A HISTORY OF THE EXPANSION OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY IN NIGERIA I ) ) A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in ■•v Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of ;■ Doctor of Theology Charles William Knight 1951 SOUTHERN BAPTIST _ THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY LIBI^V IjOUISVILLE.Kt 2825 L£MNGTON ROAD 1 .V., '• •- •*' ■■ -- r;" C" » To Jfy Mother, Wife and Mjr Son .n s-;-. v[ •V PREFACE . I On January 11,• 1940>I received appointment from the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Conven- ■ tion as a missionary to Nigeria. My first work' as a missionary was that of teaching in the theological seminary. While teaching there 1 began,to collect 'material for the writing of the story of Southern Baptist Missions iii Nigeria. My desire was enlarged to include the efforts- of all evangelical groups who soiighf to introduce Christianity in Nigeria. ■ During my' first term of service I had the advantage of living in Western Nigeria at Ogbomosho where I received my first impression of mission work . in 'Nigeria. On my second term of service I lived in Northern Nigeria, at Kadtina and had the opportunity of - - ■ ' Vrewini:^thi"wbrk oT the missionary sbcieties in this areja. I also'had the-'privilege of'spending some time ... ■ in-Eastern Nigeria and saw. the societies at work th^re;. ' During these two terms of service I was' constantly on the alert for any materieil, books, pamphlets or con­ versations that would give me a true picture of Christ- ianity as it expanded. This thesis is the result of the collection of this material. •• ' My aim in this .thesis is to'^trade 'the^ourse of the expansion of evangelical Christianity in;Nigeria. iv during the first one hundred years, 1842 to 1942. The first chapter, as briefly as possible, presents a description of the physical features, people, religions and history of Nigeria. The history of the expansion of evangelical Christianity is divided into four periods: Chapter II, Exploration and Pioneering, 1842 to 1874; Chapter III, Reoccupation and Laying Permanent,Founda- ' tibns, 1875 to 1899; Chapter IV, Organization, Expansion ■ and Indigenous Development, I9OO to 1918; Chapter V, Years of Progress Between World Wars, 1919 to 1942. At the close of each chapter I have placed a statistical table to show the growth of Christianity for each period. The figures are based upon personal - .- surveys, and the best information that could be obtained from mission secretaries on the field. The name of^each _society commonly used in Nigeria is used throughout the thesis :a!rid, wherever abbreviations are used I have followed the most commonly used abbreyiation. _ In preparation of the .material for ..this thesis I’am deeply indebted to the missionaries arid secretaries of all societies working in Nigeria for the information they have so kindly given me."^! am indebted to the■ . Harrodsburg Baptist Church who provided me'with a plabe to study during. the“witing'of the major part of thia' ■ thesis and t Foreign__Mission Board of the Southern V Baptist Convention for permitting me to make this study. I am also, indebted to Miss Jane Phillips who gave in­ valuably service'in typing and to Mrs. Leo T. Crismon who typed the final copy.I wish to thank Miss Rachel Colvin of the Woman's'-^issionary Union, Birmingham ) Alabama, who prepared the maps from my rough sketches and Dr. Leo T. Crismon who made possible the use of numerous books that otherwise would have been impossible to obtain-. A special word of appreciation is due Dr, Henry Cornell Goerner for his kindly and valued words of advice in the preparation of this thesis. <• Louisville,: Ky October 31f.-.1951 Charles Willifam Knight ✓ lU.- V-, ! . ■ ? ■ TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE - PREFACE . iii MAP OF AFRICA XV I. INTRODUCTORY BACKGROUNDS . 1 Geographical location . ■ 1 Physical features of Nigeria 2 Topography ......... 2 River system ........ 4 Flora . .'.......... 5 Climate .......... 6 The people of Nigeria . , . 7 Population of Nigeria . • ' 7 1 Origin and ethnology . r 7 ■ Tribes ............. 6 Languages ......... 9 The religions of Nigeria . 9 Animiism ......... 9 Islam..... 12 History of Nigeria . 16 ^ Early European contacts . 16 Early slave trade .... European-ei^oration . ;■ 19-'^ British occupation . ... 24 Ifodern Nigeria . .. ■. 4 viii »;■ CHAPTER PAGE II. EXPLORATION AND PIONEERING, r842-lg74 . 29 Introduction .............■ 29 Early evangelical missions to Nigerian slaves . .............. ■ 30 Sierra Leone ..............30- Jamaica I*. 34 Missionaries enter Yorubaland34 Wesleyan Methodists • • V ..... 36 Church Missionary Society \ ..... 38 Exploration of Niger river, Flernando Po and Calabar 39 Church Missionary Society on Niger river .................39 First missionary party of the. Baptist Missionary Society ; ........ 