CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY (C.M.S) MISSION IN IGBOLAND: STRATEGIES, AND METHOD OF EVANGELIZATION – AN APPRAISAL

Abstract

Church Missionary Society (C.M.S) is an evangelical society found in London in 1792 charged with the obligation of preaching the gospel message. This study looks at the missionary enterprises of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in Igboland and the strategies adopted in carrying out their assignments among the Igbo people. The work investigates the different strategies adopted which include but not limited to the use of education which resulted in the establishment of schools, development of Igbo Literature and language, use of medical facilities and commerce to engage the people. This study observes that their approach in the use of education, medicare, and commerce among others was very useful to their success in the missionary work, however; the CMS could not utilize the numerous opportunities before them as the first missionaries to engage the Igbo people due to their different missionary orientations of the leaders of the mission. During the course of this study, primary and secondary sources were utilized. The study therefore noted that despite their failures in certain areas as a result of approach, the CMS was still able to make great impact in Igboland in the areas of education, medicare, human capital development, development of Igbo alphabet and language among other numerous achievements. In the context of this work, method will be seen as orderliness and way of doing something. It implies the mechanism applied by the C.M.S in carrying out their evangelistic activities in Igboland. This study will be restricted on the methods and strategies adopted by missionaries of the CMS in evangelization of Igboland.