Protestant Missions in the Igbo Heartland: Strategies and Impacts of Anglicanism and Adventism in Owerri Province, 1905-1950

Abstract

The history of Christianity in Owerri area especially since 1902 after the historic Arochukwu expedition has been an impressive one. It is to  be noted that this much celebrated spread of Christianity in the Igbo heartland was the hand work of mainly the Protestant missions.  Yet the history of Protestant missions in the area has not received commensurable scholarly attention. This study is a systematic intent to  re-examine and reconstruct the history of Protestant Christianity in Owerri area from 1902 to 1950. The study focuses on the strategies  and approaches used by Anglicans and Adventists in the region to promote their particular brands of Christianity and leave their impacts  amongst the indigenes. Qualitative research approach was adopted for data collection through primary and secondary sources. Data  collected were analyzed using phenomenological approach. The study reveals that the Protestant missionaries had a significant impact on the daily life of the people, influencing the region’s education system, economic development, health care system, human capital development through the engagement of indigenous agents, and even some of its traditional customs, and provided a platform for the  expansion of Christianity in the Igbo interiors.