In 1910, a prominent report of the World Missionary Conference concluded: [T]here can be no question of polygamy. The reservation of high-level positions in the colonial administrations for Europeans and the corresponding mission education that provided education fit only for lower positions meant that the withdrawal of European rule could cause serious political instability in the newly independent colonies. The latter, non-academic form of education provided by the missions has stimulated much interest among scholars, who are particularly interested in the failure of many of these schools and the hypocritical government support for the schools, seeing as the import of cheap goods from the mother countries caused many vocational school graduates, such as seamstresses, to be unemployed (Ayandele 1966:296; Foster 1965:134). Technical and vocational education had been emphasized in the education system in Ghana since the colonial era. However, attending mission schools also meant exposure to colonial indoctrination. mock tests In 1950 Albert Academy was founded in Freetown; for-a long lime it was the secondary school in the Colony serving largely children from the provinces, among them were the future heads of state, Sir Milton Margai and Dr. Siaka Stevens. Given the fluctuating standards between schools and regions and the lack of qualified teachers in the mission schools which had monopolies in well into the mid-twentieth century, it should come as little surprise that the quality of education continues to be a concern in many former colonies. Missionary, educator contributed to building independent Ghana In such situations, the message sometimes appealed to the local people depending on the efficiency of the interpreter. As we help existing churches become healthy through theological education, discipleship, pastoral training, and leadership development, we desire to see church-planting efforts within the local church soon follow. Even when governments discouraged domestic industries, graduates of vocational schools contributed to the economy of the colonies -and therefore indirectly the mother countrys as well. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions Rather, it denationalized and facilitated the indignity and loss of cultural identity of the Ghanaian. Ekechi, Felix K. Colonialism and Christianity in West Africa: The Igbo Case, 19001915. The Journal of African History 12, no. Baker Pub Group, 1996. 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). The system was devoid of any cohesive national policy. For that matter, they rebelled against their chiefs and elders. Ghana continued to call. In my study, I explored how colonial era conflicts and disagreements over marriage norms lastingly affected educational development. Thomas Birch Freeman, son of a London-based West Indian father and an English mother. Series CLR. Today, local communities and ethnic groups that were more exposed to mission schools, still achieve higher levels of education, when compared to communities where there were no schools. ]v#5%{,%Y{iKsZ|Cm7NismGmg_zxKYh?>bQ?ni8G.wx:qAm$ eb!^Kr$,.9Qq^|1. senior high school economics The Akim area had about 3400 converts over 32 villages and there were about 900 children distributed in 27 Schools. Therefore, whether through their rigid educational polices or lack thereof, colonial governments contributed to the poor education, though there is no denying that missionaries also contributed to the quality of education to a great extent. Teaching in the vernacular had an additional use as it further strengthened colonial rule, of which missionaries were often agents, for as the Kikuyu people of Kenya were aware, [the] inability to communicate in English would be a crucial factor in the perpetuation of their subordinate status in the colony (Berman 1974:531). Efforts to change these norms were often aimed at women. Amidst much honest missionary activity in the country for two centuries, prosperity gospel teachers have also gained influence, and numerous indigenous cults have arisen with distinct appeal and just enough truth to create confusion and syncretism. He knew me as a boy [in Ghana] who washed his car and went with him when he said Mass at mission stations, yet [as an adult] he treated me as an equal, Father Tetteh said. A history of Christianity in Africa: From antiquity to the present. Instruction in the Colonial School and the Wesleyan Mission schools at Cape Coast Castle was in English despite the fact that Fanti was the language of the native people. Despite the skills and opportunities mission schooling afforded, many Africans were not willing to pay the price. Isichei, Elizabeth. self help African prose Groundless fears that the converts would become contaminated with paganism led some of the Christian missionaries, notably the Presbyterians, to separate the Christians from the rest of the township. In the British colonies, as elsewhere, religious missions were instrumental in introducing European-style education. 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. homework help Buchi Emecheta Ghana in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1886-1951 Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. The CMS began to work in the freed slave villages in Sierra Leone in 1804 and the Methodist in 1811. West Africa owes to the Christian missionaries not only a new religious faith which has changed the beliefs and life of millions of people, but also the foundation of western education. The education provided in schools in early days also tended to place great emphasis on the superiority of western culture. Email: henrydonsco@gmail.com In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. 