Already have a license? In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. Please click this link to download the chapter. Predominantly Muslim territory, the North received western education later than the South. One is led to ask, why this sudden development? This research was funded by the European Research Council. Senior High School Literature Father Burke became director of the Divine Word Language and Cultural Centre in Ghana. Please read our privacy policy to find out more. ASSESS THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN MISSION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GHANA. The Basel missionaries, in particular, established experimental farms and plantations in places like Akropong. Prior to the advent of western education, Ghana's traditional social structures had inbuilt opportunities for mobility. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. The History of Christianity in West Africa. Many missionaries died because of the climate and tropical disease. Public money was spent only on the small number of government schools, totaling nineteen when Governor Guggisberg assumed office in 1919. senior high school history They did a lot to impact the social and economic lives of Africans. Furthermore, each denomination had differing policies on education, so standards in education fluctuated across each colony, depending on what denomination had schools in each area. Although the aim of the traders was to practice commerce Thus, as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. Longman Nigeria Plc., 1994, Boahen, A.A. et al Tropics in West Africa History. These Christian converts considered themselves to be holier than their traditional rulers and elders. In the days of Portuguese contacts with Nigeria, Catholic priests had established missionary stations in Benin and the neighbourhood. In 1845 the C.M.S. Technical and vocational education had been emphasized in the education system in Ghana since the colonial era. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. Later that year, in recognition of his service to the Ghanaian people, President John Dramani Mahama bestowed the honor of Officer of the Order of Volta upon him. The copies of letters received, 1890-1927, mention the plan from 1914 to gain control of future Ashanti Chiefs using education. The First Missionaries were sent as a result of a request by Major de Richelieu, Governor of Christiansborg. Through academic lessons and lessons on Western etiquette and hygiene, mission students were isolated from their traditional cultures, a traumatic experience that would continue to trouble many students for the rest of their lives. Important among these, all in Lagos, were the Baptist Academy in 1855, the C.M.S. The European Christian missions preached the Gospel, built churches, and seminaries translated the Bible to Ghanaian Languages such as Ewe, Ga, and Twi. In addition to promoting a monogamous lifestyle in their schools, missionaries often insisted on divorces before polygamists or their children could even enrol. English grammar Lewis, Donald M., ed. essay writing Upon completing his degree, Father Burke received his first assignment abroad: Ghana, the first Black sub-Saharan country in Africa to gain independence from a colonial power. 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. I wanted to buy a smartphone for him, but when he got to know the price of the cell phone, he humbly declined. Christianity reborn: the global expansion of evangelicalism in the twentieth century. Before 1925, there were only three secondary schools and three teacher training colleges in Ghana. The first missionaries to come to Ghana were the Roman Catholic missionaries in the 15th century and the Anglican missionaries. I have used my expertise to design and implement strategies for major projects including new programme development, global proposals, book launches, international talks, lectures, and executive . 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. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? History Hope Waddell started pioneering work, in 1846, in Calabar. Again, the missionaries persuaded Africans to abandon the practice of tribal marks. It was only after the Second World War that the colonial governments started to show a real interest in the promotion of formal education in West Africa. First, alignment can help you communicate your . Among the first missionaries was the Rev. The early Christian missions concentrated their activities not only on religious matters. For example, the missionaries preached against certain aspects of African culture they considered barbaric or satanic or both. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. This special relationship continued until 1960 when Fourah Bay became a college of the newly reconstituted University of Sierra Leone; the other constituent college located at Njala developed from a training college founded in 1920. Among other things the regulations required that all teachers should be registered, and a minimum salary was fixed. Isichei, Elizabeth. In the field of education, however, the missionaries had to adjust their programmes to fit in with the policy of assimilation. Indeed, most of our early nationalists were all products of mission schools. