Besides education, they cared for the sick. 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. Finally, another factor that the Church had to deal with was that of the British invasion which brought its own system. The Roman Catholics established their first secondary school, St Augustines, at Cape Coast in 1936. *St. Theresa College, Ibadan, 1932; William F. P. Burton missionary pioneering in the, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 14:42. Predominantly Muslim territory, the North received western education later than the South. 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. He was an American missionary with the Southern Baptist Church. opened was the Christian Institute, established in 1814 for the training of teachers, catechists and priests. 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. "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) The Eastern territories had no structure or organization in their lands. Accessed February 28, 2021. By the 1970s a lot of missionaries cam to Nigeria to help spread the Christianity here. How did Christianity come to Nigeria? Evans Brothers, Ltd. London. Calabar and the neighbouring communities were the areas she performed her missionary work. The origin of Christianity in Nigeria in this part roots back to the 1930s when Christians were allowed to enter the territory which was previously closed to them by the Muslims. 60% of unreached people groups live in countries closed to missionaries from North America. The identity of each is easy to decipher. 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. Europeans were not only curious to explore the lands but also the native people. 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. *St. Gregorys College, Obalende, Lagos, 1928; They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. 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. The early African converts to Christianity, were made to abandon their ancestral culture and way of life as pagan therefore to be shunned. So, when talking about the impact of Christianity in Nigeria, we should mention how the helped them advance this area. 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. Aged just 28, she sailed to West Africa in August 1876 and was assigned to the Calabar region. In due course leprosariums and orphanages were built to supplement their medical services. He was part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. 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). In his twenties, he served in the China Inland Mission, where he married missionary Priscilla Livingstone Stewart. *Anglican Girls Grammar School, Lagos, 1945. It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. 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. The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. Initially, a majority of the missionary journeys was done with English-Speaking Protestants and later, in the 1820s and 1830s, they were joined by continental Protestantism from Germany, Switzerland and France. They were followed by other major missionary bodies, including the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Charles Thomas Studd was a famous English cricketer who went on to be a missionary to China, Africa and India. These missionaries are our glory! The birth of the Christian Church in the Northern Nigeria. *Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1913: Robert Murray M'Cheyne. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; Here is the list of the early schools, mission, private or government owned. Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. In many missions, doctrines like the Doctrine of Love (p.L. 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. 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. My only joys therefore are that when God has given me a work to do, I have not refused it.". When God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine.". 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. Next, branches of the C.M.S. Porter, Andrew. If you are interested in learning more about it, then read on. The story of the planting of Christianity in Nigeria would be incomplete without a mention of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Father Berghero. Senate President Ahmad Lawan, says the 9th National Assembly has performed credibility well in terms of delivering democracy dividends to Nigerians, since its inauguration in 2019. Before the missionaries came to Nigeria, there were no Christians in the country. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. Almost all the missions in West Africa faced financial problems in the early stages of their missionary work. 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. However, the first fruit became possible, as the Americans and British decided to free the slaves. In the Western Region, the Catholic Sisters running a hospital at Eikwe specialized in maternity cases, and like Slessor in Nigeria succeeded in stamping out the practice of killing twins at birth. Its message was that of love and the universal brotherhood of mankind. She was a wife to Thomas Birch Freeman and was part of the missionary expedition to Nigeria. Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. This fact only proves what God said about those who will persecute those loving Jesus. Among other things the regulations required that all teachers should be registered, and a minimum salary was fixed. As happened in other colonial territories, the government did not show great interest in the provision of education in Ghana until the missionaries had extended their services throughout the country and had set up primary schools and a few secondary schools and training colleges. 2 Longman Group Ltd. London 1974, Ampadu B.K Notes on History of Ghana for Senior High Schools. 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". Kalu, Ogbu. Mission Africa - Katie Morrison Katie Morrison is a missionary with Mission Africa in Nigeria. They helped them by establishing better medicine. He and other missionaries facilitated the abolition of human sacrifices in the Calabar area. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. 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. 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. https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/. Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. Slessor saved hundreds of children during her time in Nigeria; even adopting one young girl as her own daughter. Babalola, E. O. Christianity in West Africa. