The Emergence of First Generation African and Independent Churches in Nigeria:Historical Survey

Abstract

The paper considers the independent movement campaigns and what motivated the establishment of the African and independent churches in Nigeria. It will also examine the condition that led to the emergence of the Africa independent churches. Also it will differentiate be between the so called “politico-racial” factors.

How the recommendation to release African indigenous churches to start on their own was unduly delayer was equally discussed in this paper. The factor responsible for emergence of first generation African church and independent churches in Nigeria were also discussed.

The abuses and proliferation of church was also mentioned in this paper. The identities that distinguish them from the mainland church was also discussed. This common identities include their passion for prayer, emphasis on the spiritual interest in divine healing, the exalted position accorded women, their inclination towards having freer forms of worship, their aspiration to contextualize Christianity in African culture, their stress on evangelism and revival and their fancy for skeletal administration.

In this paper it has been tried to assess some of the nominatives which have been used to describe the churches which emerged from Hizteric churches. It concluded that the adjective ‘independent’ may be used since it indicates their independence from mission control. They are African churches because they were founded by Africans and primarily for Africans.