Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development (JASSD) (Vol. 6 No. 1, 2023)
SAMUEL AJAYI CROWTHER: BISHOP OF THE NIGER OR WEST AFRICA EQUATORIAL DIOCESE - A CRITICAL INVESTIGATION
ABSTRACT
The emergence of a slave boy into episcopal office is an act of Divine providence. However, the journey is full of turbulence and complications. Notwithstanding, this work seeks to unravel the episcopacy of Bishop Crowther by investigating the circumstances to his emergency, the nomenclature of his office, and the contributions of his episcopacy towards the advancement of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) mission work. Historical method which focuses on systematical way of recapturing the complex nuances, the people, meanings, events, and even ideas of the past that have influenced and shaped the present is adopted. The findings indicate that Crowther's episcopacy was purposely for Niger Mission which he was part of it from the beginning, and that due to numerous barriers which includes but not limited to funding, means of transportation, lack of man power, racial discrimination, communication and the dead of Henry Venn, his episcopate was truncated. Yet, the truncation of his episcopacy could not stop the seed from blossoming into giant.
