soon followed by others at Lokoja, Abeokuta and Ibadan. Natal, 1874-1909. The first attempts to bring Christianity to the area where the modern country is today date back to the 1470s and 1620s. From that time on, the first Christians took the Gospel to all the ends of the world including the places where Nigeria is now. She is regarded as the first solo female missionary to Nigeria when she arrived in 1876. The Missionaries' Arrival In Fiji Changed The Island Forever "This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me," Carey wrote at the time. 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. She reached Nigeria for the first time in 1876. Christianity in West Africa: The Nigerian Story. LITERACY - Total Population: 86.7% . In 1845 the C.M.S. Finally, they established new missions to keep up the good work. *Government College Umuahia, 1927; It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. Meanwhile, the research by the Pew Research Center that same year showed at least 52% Muslims, 46% Christians, and 1% non-religious individuals. Here are a few verses about it in the Bible. 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. 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. In facts, when the scientists call the Middle Belt of the country, was an area with no systems of one law and political systems. Missionaries today have brought education, medical care, and Holistic Development Centers into Nigeria. In 1876 the college became associated with Durham University in England, which awarded degrees to students of the college. Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! Robert Murray M'Cheyne. Thus, in the South of Nigeria, mostly Yoruba and Edo groups were ruling and dominating. *Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, 1943; EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1791737&site=ehost-live&scope=site. William Winter was a missionary with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that participated in missionary work in Ibesikpo between 1944 and 1948.
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