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba. Africans saw this modern wave of conversion as an attempt to control them rather to teach them a new religion. After ordination in England in 1843, he returned to Abeokuta, and he and his wife Sarah Townsend remained until 1867. *Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, 1942; 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. Accessibility Statement. The Roman Catholic Church was also able to build a permanent stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Abeokuta, and Idaban. These included the Basel Missionary Society, founded in Switzerland, and the Breman Mission formed in Germany. Shaw, Mark. They were replaced in Sierra Leone by the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1864, who made converts in large numbers not only among the pagans but also among the members of the then competing Christian churches. 11 March 2021 | In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. Meanwhile, the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, had established a reputation in the Cross River area as a nurse. But the funds and other needed materials even when available could not reach their station in time. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and Africa. Kalu, Ogbu. Category:Christian missionaries in Nigeria Tools Subcategories This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total. 3. Baker Pub Group, 1996. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. In 1845 the C.M.S. History. Besides education, they cared for the sick. One of them, Philip Quaque, returned in 1765 as an ordained priest. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. Reels 12-14 cover correspondence concerning the return of German missionaries to the stations in West and East Africa after World War I . A Cornish missionary and explorer, George Grenfell served as a Baptist missionary in Cameroon in the late 1800s. *Christ the King College, Onitsha, 1933; Noble were the exertions, labour and sacrifice that went into giving Nigeria foundational materials Gov. *Methodist Girls High School, Lagos, 1879; She encouraged womens rights and protected children, notably, in the abolition of infanticide of twins in the Efik regions. Mary Slessor was the first women missionary in Nigeria, Africa, during the early 1900s. Under a very convivial atmosphere, the Busy Bee Society of Ebenezer Baptist Church, Lagos, recently handed over a N40 million project comprising a library, a science laboratory and borehole to Ebenezer Baptist Academy in Oshorun, Ibeshe, Lagos State. Another important missionary doctor was J. R. Stephen who for many years headed a missionary hospital at Ilesha. The others include the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804, which was tasked with the responsibility of promoting the translation and printing of the Holy Bible. Privacy Statement This page is not available in other languages. Tinubu said in his administration workers will find a dependable. In Sierra Leone, among the earliest higher institutions which the C.M.S. Soon after secondary schools were opened in other parts of southern Nigeria, including Bonny High School, which was taken over by government in 1904. A history of African Christianity 1950-1975. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. The Niger areas were first touched by the Christian missionaries thanks to the effort of Sir William Wilberforce who fought for the freedom of the slaves. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. Lack of transport from the coast to the interior parts of West Africa was one of the major difficulties encountered by the missionaries. *Ibadan Boys High School, Ibadan, 1938; 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. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Nigeria 213.53. Trained as a shoemaker, William Carey became known as the 'father of modern missions' for his missionary work in India. Will the actions of orthodox Anglicans be as strong as their words post-Kigali? The good news for the Christianity is that Islam did not come to this region until in the 1970s the civil war broke out. The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. Privacy Policy. Important among these, all in Lagos, were the Baptist Academy in 1855, the C.M.S. Accessed February 27, 2021. . In the 17th century, the Roman Catholic missionaries found their way to Nigeria. 1876 - In September, a rusty ocean steamer arrived at a port on the Calabar River in what is now Nigeria. Within ten years the C.M.S had opened twelve more schools in what is today Cross Rivers State. Africa and the Winder World 3. 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. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican missionaries were all trying to convert the native African people, often coming into conflict with one another. Speaking at morning Mass in Rome, the Pope praised Christians who had given up everything to share their faith. 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. 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. This influenced the country greatly too. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. The Methodists founded the Boys High School in 1874, and another high school for girls six years later. In conclusion, Christianity planted its roots only when a more secretic form was formed. When the women of Israel sang the praise of David for killing Goliath, this made King Saul angry and envious. 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. 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. 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. *Ibo Boys High School, Uzuakoli, (CMS), 1923; 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. A history of Christianity in Africa: From antiquity to the present. They believed in juju, magic and witchcraft. Both of these missionaries are working to share the Gospel with the Nigerian people. A new era began with the settlements of Black Christians from Nova Scotia in Sierra Leone in 1787 and the missionary advance inland from Cape Town beginning with the arrival there of J. T. van der Kemp in 1799. Through hard work and persuasion she succeeded in stopping the practice among the people of killing twins. Clara Anne Williams (ne. They had their own particular system of laws, administrative organization, and the strong influence of the traditionalists power. Bebe Golf Ranch. The brief history of Christianity in Nigeria.

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