The Evaluation Of Methodist Missionary Activities In Nkanuland (1910-2000)

The Evaluation Of Methodist Missionary Activities In Nkanuland (1910-2000)

Abstract

Since 1843, when Methodist church came to Nigeria from

England, it has spread to numerous areas of this country. It has

created important influence in numerous areas and the church has

contributed immensely in shaping the history of Nkanuland

in a especially way. Understandably it has told

appreciatively on the lives of people. Nkanuland was formerly

replete with evil practices and idolatrous traditions similar as

ritual killings, murder, hero deification, payoff of halves and

botheration of innocent citizens. With the coming of

Christianity, a new history has surfaced. still, that’s not

without the inexhaustible sweats of the missionaries who paid

great prices to insure that the quality of the Nkanu people

was restored. Some of them were exposed to some terrible

unfavourable climate which was characterized with mosquito

bite which redounded in death. In malignancy of all these, they

pressed forward to make an unforgettable mark in the history of

Nkanuland and left lasting patrimonies as they were necessary

in stopping of payoff of halves establishing of seminaries, sanitarium

and over all the philosophy. The data collection for this work

was through participatory compliances, books, journals and

records in numerous churches.

Table Of Contents

Cover Page i

Fly Page ii

Title runner iii

instrument iv

blessing vi

fidelity vii

Acknowledgement viii

Table of content x

Abstract xi

CHAPTER ONE preface

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 2

Purpose of the Study 3

compass of the Study 4

Significance of the study 4

Methodology 5

description of Terms 6

xi

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

Nkanu at Dawn 7

The arrival of missionary enterprise

in Nkanu 10

risks and challenges 11

Strategies for Evangelism 15

CHAPTER THREE NKANULAND IN PERSPECTIVE

The Nkanu people 15

Background to Nkanu, Beliefs and Practices 18

Social Structure 20

Major Institutions 22

CHAPTER FOUR MISSIONARY ENDEAVOURS IN

NKANULAND

The Coming of Methodist Missionaries 24

hassle with Traditional life 25

The Evangelistic Outreach 27

Strengths 28

Problems 30

xii CHAPTER FIVE EVALUATION OF MISSIONARY Conditioning

The Growth and Development

of the Church 32

Outstanding Personalities

of the Church 42

Lasting patrimonies of the Missionaries 44

The future of Christianity

in Nkanuland 47

CHAPTER SIX SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Summary 50

Conclusion 51

Recommendations 51

Suggestion for farther exploration 60

References 61

CHAPTER ONE

preface

1. Background to the Study

From creation humanity has been an extension of God’s points to

reach out to the lost generations and to shape up the spiritual, political

and profitable geography of any nation. A Nation’s actuality can be

meaningful only when God is involved purposefully in the affairs and

plans, associations of mortal life. In malignancy of the fact that Nkanu is a

land endowed with varied and abundant mortal and natural coffers,

it still suffers from profitable, social and experimental quagmire,

invested with the backward inclinations which have stalled its

progress for times.

This has also given rise to overdue suffering. Howbeit with the

coming of Christianity effects began to change through the sweats of

the missionaries. It made the people’s actuality meaningful and

worthwhile.Rev. Brewer, was the first Methodist missionary to arrive

Agbani in Nkanu from Nara in the time 1910. He lived between 1916

and 1925.

According to Chief Nnamani Nwa- Ugboachi( particular

communication13/6/2010), one of the prominent chiefs who served as

a schoolteacher and practitioner to the white- man, Agbani had three leave

chiefs who were necessary to the white man’s positive event. It

was still, the leave principal Nnaji Onakporoko who actually

2

entered the missionary first and helped him to establish the first

academy and church at Akpoeke.

Due to the hospitality of the Agbani people which was made

possible by the also leave chief, the missionaries decided to settle

there with their charge of sermonizing the community area and its

environs. They first established a Methodist church directly contrary

the road line relatively conterminous to the road that presently leads toDr.

Chimaroke Nnamani’s hearthstone from the rail line which was inversely

used for the purpose of education.

