Growth and Expansion

One of the most remarkable products of the evangelical movements of the 18th Century was the rise and establishment of many missionary societies such as that of the Baptist (1792), "The joint efforts" (1795) and Church Missionary Society - C.M.S (1799). Closely related to those earliest breakthroughs was the birth of the British and Foreign Bible Society (1804) and the C M S inspired founding of the West African Mission in the same year. There was also the Niger Expedition of 1841 which was a direct response by both the Church Missionary Society and Wesleyan Missionary Society to the clarion call by freed slaves in Freetown, Sierra Leone for the spread of the good news of salvation, the true gospel of liberation, among, their people .

That indeed was, the propelling force behind the historic exploratory visits by Henry Townsend of the CMS and Birch Freeman of the Wesleyan Missionary Society to Badagry in 1842 culminating the never to-be-forgotten joint service of Eucharist and thanksgiving and of unity, conducted under the famous" Agia" tree; on Christmas Day, 25th December 1842 by the two church missionaries.

The great labour of the early missionaries such as Henry Townsend, Charles Andrew Golmer and Samuel Ajayi Crowther specifically paved the way for the creation of the Yoruba Mission. The efforts were soon rewarded as Golmer was made Deacon in 1841 and priested the same year. Samuel Ajayi Crowther was himself consecrated Bishop in London on St. Peter's Day (June 29th) 1864 and his great works and service will remain indelible on the printed pages of world history.

He had founded the All-African Mission in 1847, and headed it successfully until his death in 1891. But following Crowther's death, the CMS Home office/Secretariat in London had, contrary to the global expectations of church watchers, chosen J .S. Hill as successor, leaving in the cold many of the very capable Africans who were most suitable for the job, with nearly all already gone half-way through the journey to full-'fledged' episcopate by serving as Assistant Bishops. Among them were Archdeacons James Johnson, Henry Johnson, Dandeson Crowther (son of late Ajayi Crowther), James Quaker, Isaac Oluwole and Charles Phillips. The Rt. Rev. J.S. Hill assumed leadership and tactfully invited Isaac Oluwole, Adolphus Howells and Charles Phillips to be his Assistant Bishops.