Some observers have argued that the Europeans used the Christian bible to justify the practice of slavery and the slave trade. West Africa and Christianity. This was because all the ships that came to the coast at that time were owned by trading firms and companies whose interest were basically on trade. New missionary societies (the LMS, the CMS, the Holy Ghost Fathers, the White Fathers, etc.) Other Roman Catholic hospitals were built in all the nine regions of the country; including those at Asikuma and Foso (Central Region), Akyem Swedru (Eastern Region), Berekum (BrongAhafo), Maase (Asante Region) and Anfoega (Volta Region). History books tended to exaggerate in achievements of Europeans, making no reference to Africans own great past. Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. homework help Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. churches were firmly established in several important towns, such as Abeokuta (1846), Lagos (1851), Ibadan (1853), and Oyo (1856). Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. It was not until 1909 that the government opened a teacher training college and a technical school in Accra. The quest for an all-inclusive development model of Ghana and other developing nations, therefore, calls for an insight into the role and responsibilities of religion toward education. Brief History. Among the Christian missionaries that came to the Gold Coast (Ghana) were the following. With the support of the Propagation of the Faith within the Vatican, whose Cardinal Secretary became Pope Gregory XVI, various Roman Catholic missionary societies were founded. More women than men attend church, and the more strict churchgoers tend to be wealthier and of higher social status than less churchgoers or non-Presbyterians. Not only did mission education strengthen colonial rule, but it also weakened traditional societies and implemented poor standards of Western education. Renewed evangelism started when the Basel (later known as Presbyterian) missionaries started work at Osu (Accra). Lewis, Donald M., ed. Operating from Whydah in what is today the Peoples Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey), Father Berghero, in 1860, visited Abeokuta and Lagos where freed Catholic slaves from Brazil welcomed him warmly. In Sierra Leone, among the earliest higher institutions which the C.M.S. In spite of all this, with the advent of the First World War in 1914 in the Kwaku District there were 21 congregations with a total of over 2500 members. Although the aim of the traders was to practice commerce With the arrival of more missions into the country came an explosion in mission schools across southern Ghana. For several years they paid attention to slave trade rather than evangelization and Christianization of the people of West-Africa. In addition, while missionaries did run many academic primary schools, they provided little secondary education, a practice which prevented natives from becoming too educated (Ayandele 1966:286) and potentially subversive. Foremost in the contribution of the early Christian missionaries to the development of Ghana is their efforts to bring Western education to Ghanaians. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century, informal education existed in Ghana with the goal of introducing young people into the society. He worked zealously as an evangelist and schoolmaster in the Castle School until his death in 1816. The resulting atmosphere of disunity enabled the European colonialists to easily achieve their goal of economic exploitation. The Akim area had about 3400 converts over 32 villages and there were about 900 children distributed in 27 Schools. Despite their significant contributions to education, local language development, agriculture and the economy as a whole, the missionaries have been criticized severally. senior high school English The education and skill development of the people is the highest, most potent agent of national development that the Church imparts to its output of students, scholars, and professionals who perform various precious roles in the various sectors of the national economy for national development,' he stated. Again, the Wesleyan missionaries established Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast in 1876. One of the missions most important contributions to the colonial regimes was their role in educating the native Africans. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba, called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. Africa Christian Press, 1996. Series CLS. Some of the positive development outcomes of former British colonies are arguably the result of a permissive attitude towards mission schools. In 1954, he became the first Deaf African American to earn a bachelor's degree from Gallaudet University, the American university for the Deaf, and the first to earn a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University.He earned a second master's degree from Seattle Pacific Christian . The constant tensions between traditionalists and Christian converts often erupted into all-out conflicts. Of the ten largest congregations for men, the Society of the Divine Word is the fastest growing over the past 50 years. One reason why the Christian missionaries came to Ghana and the rest of Africa was to convert the people to the Christian faith. Many Ghanaian communities got divided along religious lines. the role of administrators, chiefs and the missions; first attempts at agricultural and industrial training; girls' education and teacher training before 1850; some chief factors in educational expansion 1850-1900; government official policy in educational expansion 1850-1900; agricultural, industrial and vernacular training 1850-1900 His funeral Mass was Sept. 27, followed by burial at St. Mary Cemetery at Techny. Education (2002), the latest committee to work on education reforms in Ghana, recommended a critical review and approach to making teacher education relevant to the devel-opment of the country. Christian Religious Studies Copyright 2023 ABWE. Besides education, they cared for the sick. I compared data on the historical locations of mission stations since 1924, in 26 sub-Saharan countries with recent education data between 2008 and 2018. As one Eritrean student remarks, Our sisters [the Italian Sisters] would have undoubtedly taught better and more, but the Italian government in the colony did not permit Eritreans to get good instruction (T.T. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. However, by the turn of the Nineteenth Century there was systematic efforts by churches of Christian Europe, namely: Anglicans, Methodists, and Baptists who were active in Sierra Leone and, with Presbyterians, in Nigeria, while Methodists also set up missions in Ghana, Gambia, and Dahomey. The American Episcopal Evangelical (A.M.E.) Zion Church owes its foundation in Ghana to Bishop J. Bryan Small, who started work first at Keta in 1898. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropong on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. These missionaries saw death in the course of their evangelizing work as a means to ascend to heavenly glory. Finally, education affects many other aspects of peoples lives, including economic opportunities and political attitudes. 1931. In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. The practice of inflicting multiple wounds on the bodies of so-called spirit babies now belongs to history. However the superficial motivations and ideologies have changed, at the most basic level both contemporary Northern charities and nineteenth century missionaries share the belief that the North must come and save the suffering natives, which in the case of the missionaries, has been proven to have inflicted more harm than provided relief. Foremost in the contribution of the early Christian missionaries to the development of Ghana is their efforts to bring Western education to Ghanaians. They were at the forefront during the fight for self-rule in Ghana. This comes at no extra cost to you. This conditioning was focused on norms that missionaries deemed incompatible with a Christian way of life. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. In 1981, Father Burke was promoted to headmaster and rector of Pope John XXIII Secondary School and Minor Seminary in Koforidua. These attempts were traumatic for the students and threatened the survival of unique cultures. Among his pioneering achievements, he arranged for three youths to be sent to England for training as evangelists. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. Containing 9,566 pages belonging to 77 documents housed in 6 volumes As outlined in the short history entitled. CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIANITY TO WEST AFRICA. Another negative impact of mission education was that it weakened traditional societies, which in many ways further served the colonial cause. Furthermore, mission schools discouraged traditional ways of life outside of the classroom. Both the academic and vocational forms of education the missions provided served to strengthen the rule of the colonial powers, so that the native inhabitants were second-class citizens in their own land. Notably among these missionaries are the Wesleyan, Basel, and Bremen. Hope Waddell of the Church of Scotland had opened a school at Duke Town, Calabar. A member of the CMS, Henry Venn, boasted that the mission schools of Nigeria would produce an educated African elite that could form an intelligent and influential class of society and become the founders of a Kingdom which shall render incalculable benefits to Africa (Venn cited in Bassey 1991:37). 2 (1983): 116-143. Within ten years of Father Bergheros visit, the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria had become so well established that it ceased to be under administration from Dahomey. Help those suffering in Turkey and Syria. Christian Missionaries. Mission Statement As Ayandele points out (1966:285), the ideal of many of the missions was to make their converts live literally as the unlearned and ignorant apostles of old. This ideal, combined with the fact that many missionaries discovered that Africans with only basic education were best at spreading the Gospel, meant that missionaries were reluctant to provide higher primary or secondary education (Ayandele 1966:286). Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. The system was devoid of any cohesive national policy. Being ignorant of the significance of certain institutions and practices of the people of West Africa, and occasionally being misled by their over-zealous followings into wrongly interpreting the peoples heritage, the missionaries compelled pupils in their schools and docile adult converts to shun their own ancestral practices. The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of privately owned higher education institutions in Nigeria, including those owned by religious bodies and even by their individual members. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Africa and the Winder World 3. The copies of letters received, 1890-1927, mention the plan from 1914 to gain control of future Ashanti Chiefs using education. further studies skills for his or her future role in the society (Hetherington, 1979; Davidoff, 1980; Aboagye, 1997). It is obvious that the main reason why the missionaries came to Ghana was to convert the indigenous people to the Christian faith. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. While they frowned upon bridewealth, female genital cutting, or matrilineality, they held a special grudge against polygamy. Its message was that of love and the universal brotherhood of mankind. Hastings, Adrian. For more than a year, Ghanaian Saints continued to practice their faith in their homes. Ghana sits on West Africas coastline along the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by the Ivory Coast and Togo to the west and east and Burkina Faso to the north. For example, they made our people view polygamy and puberty rites as pagan practices. The country has diverse geography, people groups, and languageswith English as the common language, and more than 11 others with state recognition. Above, we have described the role that trading companies, missionaries, and the government played for the spread of Western education in the coastal areas from the late sixteenth century onwards. Today almost all of the population is Presbyterian, although the ancestral royal cult and many spirit cults still flourish. A new attempt to spread Christianity was made when the Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrived from Britain in 1821. They were followed by other major missionary bodies, including the Methodists and the Roman Catholics. As founder and director at CEGAST, he has successfully coached thousands of students in English, Literature, and related subjects for major international examinations. past questions senior high school crs Apart from giving to the converts a new religious faith which they consider is superior to the traditional religions, the Christian missionaries did pioneering work in introducing new crafts, industries, Western education and modern health services. After World War I was declared in 1914, the German missionaries were restricted in their movements by the British in the British colonies. Initially,. Thus missionaries, by imparting education that promoted dependence on colonial rule, arguably contributed to the political instability that continues in the present day in many former African colonies, such as Kenya and Eritrea. Notable among these were cocoa and coffee. The Christian religion teaches the doctrine of one supreme God and is opposed to the worship of any other forms of deity. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. university courses The Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican missions all made a major contribution to education in Ghana and Africa as a whole. The agricultural schools the missions ran would have been even more advantageous to the colonial governments considering the discouragement of local industries that might have competed with the motherland. Christian missions also took a leading role in the campaign to end the slave trade and to suppress slavery. While colonial administration in colonies such as Kenya attempted to some degree to provide training for Kenyans to fill the high-level positions (Sheffield 1973:86), the attempts in many cases fell short, and when the European administration left, Kenya, for instance, had few sufficiently educated replacements (Sheffield 1973:88). Andrew Jackson Foster (1925-1987) was an American pioneer of deaf education in several countries in Africa. Some progressive Europeans, like the first principal of Achimota College, Rev. Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. Are you ready to discover the points for an essay on the contribution of the Christian mission to the social and economic development of Ghana? opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. African poetry The Methodists founded Mfantsipim (1876) for boys and Wesley Girls High School (1884). The result is that today, many Africans are alienated from their authentic ways of life. Instead of needing to import skilled workers such as carpenters, the mission schools provided colonial governments with workers capable of building and maintaining the colonys infrastructure and basic technology, a contribution that kept the colonies running smoothly. Missionaries travelled through dense evergreen forests, crossed rivers and climbed mountains to bring the Gospel to as many Ghanaians as they could. The missionary and colonial education aimed at character training and civilization resulted in cultural annihilation and religious, and linguistic hegemony. DISCLOSURE. No plagiarism, guaranteed! Hundreds of believers were baptized, branches organized, and a mission established. hb```,,g@( B(Pi xD r[e}v'$ImK *e()dP#jjTNl=VtN(%!30p0040tt0B GGc2m2@M``a$]x2\YkvIaB1b`h6f` (eAKPU d An Alumnus of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, a Journalist, Author and a Philanthropist. Evans Brothers, Ltd. London. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! I will earn a commission if you follow a link to purchase a product. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. Website design and development by Americaneagle.com, Inc, Society of the Divine Word- Western Province, Society of the Divine Word- Southern Province. Some earlier scholarship on mission education has taken this as a positive impact of the missionaries. 517 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<2E41B338ACB2B2110A00B08D5A5CFE7F>]/Index[503 20]/Info 502 0 R/Length 86/Prev 357984/Root 504 0 R/Size 523/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Buchi Emecheta They were closed down in 1852 in favour of schools opened in Lagos which, in 1851, had one time British control. The early success of the missionaries included areas like Freetown and surrounding villages. Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. For three years, he taught English and biblical ethics. Technical and vocational education had been emphasized in the education system in Ghana since the colonial era. Yet, the relationship between European missionaries and African populations had some contradictions. Now, with the burgeoning Cocoa industry, the expansion of commercial activity, the development of gold mines and the building of roads and railways disturbed the traditional lifestyle. Nevertheless, the first higher institution in Ghana, now the Presbyterian Training College at Akuapem Akropon, was established in 1848, first as a centre for training catechists, and later to train teachers as well as ministers of the Presbyterian Church. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. In this respect the Christian religion therefore differed from the traditional religions of West Africa, which along with an acceptance of one Supreme Being worshipped a hierarchy of gods. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. How to Get Involved in Church Missions: The Ultimate Guide, 16 Causes of Crime Essay (with Solutions), Justify the Title of the Novel Second Class Citizen, The Role of Ghana in the Formation of the OAU, Economic Developments in Ghana Before Independence, 11 Causes of the Rise of Nationalism in Africa, Importance of the Odwira Festival in Ghana. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. John G. Christaller (described as the Father of Twi Literature) produced a Twi grammar and dictionary, a collection of Twi proverbs, a Twi translation of the Bible as well as prayers and hymns. Volunteers and donors to organizations such as Compassion Canada believe that they are being humanitarian when they build schools in Africa, volunteer as teachers or help in other ways to improve the quality of education in African nations, yet missionaries and colonial governments were similarly lauded as performing a great work of humanity (Beck 1966:117) and likewise believed that they were helping their African pupils. The training college later became part of Achimota College. But Annor (1989) writes that before Europeans came to colonize Africa, Africans had a way of producing artifacts. . They worked to write the bible, dictionaries and textbooks in such Ghanaian Languages as Ewe, Fanti, Ga and Twi. Specifically, it addresses the unique role of Christian missions in.