Statement of the Problem

The values of the Methodist missionary conditioning in Nkanuland

were devoid of corruption, and nepotism. The philosophy was sermonized

unalloyed. The missionaries rendered selfless services in the

course of discharging their liabilities. They maintained an

unbroken focus as in those days they met from time to time to discus

the common thing. But moment those values are no longer there; rather

egoism has taken over. Nkanu Christians now don’t want to

leave lasting patrimonies. Rather they’re keen on tone- pride and particular

aggrandizement rather than hauling the way of the missionaries.

The experimenter wants to disinter the factors that have

contributed to this breakdown in the values of Nkanu people and why

the standard of Christianity has downgraded and has fallen short of

3

anticipated norms. He attributed this to modernization, effect of

learning Globalization, and take over of academy by the government.

Purpose of the Study

The arrival of the missionaries was a milepost in the history of

Nkanuland in view of the deplorable circumstances in which the

Nkanu people were submerged in.

thus, this study is aimed at exploring the conditioning of the

missionaries who brought the good news to Nkanuland through the

machinery of Methodist Church. It also aims at probing into the

factors that generated their exploits, their risks and what they

encountered as a way of discomfiting the current negative trend of

materialism that’s associated with the propagation of the philosophy.

This study will, still, not be complete without doing justice

to the nature of Nkanuland before the arrival of those missionaries. In

doing this we resort to picture the customs and practices that

characterized their actuality before the arrival of Christianity. It

embraces also the responses of the people toward the missionaries

and their good intentions. It’s also of great interest to know that

alongside with the philosophy there were other packages similar as erecting

of hospitals and seminaries and the invalidation of evil practices similar as

payoff of halves, albinosetc.

Above all, this study also throws a lot of challenges to both the

present and unborn generation not to rest on their scullers but to insure

that the heritage left behind by those hot missionaries are not

throw into the dust- caddy of history.

4

compass of the Study

The study is the evaluation of Methodist missionary conditioning

with particular reference to Nkanuland in Enugu State. This study will

be confined to Nkanu, still it’ll bringing highlight the exploits

of those missionaries and how it told both the people and the

communities.

Significance of the Study

sorely enough there’s a gross negligence of the due

approach and motive to the spread of the philosophy by Christians and

ministers in Nkanuland, taking cognizance of the system employed by

the Methodist missionaries for the successful adventure of philosophy

propagation before on.

This work is thus an attempt a significance of the study to

take a critical look at the extent of the work of the missionaries, their

styles and positive impacts in shaping the fortune of Nkanu people

as a way of establishing a solid foundation and creating a corner for

the preaching of the philosophy for unborn generation.

likewise, this study is both a literal exploration and

empirical exploration. It’s to serve as a base for farther inquiries on

this subject or affiliated bones to this generation and generations yet

future both of Nkanu and the country at large.

5

The significant of this study is that the knowledge of the

religionists in Nkanuland who have went in their shelves for fear of

persecution will be aroused allowed the knowledge of the boldness

the Methodist missionaries displayed.

still, it’ll give accoutrements through which religionists will

be equipped enough to carry out the propagation of the philosophy.

Methodology

The study embraces the history, societies and traditions of

Nkanu People. Primary sources will be precious and authentic in the

write – up.

The methodology, will include oral interviews with some elders

and religious officers to get at the crux of the missionary trials in

the course of industrious work in mm Nkanuland. The experimenter will

also make reference to tools or resource accoutrements from National and

State galleries, or conditioning.

Description of Terms

Evaluation evolving on the values, bring out the origins in a

substance. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary described

evaluation as to mokes or form an idea of the quantum, quality or value of

commodity or notoriety. The effect of the significance of commodity.

6

Methodists They’re a group of Christians who believed in the

tutoring of John Wesley. They began their work in Nigeria in 1842. It

is that part of world Methodism innovated by John Wesley. They began

their work in Nigeria in 1842. It’s an independent church and preaches

Jesus Christ in Spirit and in verity. It also exercises the Lords priestly

and predictive function.

Missionary A person who tries to spread knowledge of his

belief and of his religious practices especially among people who are

ignorance of it. Oxford Advanced learners described is as a person

transferred to educate the Christian religion to people who are ignorant of it.

The sixth edition defined it as a person who’s transferred to a foreign

country to educate people about Christianity.