Until his last day on this Earth, he worked hard to bring God to Nigerians. Baltimore, Md: Johns Hopkins Univ. _____. Christian missionary activities in West Africa, https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/, https://webbschool.libguides.com/PurpleHibiscusResearch2021. This work is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Mzuni Press, 2018. Legit Nigeria. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1892. Unfortunately, the emphasis on reading gave the impression that literacy was necessary to learn Scripture, and uneducated people were unintentionally alienated. Their converts increased steadily in numbers until 1821 when a section broke away to form the first independent African, Christian church in West Africa, called the West Africa Methodist Church. Again Christian missionaries who had been active in Nigeria since the 1840s had encouraged their converts in the creation of a modern nation state that would take its place in the comity of nations. London: Hatchard and Son, 1842. In the 1880s clouds gathered over the Niger Mission. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and Africa. Privacy Statement WebThe missionary activities in Nigeria, especially their educational programs helped to whip-up the consciousness of a shared identity and helped to train a new set of elite that championed the course of nationalism and constituted a virile The students will be able to explain how the Nigerian, African, European, and American missionaries worked together to plant churches in Nigeria. Much of the existing works on the history of the evolution of modern Nigeria seem to be concentrated on the activities of three principal bodies from Britain: the British explorers, the British traders and the British colonial administrators. The Yoruba embraced the gospel and planted Baptist churches throughout western Africa as they traveled for trade. _____. The additional article below is presented with permission from the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Dictionary of African Christian Biography, A Peoples History of the School of Theology, Niger mission: Bishop Crowthers report of the overland journey from Lokoja to Bida, on the River Niger : and thence to Lagos, on the sea coast, from November 10th, 1871 to February 8th, 1872, Crowther and Language in the Yoruba Mission. The Roman Catholic Church was also able to build a permanent stations in Lagos, Lokoja, Abeokuta, and Idaban. WebThe work of the missionaries in southern Nigeria was not easy sailing, for while a few Africans and their rulers patronized missionary enter-prise, others rejected missionary intrusion in any form. In Yorubaland, for WebAs local missionaries help the displaced with food, clothing, shelter and education, they have shared the gospel and seen many people put their faith in Christ. WebOne of the missions most important contributions to the colonial regimes was their role in educating the native Africans. Europeans were not only curious to explore the lands but also the native people. Evanston [Ill.]: Northwestern University Press, 1965. Today, missionaries have brought Holistic Development Centers, education, and medical care into Nigeria with the purpose of spreading the Gospel. Leicester studies in religion, 1. Lottie Moon Offering & Generosity Resources, Lottie Moon Offering and Generosity Resources, 40 percent of the worlds Christians will reside in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria Influence of the Christian Missions, countrystudies.us/Nigeria/14.htm, Nigeria United States Department of State. U.S. Department of State, https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/nigeria/, Reviews in American History: A Quarterly Journal of Criticism. 2. The Church of Scotland started missionary work in the area of Calabar. Their justification for colonization was that they were providing better education and healthcare to the natives (Nigeria Influence). Accessed February 28, 2021. Accessed February 28, 2021. In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. _____. Different denominations of Christianity divided the Nation into their own spheres of influence in order not to compete with each other. Falae, Vivien. The Contributions of the Christian Missionaries in Building the Nigerian Nation, 1840-1960. These churches incorporated their old religious and cultural ideals with their new teachings of the Bible. The Church Missionary Society established churches in several towns like Abeokuta, Lagos, Idaban, Oyo, and Benin. Hospitals established and often run by missionaries are frequently the only available source of health care, particularly in rural areas. https://wasscehistorytextbook.com/6-christian-missionary-activities-in-west-africa/. On the whole, support or lack of support for missionary work was greatly influenced by internal developments in southern Nigeria. All rights reserved. Though the missionaries primary aim was to bring the gospel to Africans, some Africans consider Christianity a white mans religion that was used to subdue and control them in the process of colonization. WebThe Methodists, known as the Wesleyan Missionaries (after their founder), arrived in Freetown in 1811. Webvarious missionary