''When we arrived Onitsha in July 1857, we met the
people in a state bordering on poverty and starvation.
The introduction of cassava sticks by the zealous church
teachers was a temporal blessing to the people''.

The above quote was made by Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowder when addressing his first synod in 1866.
The CMS team that brought the gospel to Igboland in 1857 came also with the cassava stick which no doubt improved the peoples quality of life.

Let's discuss the role of the churchin poverty alleviation in Igboland and other developments. Opinions please.

nothing i can remember.It has now become an avenue for clergy to enrich themselves via emotional abuse of their victims/members by twisting God's words

^^^
Then you have to remember the education which they brought to Igboland. You may be a product of that education.

Andre Uweh:

^^^
Then you have to remember the education which they brought to Igboland. You may be a product of that education.

for where

MrPrsdent:

for where

The education might have impacted on you directly or indirectly. Bear in mind that before 1973, what was in the Eastern Nigeria were mission schools and few govt schools. Probably your father or cousins would have passed through the mission schools established by the churches.
Do not sweep away the good sides of the churches in Igboland because of xyz.

Christ The King College Onitsha. One of the foremost secondary schools established by the missionaries in Igboland.

The foremost secondary schools in the Etiti Division were established by the churches namely: Madonna Boys High school Etiti 1955. Now it is called Madonna Senior Science secondary school Etiti.
Aglican community High Schhol-Onicha-Uboma 1961, now called Onicha-Uboma Secondary school.
St Pauls community Secondary school, now Ikenanzizi Community secondary school.
For the past 20 years, Okigwe South Anglican church has established six modern day secondary schools, they are:
St Margaret's Convent sch Umuariam, Obowu.
Mount Olives Seminary Umuezeala Nsu.
Bethany Day Sec School school Lowa =, Ihitte/Uboma.
Holy Family Sec School, Odenkume, Obowu.
St John the Divine Sec School Umuosochie, Obowu.

The Churches in Igboland are responding positively to the spread of HIV/AID. In my local Bishopric-Okigwe south Anglican Communion diocese, HIV/AIDS ministry has been established. This ministry is headed by Rev. Ernest OSUCHUKWU, a well trained community worker.
They carry out continous awareness and regular sensitization campaigns for prevention of HIV/AIDS.
They hold periodic seminars and workshops to raise volunteers.
They have established sexual abstinence clubs in our churches and schools.
How are your Churches in Igboland responding to the deadly effects of HIV/AIDS?.

I wish to know the role of the new generation churches in the community developments in Igboland. Most Christian efforts in the development of my native community is always carried out by the catholic and Anglican churches.

Both the Catholic and Anglican Churches have had a great impact on the development of Igboland. Churches were originally the centers of learning and education as the clergy educated both old and young in bible study and English literature. Many learned to read through the church and thousands more were educated through parochial schools.

These churches also set up efforts to help alleviate the poverty in not only Igboland but south-eastern Nigeria by setting up missionaries and etc. However, I think Christianity is the main reason why the Igbos gained an "educational head start". You know in Catholicism, priests could only be ordained by bishops and prior to the emergence of Nigerian-Catholic bishops, people who wanted to become priests usually went abroad and studied in England or Ireland. So after studying theology in, lets say, Oxford, these priests would return to their countries not only with the word of God but with Western education. So yeah, the Christian missionary churches (mainly the Catholic and Anglican) played a large role in the developmental of Igboland.

No information on the role of SDA churches? I guess when it comes to certain areas there just never is any information. All people seem to know are Anglican and Catholic.

Seventh Day Adventists by Wikipedia

"The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a major Christian denomination with a significant presence in Nigeria. Eastern Nigeria Union Mission and North-Western Nigeria Union Mission exist.[1][2] They have more than 100,000 members each.[3] Eastern Nigeria Union Mission is divided into Anambra-Imo Conference, East Central Conference, East Nigeria Conference, Rivers Conference and South East Conference.[3] North-Western Nigeria Union Mission is divided into Edo-Delta Conference, North East Nigeria Conference, North West Nigeria Conference, South West Nigeria Conference and West Nigeria Conference.[3] Babcock University is a Seventh-day Adventist university in Nigeria.[3] Inisa Community Medical Centre, Jengre Seventh-day Adventist Hospital and Seventh-day Hospital Ile-Ife are Seventh-day Adventist institutions in Nigeria.[3] There is a motherless children's home in Abia State.[3]"


Seventh Day Adventists by Joseph Adeyogun

"The Seventh-Day Adventist Church came to Nigeria in 1914, relatively late when compared to the mission work of other mainline churches. They first entered the southwestern region of Nigeria and largely remained under the guidance of white missionaries appointed to Nigeria by the General Conference. This changed, however, when Joseph Adeyemo Adeogun became the first Nigerian national to be elected president of a section of Seventh-day Adventist mission in 1961.

Adeogun was born in Inisa, located in southwestern Nigeria. He did not have the benefit of early education, but engaged in farm work like the other youth of his time. In 1930, he enrolled at the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Primary School in Oke-Bola, Ibadan. He married Miss Comfort Wuraola Oyeyemi Bamidele in 1932. Comfort Bamidele was one of the daughters of Pastor James Abiola Ojo, who was an early convert of Adventist pioneer, D. C. Babcock. As his newly-wedded wife, Comfort complemented Adeogun's work as a pastor. They had the first of their six children, Caleb, in 1932.