11 Missionary College Scholarships You Can Apply For Their luggage and other necessities had to be carried on heads and took a long time before reaching the missionaries. In 2006, Father Burke was appointed lecturer at the newly founded Catholic University College of Ghana in Sunyani. senior high school crs Schools were deemed important. Soon after the start of elementary schools, the missionaries started opening higher institutions also. Thank you for supporting this project. Another difficulty that the early missionaries faced in the spread of Christianity was insufficient Christian literature at that time. Europe in those days looked upon Africa as the Dark Continent with very primitive civilizations, and most Europeans refused to adapt their religion to suit the local situation. Debrunner, Hans Werner. He introduced the Methodist Church in Asante in 1839, and won the support of the Asante king. It offered the most direct path towards prestigious jobs in colonial administrations and European enterprises. Vol. In many instances, they made their converts rebel against traditional rulers and other spiritual leaders. The Church had its strongest hold in the Senegambia area. They were to spread the message of the Gospel, render social services to the people and to assist in the suppression of slavery and the slave trade. The kingdom of God in Africa: A short history of African Christianity. The home page of Compassion Canada is that of a stereotypical Northern charity: showing pictures of suffering children alternating with those of post-intervention, happy children. One reason why the Christian missionaries came to Ghana and the rest of Africa was to convert the people to the Christian faith. When he arrived in Nkwatia-Kwahu to teach English at St. Peters Secondary School, the town had yet to benefit from electricity and running water. Their activities had both positive and negative effects on Ghanaian society. For example, they preached against human sacrifice. Christianity reborn: the global expansion of evangelicalism in the twentieth century. Some of the missionaries came with them (549 years ago) but many died from the cruel tropical weather of forested West Africa. Government & Politics In 1880, two Roman Catholic priests of the Society of African Missions (S.M.A. Although most people are Presbyterians, they can also go to spirit and other cults, mostly Christian and Pentecostal movements, to find cures for disease and lack of success in this world. Christian missions also took a leading role in the campaign to end the slave trade and to suppress slavery. In line with this, formal education in Ghana was started by the western traders and the missionaries by the 15th century through the 18th century respectively. The expansion of the missionary movement into Africa was part of the growing conception of Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. The first Europeans arrived at the West-African Coasts at the end of the fifteenth century. Young Vincent began his studies with the Society of the Divine Word at Divine Word Seminary at Miramar in Massachusetts in 1947. 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. It is important to emphasize that the modern history of the Christian Mission in Africa started from the late Eighteenth Century, the Catholics had been there earlier in the first centuries of the Christian era especially during the first Portuguese adventures. The Christian missionaries have been credited with the discontinuation of some obnoxious traditional practices among Ghanaians. independent learning However, with time, they brought some crops, which they cultivated and which sustained them. missionaries was the development of literature in Yoruba. The coming of the Christian missionaries to Ghana had a positive impact on agriculture. Literature Another important German missionary was Wilhelm Johannson, better known by the English version of his name, William Johnson, who is revered in the history of the CMS in West Africa. One of their scholarships is a drawing for $2,500. 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. These Christian converts considered themselves to be holier than their traditional rulers and elders. During this period, difficulties encountered were different from the initial difficulties which will more related to sickness, deaths and the suspicion of indigenous people in accepting the Gospel. Moreover, the Islamic religion was also being introduced to the southern section of the country by Muslim immigrants from the north of the colony. The South African War is not covered in this grouping of letters. Mission Statement This study simply offers systematic, long-term evidence of it. Babalola, E. O. Christianity in West Africa. Christian converts were indoctrinated to frown upon the use of indigenous first names in favour of Christian ones. Reiterating what teacher education must encapsulate, Adegoke (2003) and Benneh (2006) indi-cated that the mission of Ghana's teacher education is to pro- The common response among traditionally polygamous people is well illustrated by a passage in Jomo Kenyattas famous book on the Gikuyu in colonial Kenya: This [the insistence on monogamy] caused a great confusion, for the African could not understand how he could drive away his wives and children, especially in a community where motherhood is looked upon as a religious duty; the children are regarded as part and parcel, not only of the father, but of the whole clan (mbari), and without them the mbari is lost. During the first half of the 19th century they targeted healthier places, with relatively lower malaria-risk, where European missionaries could survive and train local African missionaries and teachers (Jedwab et al. PDF Formal Education in Gold Coast-Ghana: An Overview of Colonial Policies For three years, he taught English and biblical ethics. This was a bitter pill for the Basel Mission to swallow after 19 years of devoted service in the mission field in the Gold Coast but they were not dismayed when they considered that in education and agriculture and artisan training and in the development of commerce, and medical services and concern for social welfare of the people, the name Basel by the time of expulsion of the mission from the country, had become a treasured word in the minds of the people. 2: Trans-Saharan Trade. Their economic activities went beyond the development of agriculture. 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. Establishment of Christian Churches In The Gambia. 