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). Their educational activities helped spread literacy and vocational skills training among Ghanaians. West African Senior School Certificate Examination. This post may contain affiliate links. But with the abolition of slavery, the introduction of cocoa, and the Churchs efficient school system, she gradually became the Church of the social elite. primarily purposed to outline the contributions of religion and education to national development in Ghana. WhatsApp : +233204700052 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. Until almost the end of the colonial period education was still largely in the hands of the churches. A notable example was the Asafo Company, a purely military and social organisation of the peoples of Ghana, which was condemned by the early missionaries because of its presumed connection with fetish practices. Even if secondary education was provided, it was often reserved for the sons of local chiefs (Oliver 1952:212; Beck 1966: 120), an elite the colonial government could then call upon to help rule the colony, a common practice in colonial Africa. Like the Methodists, the Roman Catholic missionaries spread the faith notably in the interior, which later became Protectorate. For instance, on 2nd October 1792, the Baptist Missionary Society was formed followed by the interdenominational London Missionary Society which was established in 1795. The result is that today, many Africans are alienated from their authentic ways of life. History books tended to exaggerate in achievements of Europeans, making no reference to Africans own great past. Two important private schools with strong Christian influence must also be mentioned: Accra High School, founded in 1923 and Accra Academy, established in In the Gambia, as happened in other territories, the Christian missionaries did not confine their work to the spread of the Gospel alone. By 1914 there were barely thirty schools in that vast area. Please click this link to download the chapter. J. G. Christaller produced a Twi Grammar and Dictionary. In fact, the Christian missionaries encouraged Ghanaians to reject African names and choose Christian names instead. It was however in the coastal territories filled with mulattos and other European trading communities that Christianity won some of its early success. This thesis discusses and assesses contribution of Christian Missionaries to education in Meru from 1908 to 1963. The effort of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Almost all the missions in West Africa faced financial problems in the early stages of their missionary work. PDF Religion Education and Development in Ghana - EA Journals Under the Basel Missions Salem system, converts were separated from the traditional society. To apply, students simply fill out a quick form. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Missionaries travelled through dense evergreen forests, crossed rivers and climbed mountains to bring the Gospel to as many Ghanaians as they could. In 1859, the first newspaper in Yoruba. The Akim area had about 3400 converts over 32 villages and there were about 900 children distributed in 27 Schools. They discovered that the holy book did not clearly prescribe monogamy, and contained several examples of renowned Christian polygamists. education was an important means for mission evangelization. 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 example, the missionaries preached against certain aspects of African culture they considered barbaric or satanic or both. 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. Father Burke became director of the Divine Word Language and Cultural Centre in Ghana. A History of West Africa, Cambridge University Press, 1969, Fynn , J. K and R. Addo-Fening History for Senior Secondary schools. endstream endobj startxref Ghana Missionaries | Learn about Christian missions efforts in Ghana - ABWE faceless characters The Christian Connector Scholarship. The first missionaries to come to Ghana were the Roman Catholic missionaries in the 15th century and the Anglican missionaries. Its general scope extends to both Roman Catholic as well as Protestant missionaries in relation to education works. Africa Christian Press, 1996. Etherington, Norman. Among other things the regulations required that all teachers should be registered, and a minimum salary was fixed. The traditions and values of the community, as well as the meaning of life, were taught to the child. The Basel missionaries arrived on the shores of the Gold Coast in 1828 and Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. His request to the Danish Crown for missionaries was forwarded to . The late Eighteenth Century witnessed the rise of Christian groups in Europe that resorted to the evangelization of Africa. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'cegastacademy_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_15',609,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-cegastacademy_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');The European missionaries began their activities in Ghana as far back as the early fifteenth century. For instance the scholar E.A. Their converts increased steadily in numbers until 1821 when a section broke away to form the first independent African, Christian church in West Africa, called the West Africa Methodist Church. Let's look in-depth into these scholarships. Ghana - Statistics and Church Facts | Total Church Membership The Basel Mission. Andreas Riis, assisted by a team of West Indian evangelists, laid the foundations of the Basel Missionary Church in the country. In Nigeria, one of the lasting works of the C.M.S. Thus as early as 1823, the Roman Catholic Sisters started a clinic for the sick and for children in Banjul. As much as the governments liked to assign blame to the missions, they were also accountable for the poor education through their educational policies. People all around the world are searching for hope, but many dont have someone to tell them about the hope found in Jesus. homework help Specifically, it addresses the unique role of Christian missions in. Christian missionaries were the first to introduce European-style education in sub-Saharan Africa. He was followed, three years afterwards, by the Rev. English grammar essay writing Moreover, speaking through interpreters is a defective means of communicating ones thoughts to ones audience. Joseph Dunwell. In 1925 the Governor introduced measures which helped the efforts of the missionaries. But despite the work of Portuguese missionaries based on the island of Sao Tome and later of Spanish missionaries in Benin, it was not until the nineteenth century that the Christian religion was firmly established in Nigeria. While missionaries could sometimes clash with colonial governments, for the most part missions were important tools for colonial governments. We shall now turn our attention to the activities of the Christian missionaries in Ghana. Ralph teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP) online. The lead was followed by other missionaries, notably the Roman Catholic, whose first higher institution was St Edwards Secondary School in Freetown. 