By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
• identify the reasons why the Brass people invited the Missionaries
• discuss how Christians were later persecuted by some of the chiefs in Brass
• State the reasons for imposing Christianity on the Ibos.
The Invitation of the Misionaries by Brass people
The Missionaries were invited by the people of Brass to plant Christianity in their land between 1884 and 1887.
The chiefs accepted Christianity as their main religion of their society.
However, in 1871, there was an out break of smallpox that affected their children. Some people in the land accused Christians that they were the ones that caused it. The Brass chiefs imposed a fine of seventy thousand pounds on all the adherents of Christianity in the land. After the payment of the fine the slaves in Brass gained total freedom from the chiefs in Brass. The slaves put their faith into practice by behaving very well in the land of Brass.
In 1874, King Ockiya testified that Christians in the land were law-abiding citizens.[Ayandele, 1991, pp.84-85].
In 1879, political and social affairs changed in Brass as Christianity
influenced their lives positively.
Furthermore, it was reported by Ayandele that King Ockiya and the other chiefs of Brass land surrendered their idols and they became Christians in 1876. In the same year, many people in Twon and Nembe
the capital of Brass were converted by the Church Missionary Society into Christianity. Samuel Ajayi Crowther was in change of the area as a Missionary. The King and the chiefs of the area respected him for educating them and their Children.
The Presbyterian Misionaries in Ibo Land
The Presbyterian Missionaries imposed Christianity on the Ibo around
1898.The imposition of Christianity on the Ibo was champion by Aro Chukwu people during an expedition around 1898. Between 1901-1902, Sir Ralph Moor and the Presbyterian Missionaries agree to force the people to accept Christianity. They did it by destroying the juju that was
the citadel of the traditional religion of the Ibo. Dr Rattray, a medical missionary accompanied the warriors or troops to launch an attack on the people. When the troops defeated the Ibo, Dr T.B. Adams started preaching the Gospel to them. After some weeks, James Johnson and
Mary Slessor preached the Good News to the Ibo. In 1888, the Niger Company forced the Chiefs of Asaba to set free slaves that were in their possessions. They were also directed to hand over the freed slaves to the S.M.A. Missionaries who started the spread of the Gospel in the Lower
Niger area since 1884. In 1893, Egbosha became the regent in Issele�Uku.
The regent invited the S.M.A. to establish a Mission Station in the land. Chiefs of the land were evangelized and they became Christians. Among them were Eyo Honesty ii of Creek Town. Both the king and their chiefs set their slaves free. The slaves became Christians. Egbosha also
abandoned the traditional rites. Instead, he prayed to the Living God to overcome problems of the land. Moreover, the Scottish Missionaries also spread the Gospel to Itu and in the South-East area. And the Niger Delta Pastorate continued the spread of the Gospel in the Delta area. The Qua Ibo Mission Congregationalist organization at Belfast established their Mission station Headquarters at Etinam. The Methodists established their Headquarters at Uzuakoli. The Church Missionary Society established their Headquarters at Onitsha. The Roman Catholic Mission also established their Headquarters in Onitsha. The Roman
Catholic Mission spread the Gospel to Awka and Owerri. While the Church Missionary Society and the S.M.A. spread the Gospel towards Benin and the Kukuruku area.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Name three Mission stations in the Ibo land and state the benefits that the people in the area derived from Christianity.
4.0 CONCLUSION
From the beginning of this unit, you have studied the various methods that were used by the Missionaries to spread the Gospel among the people in their various locations in Nigeria. You have also studied in this unit how the invited warriors defeated the people of Ibo. In the unit,
you have learnt how people like Adams, Rattray and Mary Slessor accompanied the Missionaries into the land of the Ibos in Nigeria.
Besides, you have learnt how some Missionaries planted their faiths in
Ibo land between 1888 to 1893. It is believed that you have also learnt
that some Missionaries used Ibo land as their headquarters for the spread of the Gospel to other parts of Nigeria. For instance, Onitsha was used as the headquarters by the Catholic Mission to spread their faith to Awka and Warri areas in Nigeria. While the Church Missionary Society and S.M. A.also used Onitsha for their Mission headquarters to spread
the Gospel to Benin and the Kukuruku area.
5.0 SUMMARY
From the beginning of this unit, you have studied the various methods that were used by the Missionaries to spread the Gospel among the
people in their various locations in Nigeria. You have also studied in this unit how the invited warriors defeated the people of Ibo. In the unit, you have learnt how people like Adams, Rattray and Mary Slessor
accompanied the Missionaries into the land of the Ibos in Nigeria.
Besides, you have learnt how some Missionaries planted their faiths in
Ibo land between 1888 to 1893.
It is believed that you have also learnt that some Missionaries used Ibo land as their headquarters for the spread of the Gospel to other parts of Nigeria. For instance, Onitsha was used as the headquarters by the Catholic Mission to spread their faith to Awka and Warri areas in Nigeria. While the Church Missionary Society and S.M.A. also used Onitsha for their Mission headquarters to spread the Gospel to Benin and the Kukuruku area.
TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Discuss some lay people who were involved in the spread of the Good News in Ibo land.
2. Account for the spread of Christianity to Warri.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS
Ade Ajayi, J. F. (1977). Christian Missions in Nigeria, 1841-1891: The Making of a New Elite, London: Longman.
Ayandele, E. A. (1966).The Missionary Impact on Modern Nigeria, 1842-1914, London: Longman.
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