bodies that have been operating in southern Nigeria since the nineteenth century and has highlighted the enormous contributions made by these missionary bodies towards the development and civilization of the area. He was a missionary of the Christian Missionary Society of the Church of England that arrived Sarah Townsend. They were not strangers from a foreign land, they were native people. Accessed February 27, 2021. Missionaries had not yet embraced traditional oral teaching methods like stories and songs, as many have today. _____. No. Oates, Joan. Required fields are marked *. WebNiger mission: Bishop Crowthers report of the overland journey from Lokoja to Bida, on the River Niger : and thence to Lagos, on the sea coast, from November 10th, 1871 to February 8th, 1872. Wife of Rev. Their converts increased steadily in numbers until 1821 when a section broke away to form the first independent African, Christian church in West Africa, called the West Africa Methodist Church. Reverend Henry Townsend. Crowther, Samuel, James Frederick Schn, and William Russell Bascom. The British, along with many other European empires, pillaged these counties of resources, engaged in human trafficking of the native people, and exploited their labor in the collection of these resources. The story of missionary work in colonial Africa begins with The Age of Discovery. As the abolition of slavery progressed in the different European colonies, converting freed slaves became a powerful motive for setting up European Christian missions. Unfortunately, African pastors often were not empowered to be self-theologizingthat is, to examine Scripture and develop contextualized answers to the African churchs questions. A charge delivered on the banks of the river Niger in West Africa. This was the start of a global economy, and colonialism. Early African churchgoers were taught to sing hymns accompanied by a piano and to listen to sermons while sitting on rows of benches in a concrete building. This paper explores medical missionary activities and its contributions to healthcare development in rural areas in southwestern Nigeria. The workers seek assistance for this aid and efforts to provide converts from Islam with places of refuge and new land and housing in secure areas. When they realized they were not effectively evangelizing other ethnic groups due to language and cultural differences, they asked Nigerian and US Baptists for assistance. https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section8.shtml. In South Africa, for instance, mission schools started educating African children in the mid-1800s, almost a century before government schools were built for them. Some of these early missionaries focused on ministering to freed slaves sent to Liberia and Sierra Leone while others evangelized indigenous populations. Read more: https://www.legit.ng/1145690-history-christianity-nigeria.html. He studied at the CMS college in London preparatory to ordination in 1843a landmark for the Anglican ministry. He oversaw J.C. Taylors ground-breaking work in Igboland and directed the evangelization of the Niger Delta, with notable results at such centers as Bonny. Scottish explorer Dr. David Livingstone is well-known for marrying his colonial and missionary motives. https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section8.shtml, https://bethanygu.edu/missions/missionary-involvement-in-nigeria/. Accessed February 26, 2021. There was also a growing number of Nigerian pastors and independent Nigerian churches at the time. Praise God for these new believers who will worship in the throne room of the Lamb! They are embracing oral strategies, training believers to share the gospel in local languages through traditional methods like story and song. Your email address will not be published. Niger mission: Bishop Crowthers report of the overland journey from Lokoja to Bida, on the River Niger : and thence to Lagos, on the sea coast, from November 10th, 1871 to February 8th, 1872. Crowther, desolated, died of a stroke. Cass library of African studies. By the middle of the first century, churches had been established in northern African by early converts to Christianity. New York, Chicago: F. H. Revell, 1909. Today, missionaries have brought Holistic Development Centers, education, and medical care into Nigeria with the purpose of spreading the Gospel. IMB missionaries and indigenous believers are striving to ensure they are Great Commission-minded Christians whose faith is both Scripturally solid and culturally relevant. Accessed February 27, 2021. WebOne of the missions most important contributions to the colonial regimes was their role in educating the native Africans. London: Church Missionary House, 1872. Webthe missionary propaganda that prepared the way for the governor, the explorer and the trader. Many are of the opinion that the missionary bodies were mere spiritual arms of various European governments In conclusion, Christianity planted its roots only when a more secretic form was formed. Hospitals established and often run by missionaries are frequently the only available source of health care, particularly in rural areas. This paper explores medical missionary activities and its