0 Besides education, they cared for the sick. THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES AND VERNACULAR LITERATURE; Another valuable contribution of the Christian missionaries in West Africa was the development of literature in the local vernaculars, this included the translation of the Bible into some of the important local languages. No plagiarism, guaranteed! The Society of the Divine Word is the world's largest Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers who focus on missionary work. In 1876 the college became associated with Durham University in England, which awarded degrees to students of the college. senior high school English Of the ten largest congregations for men, the Society of the Divine Word is the fastest growing over the past 50 years. Required fields are marked *. Website design and development by Americaneagle.com, Inc, Society of the Divine Word- Western Province, Society of the Divine Word- Southern Province. In the case of Ghana, like other nations, the impact . There were no Bibles in local languages, likewise grammar books were scant, so the missionaries had to spend time learning local languages, and translated the Bible and wrote series of grammar books. These contradictions are surprisingly absent from contemporary research. In the same year as the Basel missionaries settled in Akuapem 1835 the Wesleyan (later Methodist) Church was established at Cape Coast by the Rev. 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. The Scottish Missionary Society had been working in Calabar, Nigeria, also a British colony adjacent to the Gold Coast and it was from the Calabar Presbyterian Church in Nigeria that a missionary was sent to take charge of the Presbyterian work in the Gold Coast after the deportations. To apply, students simply fill out a quick form. The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. Indeed, once the souls had been saved and since the students must have been considered clever enough, European languages were almost universally the languages of instruction in the later primary years and in secondary schools (Beck 1966: 120; Foster 1965: 159; Miran 2002:127). Brief History. Private Study This was around the same time that the first Portuguese sailors arrived on the coast of Ghana. Was this information useful? Christian Religious Studies Within ten years the C.M.S had opened twelve more schools in what is today Cross Rivers State. After World War I was declared in 1914, the German missionaries were restricted in their movements by the British in the British colonies. Development of Education in Sierra Leone. Missionaries continued to be the main providers of education even after colonial powers established control during the so-called Scramble for Africa which occurred between 1884-1914. grammatical name The high temperatures coupled with high rainfall patterns in some parts of the country experienced during the daytime, made the missionaries stay indoors, which slowed down their activities. In addition to studying the impact of these struggles on education, we also need to understand how they influenced gender inequality. We must not lose sight of the fact that the colonial government in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa relied on the activities of the missionaries to help them achieve the objectives of colonial rule. In fact in 1966, Father Burke led students to a victory in a national educational contest called the Ghana TV Cup. Hugh Goldie and William Anderson. Among several others, the native Bishop Ajayi Crowther produced the first translation of the Bible in Yoruba. Christian missionaries were the first to introduce European-style education in sub-Saharan Africa. 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. For the West Africans, the acceptance of Christianity meant the total rejection of most of the cherished institutions upon which their society rested. About the same time, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) headed by the Rev. The problems created by the white missionaries themselves arose largely from a misconception of what Africa represented. In 1981, Father Burke was promoted to headmaster and rector of Pope John XXIII Secondary School and Minor Seminary in Koforidua. Teacher Education in Ghana - SAGE Journals It also talks about all the mission societies from all denominations engaged in educational works. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. Besides, the missionaries had to travel longer distances to inland towns from their southern stations. 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. They provided missionaries a way to spread Eurocentric norms and attract new converts. I also matched up locations that differed in proximity to the mission stations, but otherwise had similar preconditions for educational development. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in the name of Father Burke can be made for the care of elderly and infirm missionaries and sent to The Rector, Divine Word Residence, 1901 Waukegan Road, P.O. 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. English for life Find below a list of mission schools that still exist in Ghana today. To their minds, Africans were too backward and needed help to become more civilized. For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. For instance, the Basel Mission established Basel Mission Trading Company (UTC) in 1859. hb```,,g@( B(Pi xD r[e}v'$ImK *e()dP#jjTNl=VtN(%!30p0040tt0B GGc2m2@M``a$]x2\YkvIaB1b`h6f` (eAKPU d Thomas Thompson, arrived in Cape Coast in 1752. From 1870 to 1914 the Basel Mission succeeded in extending its work from the Akwapim Ridge to Kwahu, Akim and Asante and across the Volta as far as Yendi the north in 1913. The European Christian missions preached the Gospel, built churches, and seminaries translated the Bible to Ghanaian Languages such as Ewe, Ga, and Twi. The missionaries believed that in order to stabilize the faith of converts and to assist in character development, it was necessary that they should be able to read the scriptures or other books of religious instruction, translated by the missions. Roman Catholic and Anglican missionaries came to the Gold Coast from the 15th century. 