40 Scottish Presbyterians located at Calabar ....... 42 Pioneering in Yorubaland . .‘. 44. Station at Abeokuta opened by Church Missionary Society . 45 -Wesleyan Methodists delayed . ... 46 The arrival of American Baptist- missionaries ' W Lagos opened to missionaries . • ^,49 • Abeokuta, hub of Christian activity. 50 Continued, exploration on the Niger and in he ighborihg areas' ■.'> v . ,. .y . , 52 ; The expedition of 1854 • • .! ! ix . CHAPTER PAGE The expedition of ........ 53 Church Missionary Society mission on the Niger opened by S. Ao Crowther . • . 53 Baptist Missionary Society . 57 Church of Scotland — Calabar60 War, persecution and withdrawal64 War in Yorubaland ..... 6k Dahomian efforts to destroy Abeokuta • . • 66 Missionaries expelled from Abeokuta ... 67 Lagos became center of missionary activity ............. 68 Statistics for 1874 ........ 72 III. REOCCUPATION AND LAYING PERMANENT FOUNDATIONS, 1875 - 1899 .................. 73 Introduction .....'.............73 Reoccupation of Yorubaland ........ • • 73 Situation in Yorubaland in 1875 • • • • • 74 . Efforts of Wesleyan Methodists to• xe-enter Abeokuta 75 Abeokuta re-entered by Church 76 Missionary Society . ......... The return of American Baptist missionaries to.Nigeria. .. ...j. " . 7? ■ .f : ^ The attempt of the Wesleyan Methodists ., .78 to open Ibadan ....... .. • • • b^e^pndo #sned by, the Church ,■ ;■ ■ . Missionary;Society^.• •' 78 Great- achifeWnts ip. laying pemancnt:- .79: foundations in Yorubaland . • . I I ■ ■r- X CHAPTER PAGE Lagos, a strong center .....79 Wesleyan Methodist work in Lagos 80 Church Missionary Society in Lagos .... $.0 Growth of American Baptist work 81 Secessions . ...... 82 American Baptist stations . 84 ”Joyful News Evangelists” -. 86. ■ New stations opened by Wesleyan . MethodJ-sts ........... 87 Ecclesiastical changes with the Church Missionary Society ..........88 Liquor traffic in Yorubaland . , 91 Developments along the Niger river . 92. Church Missionary Society first to open stations........'........92 :The visit of Wesleyan Methodists ..... 92 ■ Trouble on the Niger . 95 . ■ ' Church Missionary Society conference at . .-VMadeira. ..............96 The attempt of Church Missionary Society" • . to open medical work at Lokoja . 97 Graham^. Brooke in Hausalahd . '. 97 , Reorganization on the lower; Riger;' ! . 100 .'i Death:of Bishop Crowther• •; . 101 - Pr°g*'®S3. and^,withdrawal in Calabar and area/. " Church Of : Scotl^d ^ h . independent missions/,. ^'■ • ■M xi. CHAPTER PAGE The withdrawal of Baptist Missionary Society . ..............107 Basle mission ..lOS William Hughes — Bug\jma 109 Other missionary societies come to Nigeria • 110 Qua Iboe Mission ...... 111 German Baptists — Gameroons 114 Primitive Methodists . 115 Attempts to open Northern Nigeria .... 117 Statistics for 1399 123 . 124 Introduction '............. • 124 Western Nigeria ‘ i ........ 126 • Missionary personnel increased . , 127 Mother church plan . • • • . 128 Mass-moyements in Ijebu . '• • . 128 Shaki opened * . • • • • 128 Educational work,. ■ 12?;,__ Medical work . • ..m ■ Development of churches; 132 idditional ^bups in lorubaland-- '- 133 V' ■- Secession^. 134 , ... .136. , Eastern Nigeria .' Church Missionary Society ■i. ardhdeaconries r. ■ ;v V,:v'-137:';'? ’T-ssr. xii 'V CHAPTER PAGE Garrick Sokari Braid 138 Church of Scotland Mission . 140 Qua Iboe Mission .... 144 Primitive Methodists . 146 German Baptists . ... 148 Northern Nigeria ..... .149 Church Missionary Society .. 15.0 Sudan Interior Mission . ■ . 151 Church Missionary^ Society at Gierku . '. 153 Mennonite Brethren in Christ Chtirch Mission .......... 156 Sudan United Mission ....... 156 Cambridge University Mission Party .... 158 Church Missionary Society on the Benue river.^ . -. .159 Missioharies not welcome in Muslim emirates .................. 160 Church Missionary Society at Zaria . 161 First Christian community in North, . ..Gimi,. 162 rsudaST'Interior Mission on Niger rl^r 164 Mennonite Brethren in Christ on Niger-;, rriver'.^ . ■ 166, Sudani United.msaion: on;;plateau :: Dutch Reform^; Church :Miehion ; .' i69':r.; Statistics ior I91S. .:. xiii ■s ,<* . CHAPTER PAGE V. YEARS.OF,PROGRESS BETWEEN WORLD WARS, 1919-1942 ....... r. .. 174 Introduction .............. 174 . Western Nigeria........... 175 Changes in'^ssion-personnel . 176 Rise in education facilities . 178 Church Missionary Society bookshops • . IBI Medical missions . .. 182 • The development of churches186 Separatist sects ..... 1S6 Additional societies . i 189 Apostolic Church Missionary Movement . • 189 New Church Society . 190 Christian Council of Nigeria191 Eastern' Nigeria..... 192 Educational missions . 193 Medical missions' ... 196 The development