contributions to healthcare development in rural areas in southwestern Nigeria. The workers seek assistance for this aid and efforts to provide converts from Islam with places of refuge and new land and housing in secure areas. The Igbo had not elected Basden as their representative; he had been appointed by the colonial government. WebThe work of the missionaries in southern Nigeria was not easy sailing, for while a few Africans and their rulers patronized missionary enter-prise, others rejected missionary intrusion in any form. _____. Dobinson, repented of earlier hasty judgments. Buxtons Niger Expedition, contributing signally to it. Bebe Golf Ranch. Basden's appointment seems remarkable. She lives in Sub-Saharan Africa with her husband and two children. Page, Jesse. The students will be able to apply the factors that contributed to the successes or failures of evangelism to their own lives and ministries. Reverend Henry Townsend. Press, 1973. Samuel Ajayi Crowther, in Gerald H. Anderson et al., eds., Mission Legacies (1994): 132-139. Photo by William Haun. Walls, A.F., A Second Narrative of Samuel Ajayi Crowthers Early Life, Bulletin of the Society of African Church History 2 (1985). 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. Hospitals established and often run by missionaries are frequently the only available source of health care, particularly in rural areas. Some freed slaves who had embraced Christianity in America also worked to spread the gospel upon their return to Africa. Chaplains were assigned to forts, but their role was to serve the Europeans, not to evangelize Africans. Many are of the opinion that the missionary bodies were mere spiritual arms of various European governments With Henry Townsend and C.A. [Leicester]: Study of Religion Sub-department, University of Leicester, 1976. Registered In England and Wales. A European bishop succeeded him. Clay heads in Cape Coast Castle dungeon depict pain and sufferings the captured slaves endured. The CMS secretary, Henry Venn, saw Crowther as a potential demonstration of the feasibility of self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating African churches and in 1857 sent him to open a new mission on the Niger. The question is, what kind of Christians will they be? Their justification for colonization was that they were providing better education and healthcare to the natives (Nigeria Influence). The gospel on the banks of the Niger: journals and notices of the native missionaries accompanying the Niger Expedition of 1857-1859. Webvarious missionary bodies that have been operating in southern Nigeria since the nineteenth century and has highlighted the enormous contributions made by these missionary bodies towards the development and civilization of the area. WebOne of the missions most important contributions to the colonial regimes was their role in educating the native Africans. Patients from all over Zimbabwe come to Sanyati Baptist Hospital for treatment because they know they will receive quality care and will not be turned away even if they cant pay. 3. He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. Edward Dima, president of the South Sudanese Baptist Convention, has opened a Bible school in the camp to provided theological education to leaders who are planting churches in the refugee camp blocks. Hair, P. E. H. The early study of Nigerian languages: essays and bibliographies. Photo 1: Samuel Ajayi Crowther, at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Crowther. The workers seek assistance for this aid and efforts to provide converts from Islam with places of refuge and new land and housing in secure areas. Livingstone is considered a national hero in Zambia because of his desire to improve the lives of Africans. London: Church Missionary House, 1872. ISSN 2281-3993 (print) ISSN 2281-4612 (online). While seminaries offered insight into complex topics like the assurance of salvation, Africans are often more concerned with day-to-day concerns, like How can I be cured of this illness? Now African believers are increasingly turning to the health, wealth, and prosperity teachings of televangelists and modern-day prophets who are tuned in to the everyday wants and needs of African people. Contextual blog, systemic injustices showcase, and final projects, Role of Christian Missionaries in Colonial Africa. The desire to train African church leaders led to the establishment of seminaries and Bible schools. This did much damage not only to those directly impact by the hostility, but to the generations of lost culture and tradition of native religions all across Africa. Missionary efforts, though not necessarily tied to government activity, began concurrently and are sometimes considered as one and the same. WebMissionaries have been involved in Nigeria during the late 1800s through training young men as evangelists and helping womens rights improve among the tribal people. Many are of the opinion that the missionary bodies were mere spiritual arms of various European governments B. G., & Nwadialor, K. L. (2015). In Yorubaland, for Examining the mistakes and successes of the past offers insights into how to work in Africa more effectively. This is a period where European powers set their sights on exploring the world. 