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. The constant tensions between traditionalists and Christian converts often erupted into all-out conflicts. In Ghana, for instance, they persuaded their converts to reject polygamy and human sacrifice. Several missionaries died at a youthful age due to the unfriendly tropical climate. History 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. For example, they made our people view polygamy and puberty rites as pagan practices. primarily purposed to outline the contributions of religion and education to national development in Ghana. Senior High School Literature S.J. government questions 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. While missionaries could sometimes clash with colonial governments, for the most part missions were important tools for colonial governments. The Committee for Women's Work was responsible for the education of native girls. In an ironic twist, the more Africans became versed in the Bible, the more they began to challenge missionaries. After a time the idea becomes ingrained -it is heathen and unchristian to be an African culturally (Awori cited in Berman 1974:536). As happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the gospel alone. African poetry ), Father Auguste Moreau and Father Eugene Murat, arrived at Elmina and revived the Roman Catholic Church in Ghana. This Western education imparted to the Ameru by the Church of Scotland Missionaries, Consolata . This post may contain affiliate links. Kuhne , his fellow captive and co-author joined him at the mission as a trader in cotton, an activity which was part of, and a means of, financing the mission. 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. For instance, in Ghana, it was in 1858 that Rev. A history of Christianity in Ghana. Mr. Henry Kwadwo Amoako is a Ghanaian Social Scientist, Researcher and Acclaimed Historian for over two decades. They include Sierra Leone 1900-1933; Ghana 1903; Cape Verde 1904-1910; and St Vincent 1907-1912. Up to Guggisbergs time, the church schools did not receive grants from the government. One Liberian student recalls that we were taught to dress properly, to eat properly, to speak properly. university courses The European missionaries engaged in trading and other commercial activities as well. 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. 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. The colonial Eritrean government ensured that native Eritreans received poor education by permitting them to only attend school up to the fourth grade (Miran 2002:127). If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! The European missionaries believed that European culture was superior to African culture. The Basel and Methodist Missions, for example, introduced scientific agriculture in Ghana. *You can also browse our support articles here >. wassce literature questions. They include Sierra Leone 1900-1933; Ghana 1903; Cape Verde 1904-1910; and St Vincent 1907-1912. The others included the Christian responsibility for the regeneration of African peoples. These trends occasionally brought kings into conflict with the missionaries and their converts. Their educational activities helped spread literacy and vocational skills training among Ghanaians. The academic education purposely did not train Africans for the higher level positions of colonial administrations, which were mostly reserved for Europeans (Ayandele 1966:295; Sheffield 1973:42), a practise which created dependency on the colonizers, as without them the colony did not have qualified administrators. The struggle over polygamy is well-known to historians and anthropologists. past questions Many Ghanaian communities got divided along religious lines. Again, the missionaries persuaded Africans to abandon the practice of tribal marks. Public money was spent only on the small number of government schools, totaling nineteen when Governor Guggisberg assumed office in 1919. Contribution of the Methodist Church to education in Ghana All rights reserved. He had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. While the Evangelical Presbyterian missionaries were the First to develop literature in Ewe, the Roman Catholics were responsible for Nzima literature. Its message was that of love and the universal brotherhood of mankind. As a member of the Church of England, it interests me to see echoes of Christian educational efforts by organizations such as Compassion Canada in the educational efforts of the missionary branch of the Anglican Church, the Church Missionary Society, or CMS. With the arrival of more missions into the country came an explosion in mission schools across southern Ghana. In addition to promoting a monogamous lifestyle in their schools, missionaries often insisted on divorces before polygamists or their children could even enrol. Again, in West-Africa, the efforts to go beyond the coast to reach those inland with the gospel coincided with the southwards expansion of Islam which posed some threat to the expansion of the work of Christian evangelizing missions. 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. For instance, in southern Nigeria, the CMS policy was to teach in the vernacular at the primary level, while the Roman Catholic Missions policy was to teach in English (Bassey 1991:42). And yet this was what earlier missionaries in pagan Europe had done when, for example, they had changed the Sabbath to suit the pagan Sun Day (hence Sunday), and had also adopted the dates of the pagan festivals to celebrate Christmas Day and the Easter festival. We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. Instead of adapting the teachings and practices of the new religion to suit indigenous values, as it did when the same Christian religion adopted Greek, Roman, German and Anglo-Saxon native practices, the early Christian missionaries condemned totally as pagan, and to be avoided by their converts, whatever they considered strange. 1931. This chapter traces the origins and long-term development of African mass education in colonial sub-Saharan Africa. West Africa and Christianity. Barely ten years later, after the first missionaries arrived, the Methodists, for example, had started a station as far inland as MacCarthy Island. Renewed evangelisation started when the Basel (later known as Presbyterian) missionaries started work at Osu (Accra). The achievement of the purpose of these Christian Missions came with some costs. From the second half of the eighteenth century, a fervent wave of evangelical spirit developed in the United Kingdom, Europe and the New World which inspired men and women with the missionary fervour to found religious societies whose members would go out to Africa and the other lands.