Tag: Christianity

Christianity began in 1842 with missionary churches in Nigeria. But independent, indigenous churches have become the cornerstone, bringing fresh innovations and spreading the faith in remarkable, amazing ways, writes Sunday Oguntola 

Henry Townsend must be smiling down on indigenous churches in Nigeria from his grave. When he established the first mission base in Badagry in 1842, Townsend certainly had no idea Christianity was going to take strong roots in the nation. 170 years after, Nigeria now boasts of the highest Christian community in Africa. Townsend’s pioneering efforts have become phenomenal, thanks to the irrepressible impacts of indigenous churches.

If missionaries like Townsend did so much to bring Christianity, indigenous churches have done much more to sustain and deepen the faith. They are redefining the scope and face of Christianity, bringing to bear raw fervour and spiritual aggression. They broke strongholds difficult for missionary churches to penetrate and gave Christianity an African identity. Many locals disenchanted with western values promoted by missionary churches felt welcome by indigenous churches.

The beginning of indigenous churches

It all started in 1918 in Ijebu-Ode when the first Aladura movement was founded. A school teacher, Sophia Odunlami, and a goldsmith, Joseph Sadare, were behind it.  The duo, members of St. Saviour’s Anglican Church, rejected infant baptism and all forms of western and traditional medicine.

They initiated the “Prayer Band” popularly called Egbe Aladura.  Sadare was compelled to give up his post in the Synod and others were forced to resign their jobs and withdraw their children from the Anglican School. The Aladura began as a renewal movement in search of true spirituality.

When the influenza epidemic broke out the same year, the group saved many affected with prayers. This consolidated the formation of the prayer group, which was named Precious Stone and later the “Diamond Society”. By 1920, the Diamond Society had grown tremendously with branches around the Western Region of Nigeria. It emphasised divine healing, holiness and complete dependence on God.

The Oke Ooye, Ilesha revival sparked off Pentecostalism in Nigeria. The late Apostle Ayo Babalola performed several miracles that culminated in the formation of the Christ Apostolic Church.

Meanwhile, many mainline churches such as Anglican Communion, Methodist Church, Baptist Convention and others were witnessing similar internal dissensions. Many Africans were denied Holy Communion and disallowed from church workforce on allegations of being polygamous. Pushed to the wall, many of them pulled out and formed their own churches.

Other indigenous churches sprang up such as the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) founded by the late Prophet Samuel Oschoffa and the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement led by the late Prophet Moses Orimolade. Both spiritual churches, however, witnessed different schisms that led to different factions based on personal and doctrinal crises.

In 1931, a certain Josiah Akindayomi joined the Cherubim and Seraphim Church. By 1947, he started to become concerned that the church was departing from the true word of God in some of its practices. By 1952, he felt totally persuaded to leave the church. He started a house fellowship at Willoughby Street, Ebute-Metta, christened the Glory of God Fellowship.

Initially there were nine members, but before long the fellowship rapidly grew as the news of the miracles that occurred in their midst spread. In a vision, he saw The Redeemed Christian Church of God written on a blackboard. Thus began the RCCG, the world’s largest growing Pentecostal church in 1952.

Somewhere in Benin City, a sickly child was born and christened Benson Idahosa. He was converted to Christianity and began conducting outreaches from village to village. Renowned for his vibrant faith and power ministration, Idahosa rose to become the first Pentecostal Archbishop in Africa.

He broke new grounds, aggressively converting many from animism. The founder of the Church of God Mission International is acknowledged as the father of Pentecostalism in Africa, raising such prominent preachers like Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Bishop Fred Addo, among several others.

Through him, charismatic Pentecostalism became a force to reckon with in Nigeria. Today, there are thousands of independent charismatic churches across the length and breadth of the nation.

Strengths and impacts

According to the President of International Church Growth Ministries, Dr Francis Akin-John, indigenous churches have aggressive evangelical zeal going for them. “They are fearless and fiercely committed to taking the gospel to hitherto unreached parts of the world. That is why you find out Nigerian churches are spearheading missionary efforts everywhere in the world,’’ he explained.

He said this evangelical zeal is why it is so easy for indigenous churches to start branches anywhere in the world, regardless of the most stringent conditions. “They bear this never-say-die Nigerian spirit to mission and that is something really amazing,” he added. The RCCG, at the last count, has over 4,000 branches in different parts of the world.

Indigenous churches also helped break the stronghold of traditional religion across the nation. Several former traditionalists accepted Christ and burnt their charms, a development that repelled spiritual darkness. The fire brand Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) is reputed for deliverance and breakthrough sessions. This has delivered millions from spiritual strongholds and generational curses.

Until their rise to prominence, Christianity remained largely a despised, conservative religion, attracting only the dregs and outcasts of the society. Through the influence of charismatic Pentecostal churches founded in Nigeria, Christianity now has a new face, attracting upwardly mobile executives and business owners like never before.

“The people never wanted to have anything to do with the Lord. They felt they had wealth and comfort and wondered what else can Christ offer them. But Pentecostals have proven that they need much more than that. We have shown how they can bring the faith to bear in business decisions and policies. Market place evangelism and Christianity have become the fad,” Vice Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, South West Region, Bishop Wale Oke, said.

Much as people have issues with crass materialism in the independent churches, the fact is the church owes it current buoyant financial status to them. Gone are the days church rats were sarcastically said to be poor. These days, rats are competing to gain access to churches. They want a taste of the many crumbs in churches.

The founder of Inri Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, Primate Elijah Babatunde, said indigenous churches also contribute to poverty alleviation in no small way. He noted his church has been supporting over 300 indigent students and 200 widows over the years. “That is the least we can do to help the disadvantaged. That is what God called us to do and we are relentlessly passionate about this,” he stated.

Beyond poverty alleviation, many of them have also started business ventures that are empowering members financially. They run churches, printing presses, banks, crèches and several business outfits that are providing employment and sources of livelihood for members. These ventures also provide alternative incomes for members and the churches.

Indeed, Townsend, if it were possible, would be grinning in his grave, giving a well-deserved commendation for how much better indigenous churches have redefined his work that started like a child’s play.