Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal. The first mission of the Church of England was, though, only established in 1842 in Badagry by Henry Townsend.
The Catholics, through the influence of the Portuguese traders, were the first missionaries to set foot on Nigerian soil. The primary objective of the early Christian missionaries was to convert the ‘heathen’ or the benighted African to Christianity via education.
READ THIS: List Of Nigerian States With More Christians
The second missionary endeavor to Nigeria was marked by the advent of the first English-speaking Christian mission in Badagry in September 1842. The Christian missionary school in Nigeria was without any doubt an adjunct of the Church.
In the days of Portuguese contacts with Nigeria, Catholic priests had established missionary stations in Benin and the neighborhood. But despite the work of Portuguese missionaries based on the island of Sao Tome and later of Spanish missionaries in Benin, it was not until the nineteenth century that the Christian religion was firmly established in Nigeria.
It started first among the Yoruba receptive who had embraced the Christian faith while in Sierra Leone (freed from slave trading ships by the British Royal Naval Squadron), and who returned home between 1839 and 1845. The pastors of the Church Missionary Society, from Badagry and later from Sierra Leone, visited these Christian communities in Abeokuta and other towns.
Among the first missionaries was the Rev. Henry Townsend who went from Sierra Leone to Badagry in 1842 in his company was the Rev Ajayi Crowther. Success followed the efforts of the pioneer missionaries. C.M.S. churches were firmly established in several important towns, such as Abeokuta (1846), Lagos (1851), Ibadan (1853), and Oyo (1856). Next, branches of the C.M.S. church were founded in south-eastern Nigeria, the chief centers being Bonny and Brass.
The effects of work done by Bishop Ajayi Crowther, assisted by the Igbo receptive the Rev. J. C. Taylor, in these parts of southern Nigeria can still be seen today. Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. These included the Baptist missionaries who under the American evangelist, Thomas Bowen, started work from Ogbomosho in 1855. About the same time, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) headed by the Rev. Hope Waddell started pioneering work, in 1846, in Calabar. Hope Waddell was later joined by the Rev. Hugh Goldie and William Anderson.Another missionary whose memory is revered in Nigeria was Mary Slessor, she arrived in the country in 1876, and for many years worked assiduously as a missionary nurse. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served.
The story of the planting of Christianity in Nigeria would be incomplete without a mention of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Father Berghero. Operating from Whydah in what is today the People’s Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey), Father Berghero, in 1860, visited Abeokuta and Lagos where freed Catholic slaves from Brazil welcomed him warmly.
List of honours, awards received by Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian church
The General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) worldwide, Adejare Adeboye, is one of the most celebrated pastors in Nigeria and even in Africa.
The cleric has also been celebrated worldwide, winning countless awards and recognition along the line. In this report, Christian Info brings you list of his awards and recognitions.
List of Nigeria’s top 7 pastors
Nigeria is a religious country. As a result of this, there are many pastors and churches flourishing in the country.
As spiritual leaders, many Nigerians look up to these pastors for spiritual guidance.
In this report, Christian Info brings you list of top 7 pastors in the country. However, this list is not reported in order of superiority.
