list of missionaries that came to nigeria

Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. The achievement of the purpose of these Christian Missions came with some costs. The real success of Christian conversion came when freed Christian slaves began to return to Nigeria towards the end of the 20th century. It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. It was not until the nineteenth century, that the new religion was really established in West Africa. The greatest problem faced by the early European Christian missionaries was, the tropical climate and health Hazards. Africa and the Winder World 3. She was a British missionary with the Christian Missionary Society. David . Another valuable contribution of the Christian missionaries in West Africa was the development of literature in the local vernaculars, this included the translation of the Bible into some of the important local languages. 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. This fact only proves what God said about those who will persecute those loving Jesus. 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 the 19th century more stable missions were sent into Nigeria as European nations gained tighter control over their African colonies. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. 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. Speaking at morning Mass in Rome, the Pope praised Christians who had given up everything to share their faith. A.G. Frazer, did much to encourage the promotion of indigenous culture, but by and large the colonial authorities contributed to dwindling a good deal of our cultural heritage. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. It was difficult for the European missionaries to communicate freely with the local people. In 1902 the Methodists opened a clinic at Igbo-Ora. *Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, 1933; For seven years he carried on teaching English and converting the locals to Christianity. 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. 1809-1898. The good news for the Christianity is that Islam did not come to this region until in the 1970s the civil war broke out. Next, branches of the C.M.S. They saw a way to incorporate the loving message of the religion with their own unique lives. In 1876 the college became associated with Durham University in England, which awarded degrees to students of the college. T. Nelson. James Fieldhouse, produced a Wolof Grammar in 1876. By 1914 there were barely thirty schools in that vast area. In spite of the division, the parent Methodist missionary church played an important role in the history of Christianity in Sierra Leone. . For several years they paid attention to slave trade rather than evangelization and Christianization of the people of West-Africa. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. Charles Thomas Studd was a famous English cricketer who went on to be a missionary to China, Africa and India. Henry Townsend. Polycarp. From Lagos, efforts moved to the East. The lead was followed by other missionaries, notably the Roman Catholic, whose first higher institution was St Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. The next year, he travelled to India with his family, but his struggles continued. 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. Ben Ayade came late. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. Mr & Mrs Jim & Doris Guth Custer (served at SIM Teachers Training College, Igbaja) 4. They preached Christianity in a way that took into consideration the geographical and cultural differences between Europe and Africa. 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 . 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. She was a missionary of Scottish origin with the United Presbyterian Church. 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". Christianity in northern Nigeria. The origin of Christianity in the North of Nigeria. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. Hildebrandt, Jonathan. 1813-1873. This page is not available in other languages. B. et al. Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. Catholic missionary efforts on the shores of Nigeria began with an initial attempt by Portuguese missionaries in the 15 th and 16 th centuries. 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. In 1925 the Governor introduced measures which helped the efforts of the missionaries. Arnold, 1986. *Government Secondary School, Owerri, 1935; 26. However, the discovery of quinine and other curative medicines in the late 19th century made the history of the missionary work in West Africa a different thing altogether. Clara Anne Williams (ne. Here, the history of Christianity turns its new page in the 1840s. For the West Africans, the acceptance of Christianity meant the total rejection of most of the cherished institutions upon which their society rested. A Anglican missionaries in Nigeria (8 P) M Mormon missionaries in Nigeria (7 P) P Protestant missionaries in Nigeria (5 C, 8 P) R Roman Catholic missionaries in Nigeria (20 P) Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. *Lisabi Grammar School, Abeokuta, 1943; Kaffraria (South Africa), 1885-1908. The blessings which Christianity has brought to West Africa are many. *Eko Boys High School, Lagos, 1913: However, there were at least 250 other ethnic groups who were either Muslims or adherers of other religions. 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. Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. *Government College Umuahia, 1927; *Queens College, Yaba, 1927; He was ordained in 1845 and got consecrated as a Bishop in 1864. The Sudan United Mission (SUM) was a conglomeration or umbrella of different mission societies whose missionaries came from all the Caucasian- dominated nations of the Commonwealth as well as the USA. Finally, another factor that the Church had to deal with was that of the British invasion which brought its own system. The people in Nigeria had their traditions which they believed and worship God. Today 49% of the Nigerian population is Christian. 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. This special relationship continued until 1960 when Fourah Bay became a college of the newly reconstituted University of Sierra Leone; the other constituent college located at Njala developed from a training college founded in 1920. This was the work of the great missionary, Thomas Birch Freeman, who placed two missionaries, Mr and Mrs. de Graft, in charge of the school. He was part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. 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. Of 31 secondary schools surveyed from 1859 and 1037, only the government, federal or state, established seven; 24 belonged to the Missions. Today, I want to briefly share with you how God leads. Establishment of Christian Churches In Sierra Leone. Thus, in the South of Nigeria, mostly Yoruba and Edo groups were ruling and dominating. *Ondo Boys High School, Ondo, (CMS), 1919; 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. However, the early missionaries established medical centres, at first at their mission posts, and later far and wide, to attend to the sick. 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. How did missionaries try to reach out to the Africans? Natal, 1874-1909. Missionaries today have brought education, medical care, and Holistic Development Centers into Nigeria. Evans Brothers, Ltd. London. *Wesley College, Elekuro, Ibadan, 1905; That I joyfully acted as Christ told that rich young man to act. Before the missionaries came to Nigeria, there were no Christians in the country. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. 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 championed women's rights, and set up a mission hospital for the local people. He was an American missionary with the Southern Baptist Church. Often drumming and the harmless songs and dances of the people were condemned. Babalola, E. O. Christianity in West Africa. *United Memorial Grammar School, Ibadan, 1928; Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. 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. 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. Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, List of missionaries to the South Pacific, List of Protestant missionaries to Southeast Asia, "Uganda's White Man of Work: A Story of Alexander M. Mackay", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Christian_missionaries&oldid=1151997040. Ex-slave missionary to Nigeria. There were only bush paths, and no roads in the early times. Among other things the regulations required that all teachers should be registered, and a minimum salary was fixed. That God called me to China and I went in spite of utmost opposition from all my loved ones. 1991. The early African converts to Christianity, were made to abandon their ancestral culture and way of life as pagan therefore to be shunned. Russia 146.02. It included my own mission, the Christian Reformed Church (SUM/CRC) that eventually partnered with three different denominations.2 Name. Mexico 130.83. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. Development of Education in Sierra Leone. Kalu, Ogbu. *Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode (Anglican), 1913; Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. He was in charge of the Ake Church in Abeokuta originally erected by Rev. In . During 1859 and 1860, when native attacks were resumed, the work of the Mission virtually came to a standstill, and in 1861, when MacGregor Laird died, nearly all the trading . Many of them came to faith. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. CUP Archive, 1979. Among the early Protestant evangelical societies founded in Great Britain were the Baptist Missionary Society, the Church Missionary Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Wesleyan Missionary Society and what became known as the Presbyterian Missionary Society of the Church of Scotland. These trends occasionally brought kings into conflict with the missionaries and their converts. Slessor saved hundreds of children during her time in Nigeria; even adopting one young girl as her own daughter. She went on to serve in the Chinese government as a 'foot inspector' visiting women all over the country to make sure they were following the new law against foot-binding which she saw as part of her missionary work. * St. Charles College, Onitsha, 1929; South Africa, 1919-1928. They did not take into consideration the already established cultural characteristics; Igbo religious traditions had long been engraved into the African society. 1.898 Billion worldwide. The first attempts to bring Christianity to the area where the modern country is today date back to the 1470s and 1620s. The first batch, who came out between 1804 and 1806, included pioneer missionaries like Renner and Nylander. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004. Thus, first Christians appeared on the West Coast of Africa, Yorubaland, Niger, and Cross River, state that Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology. The President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, has assured Nigerian workers of a minimum wage, social and economic justice. Burns & Oates, 1979. "But I rejoice that I am here notwithstanding; and God is here.". 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. 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. Cohn Teaguefirst American missionariesto Sierra Leone, Devotional writer and promoter of missionary awakening(South Africa), Slavery abolished throughout British colonies, Indian pioneer in educational and medical missions, Norwegian missionary to Swaziland (South Africa), William Henry Shepherd (African American), Canadian missionary to China and Indonesia, Literacy pioneer and missionary (Philippines), Founder of SIL/Wycliffe and missionary to Guatemala, 1991 - 2023 Eternal Perspective MinistriesAll Rights Reserved. The first secondary school in the East was Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar, now Cross River State capital. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. This instruction in 1948 developed into the University College in Ibadan. 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). 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. https://www.legit.ng/1145690-history-christianity-nigeria.html. 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. After ordination in England in 1843, he returned to Abeokuta, and he and his wife Sarah Townsend remained until 1867. Later on, she and her husband, Rev. Europeans were seen as ruling Africans both in political and ecclesiastical matters'' (Falae). Accessed February 27, 2021. 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. 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. In Ghana the Presbyterians were pioneers in reducing Ga and Twi into writing. He married her, and was later re-engaged by the society. 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. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. How did Christianity come to Nigeria? According to ot the Nigeria Christian Fellowship, there are at least seventy million people who consider themselves Christians. 1931. In the Gambia, the Methodist missionary and first principal of what later became known as the Gambia High School, the Rev. The topic of our focus is, BEHAVING WISELY. It is lifted from 1 Samuel 18:14,15 and 30. A short history of education in British West Africa. 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. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. Meanwhile, there were a lot of people whom the scholars characterize as the pagans who struggled between their traditional approach to religion and faith in Christ. *CMS Grammar School, Lagos, 1859; It is important to emphasize that the modern history of the Christian Mission in Africa started from the late Eighteenth Century, the Catholics had been there earlier in the first centuries of the Christian era especially during the first Portuguese adventures. Originally a freed African slave from Freetown, Sierra Leone of Yoruba ancestry, was instrumental in the establishment of Christian missions in Nigeria. Hope Waddell was later joined by the Rev. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. Here, the history of Christianity turns its new page in the 1840s. African people did not have to give up their cultural identity in order to follow something Western and foreign. 2 Timothy) are used to provide aid without requiring conversion. Depending on the year of the survey conducted as well as the organization that conducted it, the numbers differ as well as the ratio of Muslims to Christians. Nevertheless, when Christianity came here around the same time it did to the Western part, it met no obstacles in spreading.It It is important to realize that the religions in Nigeria were all influenced by the common traditionalists beliefs and superstitions. These included the Basel Missionary Society, founded in Switzerland, and the Breman Mission formed in Germany. Thus as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic Sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. Great were the thoughts that went into establishing Mission Schools. 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. He was a missionary of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod that arrived Nigeria in 1937 to lead the mission work of WELS. West Africa and Christianity. In the 19thh century, too, Afro-Brazilians returned to Benin and Nigeria with Catholicism. These missionaries are our glory! Vol. *St. Johns School, Bida, 1904; For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. Christian missionaries believed that their dedication to Christianity would be enough for conversion. These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. Some progressive Europeans, like the first principal of Achimota College, Rev. The first missionaries in the Western regions were Methodists and Baptists. Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. Abstract. Porter, Andrew. Nevertheless, the first higher institution in Ghana, now the Presbyterian Training College at Akuapem Akropon, was established in 1848, first as a centre for training catechists, and later to train teachers as well as ministers of the Presbyterian Church. He set up a mission chapel in the Ijiaye area and another mission outpost at Ogbomosho. 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. At the time, she was doing the unthinkable: being a single woman, in Africa, on the mission field. 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 missionaries also greatly improved the health services. This cannot be appreciated until we run our eyes through the list. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. 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. *CMS Grammar School, Lagos, 1859; *Methodist Boys High School, Lagos,. 2017: Pastor Weiser retires in June, and Missionary Jeff Heitsch is called to serve Nigeria half-time from Cameroon. The Eastern territories had no structure or organization in their lands. Accessibility Statement. Why I don't want to become godfather like Oshiomhole, Tinubu - Obaseki gives reasons. "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. The identity of each is easy to decipher. As a result of such unstable situation, the Christian missions only got here in the 1840s. Calabar and the neighbouring communities were the areas she performed her missionary work. 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. In this chapter, we shall examine how Christianity and Western-style education influenced West Africans values, attitudes and life-styles. *Offa Grammar School, Offa, 1943; Before they came, Nigerians were uneducated. BBC. She was reputed to have made indelible contributions to the area she served during her missions in Nigeria. *Methodist College, Uzuakoli, 1923; In 1964, he became the first black Bishop of the Anglican Communion. 2. A Scottish missionary with the Scottish Presbyterian Church. Besides, the missionaries had to travel longer distances to inland towns from their southern stations. Europeans were not only curious to explore the lands but also the native people. 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. Having been raised in North London in a working class family, she initially worked as a housemaid, but had a long-harboured dream of becoming a missionary, and was convinced of her calling to China. 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. Also, the traditional doctors more often than not could not diagnose illness accurately. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. Slavery: An Unlikely Catalyst In the fifteenth century, Christianity came to Africa's coastlines through forts established by European slave traders. To follow suit and take a bow is Methodist Boys High School, 1878. 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. Crampton, Edmund Patrick Thurman. He was among the missionary staff involved in mission work in Nigeria between 1944 and 1948. The training college later became part of Achimota College. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. Both in England and North America, the theme, "The Sudan, the worst manned mission field in the whole world" was beginning to ring louder and louder in many missionary conferences, especially the Keswick conventions in England and later Canada. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to put in place a living wage for Nigerian workers. 70-155/160. *Kings College, Lagos, 1909; Public money was spent only on the small number of government schools, totaling nineteen when Governor Guggisberg assumed office in 1919. She and her husband were charged by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to lead missionary expeditions in Nigeria. 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. The next stop was Ibadan, St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan. At the same time, the first missionaries in the East were Catholics and Presbyterians. Soon after the start of elementary schools, the missionaries started opening higher institutions also. Timeline of Great Missionaries (and a few other well-known historical and church figures and events) Dates. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, France encouraged Roman Catholic missionaries right from the start of her colonial activities in West Africa. This is a list of early missionaries in Nigeria: He was part of the first British Government sponsored Niger Expedition of 1841. 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.. 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. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. He and other missionaries facilitated the abolition of human sacrifices in the Calabar area. REPORT: How COVID-19 increased child labour in Lagos state (parents, children share experiences), READ ALSO: Meet Footballers Who Converted To Christianity From Islam. That is why, they had a contact with the rest of the world throughout the whole time, especially during the Middle Ages. Ex-policeman who claims to be reincarnation of Jesus Christ finally arrested (photos). Clarke, Peter Bernard. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995. The story of Africa. 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. In the beginning of the 19th century, Christian missionaries were launched with unprecedented vigor to Africa. Please click here to learn how. *Government College, Ughelli, 1945: Mary Slessor was the first women missionary in Nigeria, Africa, during the early 1900s. The identity of each is easy to decipher. The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo recaptive the Rev. But they were unable to convert the kings and traditional rulers as these leaders were only interested in the guns and mirrors the Europeans offered them. *Christ the King College, Onitsha, 1933; It was first sited in Abeokuta before it was relocated to Lagos. 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. The early Christians saw an especially urgent need to spread their faith before the second coming of Christ, which they believed was imminent.

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