Tomorrow, 27th July Anglican faithful across the Igboland, will celebrate the 165 years of coming of Christianity to Igboland. Popularly known as CMS anniversary 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 former slave boy 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, 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-five years 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.

 

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-five years ago, gave birth to the church and for its sustenance, Christians should strive to revive the spirit of this great African Missionary.

 

To mark the event, a special Eucharistic service, to be presided over by the Archbishop Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger, and Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Alexander Ibezim will take place tomorrow Wednesday at the Cathedral Church of Saint Faith, Awka beginning at 10 am.

 

This year’s CMS Anniversary is unique because it is only few days to the one week of celebrations to mark the 60th birthday anniversary of Most Reverend Ibezim, his twelve years as a Bishop, three years as Archbishop, twenty-eight years of marriage and thirty-eight years of working in the Lord’s vine yard.

 

So as we sing the CMS Anniversary song, and eulogize those that brought Christianity to Igbo land let us also congratulate Archbishop Alexander Ibezim, on his three years of service on the throne as the fourth Archbishop of the Province of the Niger.

 

Happy CMS Anniversary Umunnem.!

To God be the glory.

Written by   SAMUEL OKONKWO

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