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the Moravian Mission, the Mission of Bremen, the Methodists, and Roman Catholic missionaries all established themselves on the Gold Coast (Ghana) between 1820 and 1881, opening elementary schools for boys and girls . All work is written to order. They discovered that the holy book did not clearly prescribe monogamy, and contained several examples of renowned Christian polygamists. senior high school English Soon after the Methodist experiment, the church Missionary Society set up their own school at Badagry. Theres still so much to be learned from the history of education in Africa and its long-term consequences. James Fieldhouse, produced a Wolof Grammar in 1876. His funeral Mass was Sept. 27, followed by burial at St. Mary Cemetery at Techny. The greatest problem faced by the early European Christian missionaries was, the tropical climate and health Hazards. In an ironic twist, the more Africans became versed in the Bible, the more they began to challenge missionaries. The missionaries condemned African religion, music, art, festivals and customary practices. West Africa and Christianity. In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. After a time the idea becomes ingrained -it is heathen and unchristian to be an African culturally (Awori cited in Berman 1974:536). The study traces the his tory of colonial education and the tremendous contributions of missionaries in the establishment of formal education in the region. 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. Therefore, considering that the impact of mission education continues to have serious repercussions today, one must question whether the First World should continue to interfere in African education. Also, Christian missionaries in Ghana were as zealous as their counterparts in Nigeria in pioneering medical services. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. The system was devoid of any cohesive national policy. 2023 Society of the Divine Word. This made it difficult for the early missionaries to stay in the country for long. Wed love to get to know you and discuss how God is calling you. The problems created by the white missionaries themselves arose largely from a misconception of what Africa represented. The early success of the missionaries included areas like Freetown and surrounding villages. In Sierra Leone, the Church Missionary Society (CMS), offshoot of the Anglican Church, was the first to become firmly established chiefly among the freed captive and freed slave settlers from Britain, Nova Scotia and other parts of the New World. In such asituation, provisions and other things had to be sent into the country not in large quantities as would have been desired by the missionaries. She succeeded in stopping the killing of twins in the areas where she served. At the end of the eighteenth century, the Evangelical Revival began to bring to Africa an influx of missionaries whose laoburs would produce the first fruits of an enduring Christian presence in Sub-Sahara Africa. Christian Religious Studies For instance the scholar E.A. The pastors of the Church Missionary Society, from Badagry and later from Sierra Leone, visited these Christian communities in Abeokuta and other towns. They therefore set about to achieve this through introduction of formal education among the Batswana people. Their records from World War One show their distance from the war and yet that it did affect their decisions. These missionary societies laid the foundations of the Roman Catholic Church in West Africa, which lasted through to the independence period when African clergy replaced the white pastors. I found that while educational outcomes are generally better in places that were exposed to Christian missions in the colonial era, traditionally polygamous societies benefited less. 0 The vast majority of the people of The Gambia are Moslems; but a sizeable percentage of the population, especially in and around the capital Banjul, are Christians. ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. As happened in other West African countries, many more mission-sponsored hospitals were founded in the course of the twentieth century. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! 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. They also prescribed many taboos which, in the light of modern medical science, had no relation whatever with the illness being treated. The Basel and Methodist Missions, for example, introduced scientific agriculture in Ghana. The Journal of Negro Education, 2019 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. Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. Although it can be said that Christian missionaries benefitted Africans by bringing in the more advanced Western education to the European colonies in Africa, it is believed that the mission schools in fact had a negative impact on the native peoples. This comes at no extra cost to you. 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. In 1925 the Governor introduced measures which helped the efforts of the missionaries. Several missionaries died at a youthful age due to the unfriendly tropical climate. Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. 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? The original Yaba College in Lagos has grown into a polytechnic. personal development The contents of this tutorial will serve as a guide for a suitable essay on the below WAEC/WASSCE History past question. Establishment of Christian Churches In Ghana. In fact in 1966, Father Burke led students to a victory in a national educational contest called the Ghana TV Cup. Hundreds of believers were baptized, branches organized, and a mission established. As happened in Ghana, the development of training colleges in Nigeria was slower than secondary schools, though the C. M. S. had opened the first training college at Abeokuta as far back as 1849. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Daystar Press, 1978. Notably among these missionaries are the Wesleyan, Basel, and Bremen. After earlier unsuccessful attempts by the missionaries Chretien Proten, Henrick Huckuff and Jacobus Capitein, the Anglican, Rev. African prose Box 6000, Techny, IL 60082-6000. Their converts, for many years, were confined to the people of southern Nigerian extraction resident in the north, and to the-large non-Muslim population of the north. Similar developments were carried out by the missionaries in other Nigerian languages, Efik, Kanuri, Igbo, etc. Soon after secondary schools were opened in other parts of southern Nigeria, including Bonny High School, which was taken over by government in 1904. In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. The Presbyterians, also, opened hospitals in several parts of the country, including the one at Agogo in Asante-Akyem. 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. They also introduced vocational education in the country. But Annor (1989) writes that before Europeans came to colonize Africa, Africans had a way of producing artifacts. In the Gambia, the Methodist missionary and first principal of what later became known as the Gambia High School, the Rev. Some of the positive development outcomes of former British colonies are arguably the result of a permissive attitude towards mission schools. This single problem made the missionary work very difficult. In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. Christianity in West Africa: The Nigerian Story. After more than 20 years at Pope John XXIII School, he returned to the United States and served as parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd in Trenton, N.J., where he lived with Father Tetteh. Being ignorant of ones history causes one to lose part of ones identity and pride in that identity, and one is therefore more vulnerable to attacks denouncing ones culture as inferior, especially if at the same time one is being taught the noble history of another culture. He moved to Techny in 2016. For example, they made our people view polygamy and puberty rites as pagan practices. 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). He professed vows in 1953 in Conesus, N.Y., and was ordained to the priesthood in 1961 at Techny, Ill. We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. The missionaries also greatly improved the health services. This was around the same time that the first Portuguese sailors arrived on the coast of Ghana. Father Vincent Burke SVD, 83, recipient of Ghanas Officer of the Order of Volta Award, passed away at Techny, Ill., on Sept. 21. We shall now turn our attention to the activities of the Christian missionaries in Ghana. They worked tirelessly to lay a foundation for formal education The European missionaries established elementary and second-cycle institutions in the country. Human Zoos: Untold History of Suppression, The Legend of King Ulu (Ancient Thai Folklore), The Kingdom of Saud of The Arabs (Saudi Arabia), The Wesley Brothers of Oxford University (1700s), Razia Sultan of Medieval India (786 Years Ago), The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (The Revelation), Education in Africa: The Impact of Colonialism, Why The Legendary Geneva Bible was Banned. Andreas Riis, assisted by a team of West Indian evangelists, laid the foundations of the Basel Missionary Church in the country. In due course leprosariums and orphanages were built to supplement their medical services. The story of the planting of Christianity in Nigeria would be incomplete without a mention of the Italian Roman Catholic priest, Father Berghero. While the Evangelical Presbyterian missionaries were the First to develop literature in Ewe, the Roman Catholics were responsible for Nzima literature. Furthermore, they were skilled farmers that could grow cash crops to be consumed back in the mother country, such as cocoa from Ghana (Foster 1965: 153). The consequences of norm conflicts are likely to manifest beyond educational pursuit. Christian missionaries were the first to introduce European-style education in sub-Saharan Africa. 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. 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. To their minds, Africans were too backward and needed help to become more civilized. quiz In short, the impact of teaching in the vernacular was more negative than positive, as it reinforced colonial rule and no doubt did very little to preserve native cultural identities, seeing as missionaries promoted European languages as superior and only used the vernacular because conversion and religious instruction were such high priorities. Foremost in the contribution of the early Christian missionaries to the development of Ghana is their efforts to bring Western education to Ghanaians. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Bristol Archives/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. African Drama Yet, the relationship between European missionaries and African populations had some contradictions. The missionaries opened schools further inland, and by 1880, the Wesleyan Mission had eighty -three schools. Bamgboye & Company Press, 1976. As churches of the Volta Region begin reproducing, ABWE wants to reach out to Ghanas unreached people groups in its eight other regions. Church history, history of Christianity, religious history: some reflections on British missionary enterprise since the late eighteenth century. Church History 71, no. 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. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES. Other missionaries opened mission stations in the country. The Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican missions all made a major contribution to education in Ghana and Africa as a whole. DISCLOSURE. They need YOU. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. As Sir Henry Johnston, a key figure in the Scramble for Africa says, they [the mission stations] strengthen our hold over the country, they spread the use of the English language, they induct natives into the best kind of civilization, and in fact, each mission station is an essay in colonization (Johnston cited in Sheffield 1973:10).