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From Church to Mission: An Examination of the Official Missionary Strategy of the Church Missionary Society on the Niger, 1887–93

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

C. Peter Williams
C. Peter Williams*
Affiliation:
Trinity College, Bristol
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Extract

Crowther’s consecration in 1864 did not produce a church on the Niger which was entirely independent of the CMS. It remained financially dependent. Nonetheless, though technically still a mission, it had a very great deal of independence and, in some respects, it seemed to symbolize the Venn ideal - a self-governing native church. That the events of the nineties in the Niger represented a major disenchantment with Henry Venn’s vision of an independent church under African administration cannot be questioned. The curtailment of Bishop Crowther’s powers, the appointment of European missionaries on the Niger, the public criticism and dismissal of African ministers, and the replacement of Crowther by a European all made the point eloquently.

Type
Research Article
Information
Studies in Church History , Volume 23: Voluntary Religion , 1986 , pp. 391 - 409
Copyright
Copyright © Ecclesiastical History Society 1986

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References

1 Church Missionary Society (MS, London, CMS and Birmingham, University of Birmingham). All MS references are to CMS archives unless otherwise specified.

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18 Ace 82, F 4/7, Pt. 2, p. 52, 23 April 1889, Brooke’s diary.

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47 G3/A3/P3/1889, 12 August 1889, General Committee Minutes (hereafter GCM).

48 G3/A3/L3, p. 225a, 10 January 1890, Lang and Wigram to native clergy and lay agents.

49 G/C 1, vol 54 pp. 224-33, 9 December 1889, GCM.

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51 G3/A3/1889/n8, 16 July 1889, Brooke to Lang.

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57 G3/A3/1889/86, 9 July 1889, Robinson to Lang.

58 G3/A3/1890/93, 5 June 1890, Brooke to General Touch.

59 Ibid. /124, 6 August 1890, Brooke to Lang and /122, 5 August, Robinson to Lang.

60 Ibid. /165, 18-28 August 1890, Minutes of Finance Committee.

61 Ibid. /122, 5 August 1890, Robinson to Lang.

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71 Ibid. pp. 336-7, 7 November 1890, Lang to Dobinson.

72 Ibid. pp. 319-20, 24 October 1890.

73 G3/A3/1890/214, received December 1890, F.N. Eden Memorandum.

74 G/Y/A3/1/1A/32, 22 January 1891, Eden to Wigram.

75 G3/A3/1891/169, 28 May 1891, Brooke to Lang.

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79 G/AC 4/7/13603, 31 May 1891, Cust to Wigram.

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82 G3/A3/1891/208, 17 July 1891, Brooke to Lang; for Whiting’s considerable role see G3/CS 1, pp. 43-4, 5 December 1890, Special Niger Sub-Committee Minutes.

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84 G3/A3/L3, pp. 336-7, 7 November 1890, Lang to Dobinson.

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90 Ibid. /169, 28 May 1S91, Brooke to Lang.

91 G/Y/A3/1/1A/32, 22 January 1891, Eden to Wigram.

92 G3/A3/1891/112, 27 March 1891, Robinson to Lang and /122, 8 April 1891.

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95 Ayandele, , Holy Johnson cap. 9.Google Scholar

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97 G3/A3/1891/41, 21 January 1891, J. Milner to Cust.

98 Baring-Gould to Crowther, 20 February 1891, loc. cit. pp. 417-9.

99 G3/A3/1891/131, 8 May 1891, Crowther to CMS.

100 G3/A3/P3/1891, 15 July 1891, Group 3 Sub-Committee.

101 G/C 1, vol 55 pp. 586-7, 21 July 1891, CCM.

102 G/AC 4/8/1410, 25 July 1891, Whiting to Wigram.

103 G3/A3/L3, pp. 485-9, 31 July 1891, secretaries to the European missionaries of the Lower and Upper Niger.

104 G3/A3/1891/233A, 1 October 1891, Preface to the joint letter.

105 G/Y/A3/1/1A/37, 13 October 1891, C.F. Harford-Battersby to the General Committee.

106 G3/A3/1891/263, 17 September 1891, Brooke to secretaries.

107 G/AC 2/38, pp. 287-90, 30 November 1891, Wigram to Gedge.

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114 Whiting was obliged to resign from the Group Sub-Committee (G/AC 4/8/1406, 23 July 1891 Whiting to Wigram). Cust agreed not to speak on Niger matters (ibid. /1439a, 28 September 1891, Cust to Wigram).

115 G/AC 2/36 p. 987, 10 July 1891, Wigram to Whiting and p. 949, 9 July 1891, Wigram to Cust.

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117 G3/A3/L3, p. 501, 17 November 1891, Instructions to Archdeacon J. Hamilton and Rev. W. Allan.

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119 CMI ns 17 (1892) pp. 546-8 and G3/A3/L4, p. 66, 26 February 1892, Lang to Hamilton for Lang’s mind on the matter.

120 G/AC 4/8/1522, 11 January 1892, Whiting to Lang.

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122 Ibid, fols 79-84, 3 June 1892, Wigram to Benson.

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