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). The Rev. Prior to advent of the Christian missionaries and indeed well into the pre-independence period, most sick people depended for cure upon concoction herbs and roots and barks of trees. These pioneer mission schools met with a discouraging response. If a government fails to regulate schools at all, they have no right to complain that the education in their colony is poor. Another difficulty that the early missionaries faced in the spread of Christianity was insufficient Christian literature at that time. They worked to write the bible, dictionaries and textbooks in such Ghanaian Languages as Ewe, Fanti, Ga and Twi. Among these were the Congregation of the Holy Ghost (commonly known as the Holy Ghost Father), the Society of African Missions (SMA), the Society of Missionaries of Africa, popularly known as the White Fathers because of the white Muslim-like clothing which the Fathers wore, and the society of the Divine Word (SVD, abbreviated from its Latin name). Introduction, spread and effects, 6: Christian Missionary Activities in West Africa, 7: Scramble for and Partition of West Africa, 9: Problems of Independent West African States, 10: West Africa and International Organizations, 11: Women and Authority in West African History, 12: The Environment in West African History. 0 Amma Darko Thus, despite what the images of suffering African children on websites such as that of Compassion Canada might lead one to believe, it is time for Africans to educate their own, without any interference. While it has brought undoubted benefits, it has also harmed the traditional way of life. hb```,,g@( B(Pi xD r[e}v'$ImK *e()dP#jjTNl=VtN(%!30p0040tt0B GGc2m2@M``a$]x2\YkvIaB1b`h6f` (eAKPU d Vol. senior high school history They relied very much on their home churches for their funds. grammatical name 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. Notable among these were cocoa and coffee. Burns & Oates, 1979. Indeed, most of our early nationalists were all products of mission schools. About the same time, the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) headed by the Rev. Origins, organization and effects in the development of West Africa, 3: Islam in West Africa. 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. 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. Mission schools were popular because of the new skills and opportunities they offered. The first Europeans arrived at the West-African Coasts at the end of the fifteenth century. Email: henrydonsco@gmail.com Containing 9,566 pages belonging to 77 documents housed in 6 volumes As outlined in the short history entitled. Initially, their activities focused on coastal areas. ABWE is also at work in countries that restrict evangelism. The Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist and Anglican missions all made a major contribution to education in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Father Tetteh also took note of Father Burkes humility and devotion to his students. Although there were many disagreements between European missionaries and African populations, antagonising polygamy is probably the best-documented norm conflict. (with Examples), Top 20 Topics in English for Academic Purposes, 7 Rules of Referencing and Citation in Academic Writing, 10 Importance of Referencing and Citation in Academic Writing, How to Get a Degree Without Going to High School, Joseph Rhodes Dunwell Methodist Missionary, 1835, Thomas Birch Freeman Methodist Missionary, 1838, Thomas Thompson Society for the Propagation of the Gospel/Anglican, 1752, Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast Methodist missionaries, Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast Methodist, Adisadel College, Cape Coast Anglican Missionaries, Holy Child School, Cape Coast Roman Catholic, St Augustines College, Cape Coast Roman Catholic, Archbishop Potter Girls School, Takoradi, Aburi Girls Secondary School Presbyterian, St Monicas High School, Mampong Anglican. Also, Christian missionaries in Ghana were as zealous as their counterparts in Nigeria in pioneering medical services. 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. One of the missions most important contributions to the colonial regimes was their role in educating the native Africans. further studies Early missions conducted by Roman Catholics were short-lived. Already have a license? The Christian Connector is a great resource for Christians and aspiring ministry leaders and missionaries to apply for scholarships. After World War I was declared in 1914, the German missionaries were restricted in their movements by the British in the British colonies. Contribution of Christian Missionaries in Ghana, Reasons Why Christian Missionaries Came to Africa, Discontinuation of Outmoded Cultural Practices, Negative Effects of Missionary Activities, Negative Impact on Traditional Authorities, Limited Support for The Production of Local Food Crops. This company promoted the import and export trade in Ghana. Called the Iwe-Irohim, was published by the missionaries. Soon after, in 1835 they moved up to Akropon on the hills in Akuapem, where the pioneer missionary the Rev. They were replaced in Sierra Leone by the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1864, who made converts in large numbers not only among the pagans but also among the members of the then competing Christian churches. A history of Christianity in Africa: From antiquity to the present. His immigrant Irish-born parents instilled faith and a firm work ethic in their sons. Vol. opened, in Freetown, the first boys secondary school in the country and another for girls in 1849, later renamed the Annie Walsh Memorial School. Wed love to get to know you and discuss how God is calling you.