164 Years Of The Coming Of Christianity To Igboland

One of the greatest events in history is the coming of Christianity to Igbo land on July 27, 1857, that is one hundred and sixty-four years ago. It emanated from the general European invasion of the West African territories. In the early 15th century, Christian priests travelled with traders to extend the message of the gospel to Africa. As the saying goes, the Bible followed trade.

Expeditors from Britain trooped to Africa to trace the source and end of the River Niger, as well as to explore trading possibilities in the interior of the continent. In 1841, the British government commissioned three ships, namely the Albert, Wilberforce and Sudan, to explore and chart Rivers Niger and Benue with the CMS actively concerned.

Two men from Sierra Leone accompanied them. They were: Reverend J. Schon, a linguist and Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Catechist and an ex-slave boy of Yoruba parentage. The CMS had established a firm root in Freetown, where the first Missionaries were sent out by the society in 1804.

Unfortunately, the first expedition of august 1841, in which the group entered the River Niger, was a woeful failure as within few weeks, malaria killed fifty-four out of one hundred and sixty-two white men. Samuel Ajayi Crowther led a team of Native Missionaries into the Niger Valley.

Again, in 1857, Reverend Ajayi Crowther and J.C Taylor, along with a number of catechists, joined Macgregor Laird for an expedition, sponsored by the British government. Reverend Crowther had a definite commission from the CMS to establish the Niger Mission. It was at the Christ Church ground in Onitsha that the Niger Mission began in 1857, as African initiative.

However, after negotiations with the Onitsha reigning monarch, Akazua, the British established trading posts in the town and the mission station started. The Onitsha king allocated land for the headquarters of the Mission station. The responsibility of establishing the first Mission in Igboland fell on Reverend Taylor, an ex-Igbo slave and a convert from Sierra Leone. Reverend Taylor was able to build schools, preached the gospel, taught and visited people, as well as healed the natives. On June 29, 1864, Crowther was consecrated Bishop in Canterbury to expand the Mission in Nigeria, confirm and ordain the people.

Today, after one hundred and sixty-four years of Christianity, one can beat his chest and say that the visit of the missionaries was worthwhile. The twenty-seven years of Bishop Crowther’s episcopate witnessed rapid expansion in the work of the Niger Mission.

With his convincing gospel messages, the murder of twins, burial of slaves alive with their dead masters, sacrificing of maidens in Onitsha to appease the river goddess and many other superstitions in Igboland were stopped. Besides, many Niger Missions were established, including schools and seminaries and the training of priests all over Igboland.

To commemorate this, Christian faithful, across the Anglican Church in the South East have mapped out series of activities to mark the one hundred and sixty-fourth year of the coming of Christianity to Igboland, popularly known as the CMS Anniversary. It will, among other things, feature Road Shows and Match Pasts by various church organizations, including members of the Men’s Fellowship, Mothers’ Union, Girls and Women’s Guild, Girls and Boys Brigade, among others.

The event will also feature concerts. All these ceremonies are being heralded by a special anniversary church service in various churches.

Today, Nigerian leaders, either in public life or in politics, education, the church, commerce and industry, owe their education, in whole or in part, to the handwork of the missionaries. What Ajayi Crowther started one hundred and sixty-four years ago, gave birth to the church and for its sustenance, Christians should strive to revive the spirit of this great African Missionary.So, as we observe the one hundred and sixty-fourth years of the coming of Christianity to Igboland today, Christians should use the opportunity to pray for a hitch-free gubernatorial election in Anambra, come November 6, 2021.