1842. When about 13, he was taken as a slave by Fulani and Yoruba Muslim raiders and sold several times before being purchased by Portuguese traders for the transatlantic market. Print. The missionary activities in Nigeria, especially their educational programs helped to whip-up the consciousness of a shared identity and helped to train a new set of elite that championed the course of nationalism and constituted a virile leadership for the young nation at independence. The morality or efficiency of members of Crowthers staff was increasingly questioned by British missionaries. London: Dawsons, 1968. Crowther was born with the name Ajayi in Osogun, in the Egba section of the Yoruba people, in what is now western Nigeria. Christian missions in Nigeria, 1841-1891; the making of a new lite. Gollmer, he then opened a new mission in Yorubaland, centered in Abeokuta, by now the homeland of Crowthers Egba people. Schn as a CMS representative on T.F. 3. Niger mission: Bishop Crowthers report of the overland journey from Lokoja to Bida, on the River Niger : and thence to Lagos, on the sea coast, from November 10th, 1871 to February 8th, 1872. (He discovered some close relatives there and was the means of conversion of his mother and sister.) Crowther, Samuel, James Frederick Schn, and William Russell Bascom. Fiedler, Klaus. He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. London: Church Missionary House, 1872. Comparative Studies 1100: Introduction to the Humanities, Spring 2020, Review of Parasite (Movie) Xixiang Weng (weng.156), History of the British Takeover of Nigeria. Webvarious missionary bodies that have been operating in southern Nigeria since the nineteenth century and has highlighted the enormous contributions made by these missionary bodies towards the development and civilization of the area. The Church Missionary Society established churches in several towns like Abeokuta, Lagos, Idaban, Oyo, and Benin. Rev. The students will be able to explain how the Nigerian, African, European, and American missionaries worked together to plant churches in Nigeria. 1842. Crowther was old, Venn dead. Contribution to missions in Nigeria Presently, a lot of Irish missions, orders for priests, and congregations for sisters exist in Nigeria some dating back to early 1900s. The missionaries felt that spreading the gospel to these people was of great importance, and actively tried to erase their beliefs in Polytheism. This was the start of a global economy, and colonialism. London: Church Missionary House, 1872. Between 1931 and 1937, the Anglican missionary G. T. Basden represented the Igbo people on the Nigerian Legislative Council. Thanks to the efforts of missionaries and African believers who have diligently shared the gospel over the past two millennia, Africa is forever changed. In the past six years alone, 105,039 people became believers and 890 churches were planted among unreached peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa. Conversion progressively became something imposed rather than suggested; the way Christianity was teached seemed very alien to them. Christian missionary activities in West Africa. He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. The Church Missionary Society established churches in several towns like Abeokuta, Lagos, Idaban, Oyo, and Benin. Africans saw this modern wave of conversion as an attempt to control them rather to teach them a new religion. The real success of Christian conversion came when freed Christian slaves began to return to Nigeria towards the end of the 20th century. Missionaries who followed in Livingstones footsteps by addressing both spiritual and physical needs have had a profound impact on the continent. Photo by Nicole Clark. The content of this site is published by the site owner(s) and is not a statement of advice, opinion, or information pertaining to The Ohio State University. There he became a Christian, taking at baptism the name of an eminent clergyman in England, Samuel Crowther. They saw a way to incorporate the loving message of the religion with their own unique lives. Missionary Involvement in Nigeria. 2. WebNiger mission: Bishop Crowthers report of the overland journey from Lokoja to Bida, on the River Niger : and thence to Lagos, on the sea coast, from November 10th, 1871 to February 8th, 1872. The Church of Scotland started missionary work in the area of Calabar. Photo by Luke In. Office: Office 1, Forest House Business Centre, 8 Gainsborough Road, London, England,E11 1HT. 15. Missionaries have often unwittingly imported their cultural preference into the churches they started. Melanie Clinton is a writer for IMB. Reg. Henry Martyn Lecture I: Philanthropy in Sierra Leone. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=1791737&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Henry Martyn Lecture III: Crowther and Trade on the Niger. Christianity in Nigeria was first introduced in the 15th century by Portuegese Catholic priests during the Age of Exploration. WebMissionaries have been involved in Nigeria during the late 1800s through training young men as evangelists and helping womens rights improve among the tribal people.