By 1933, Adeogun had been posted in Omu-Aran, in what is now present day Kwara State. Much of his work was "farm evangelism," as the majority of the community were farmers. Working long, tiring hours, the farmers often could not come to town to worship. Adeogun went to them and ministered on the farms where they resided. He was transferred to Ijero-Ekiti and later Omuo, spending nine years at the latter station. He is said to have raised the standard of education around his sphere of influence while his wife was actively engaged in the activities of the women's ministries of the church. He moved after his time in Omuo to Aiyetoro-Ekiti and later Ipoti.

Adeogun was nominated to attend ministerial training at the Adventist Training School, Ihie, eastern Nigeria, from May 1948 to February 1949. The training enhanced his effectiveness as a minister in subsequent mission stations where he worked. Some of these places included Osogbo, Abeokuta, Aiyetoro (not the same as Aiyetoro-Ekiti). After church authorities observed his leadership qualities, he was nominated for a two-year advanced training in Bekwai, Ghana, in 1955.

By 1959, Adeogun was appointed Home Missionary Secretary for the SDA church, thus becoming the first indigenous person to be so appointed. This was a departmental appointment in which he excelled. Pastor G. M. Ellstrom, the mission president in southwestern Nigeria, recommended that Adeogun be made his deputy. He served under the Ellstrom's tutelage until he was elected mission president in 1961. Pastor Ellstrom thus became the last expatriate in that part of Nigeria and Adeogun became the first indigenous minister to assume the mantle of leadership.

Christian education was foremost in the mind of the new president. He was instrumental in the founding of the first SDA tertiary institution in Nigeria, the Adventist College of West Africa at Ilisan-Remo (1959), and a secondary school, the Adventist Grammar School, Ede (1960). The Adventist College has grown to become Babcock University, one of the first three private universities to be licensed by the government of Nigeria.

In 1968, Adeogun formally retired from denominational service and died on March 25, 1971. His wife Comfort was a pillar of support for her husband and continued to be active in women's ministries programs even long after her husband's death."

seven day adventist were prominent in ngwaland.that is why 70 percent of ngwas you meet are seven day adventists.

asha 80:

seven day adventist were prominent in ngwaland.that is why 70 percent of ngwas you meet are seven day adventists.

This is actually the reason I asked.

ChinenyeN:

This is actually the reason I asked.

I am sure if you go to your dadd he will be able to tell you the early achievements of SDA in Ngwa hnwe land.

Is something wrong with you? Why are you acting foolishly? Look, I may not like you, but I would never mock your Idenmili. I may not bow to your Nri, but I wouldn't go around mocking your society. Child of Nri, you have a serious problem, and this will be the last time I will be civil with you, if you decide to continue your bullshit.

Anyway, the reason I asked about SDA is because there apparently seems to be a wealth of information regarding Catholicism in particular, and the Anglican church as well, but when I search Igbo and SDA, the results are less than extensive. So, I was just interested in knowing if anyone had anything they could share. Though to be honest, I'm not surprised at the lack of information.

asha 80:

seven day adventist were prominent in ngwaland.that is why 70 percent of ngwas you meet are seven day adventists.

This is absolutely correct. The SDA made a lot of impact in Ngualand.

ChinenyeN:

Is something wrong with you? Why are you acting foolishly? Look, I may not like you, but I would never mock your Idenmili. I may not bow to your Nri, but I wouldn't go around mocking your society. Child of Nri, you have a serious problem, and this will be the last time I will be civil with you, if you decide to continue your bullshit.

Is that what dadd asked you to post this morning ? hahaha!! Ochi Ngwa hnwnwe atogbugom hia!!
If you suddenly want to be a civilized boy you wouldnt insult somebody b4 telling them you will soon become uncivil with them. You dont know the High Priest very well; I have watched you insult and ridicule your fellow brethren here but they have always treated you with leniency bearing in mind how sensitive and insecure you are! I will suggest you re-evaluate that bias orientation you are getting from whomever. For all I could remenber even b4 I joined nairaland you have been acting uncivilized with your Igbo brothers. Danm it,even the yorubas here once likened you to an OSU!!I have been trying my very best to accomodate you here in the Igbo midst but you remained unrully. Igbo sili na obu onye nwanne ya na agba ajo egwu na atabi iku anya.
Like I said earlier,run to daddy because he will definitelly give you some Ngwa ghnwe answers. Anu npama!!

You're the only one here giving yourself hypertension.

NRI PRIEST:

Danm it,even the yorubas here once likened you to an OSU!!

This is actually a lie. What the Yoruba here were commenting on was EzeUche's behavior toward me and his use of Osu.

Let it go boy. . . You have always sounded like someone with a lot of hatred and animosity toward your own people. . .And thats why you call them names !! Every Igbo here knows you very much and we know whats your problem. You might not like me but I dont dislike you,at least not anymore. What I dislike are your views,intermittently. You need to start loving yourself,child. You are too serious for a 22yrs old boy!! You need to calm the f.uck down.

Odumchi, stop censoring my words!!
F, u, ck !!

Let what go? I'm not the one who goes around incessantly heckling people.

NRI PRIEST:

You might not like me but I dont dislike you,at least not anymore.

Upon all of the times you displayed overly aggressive animosity toward me, you all of a sudden no longer dislike me? Sure man. Of course we all buy that.

NRI PRIEST:

What I dislike are your views,intermittently.

I'm not sure you even know what my views are.