THE AFTERMATH OF FOREIGN MISSIONARIES’ POLICIES ON AFRICAN MISSIONS: THE NIGERIAN BAPTIST CONVENTION AS A CASE STUDY (Published)
This article entitled “The Aftermath of Missionaries’ Policies on African Missions: The Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) as a case study” is aimed at examining the reasons for inadequate finance for the NBC in the funding of her ministries. From its inception, the usual slogan has been “NO MONEY.” This was because the pioneering missionaries did not encourage the indigenous Christians to give towards missions, but rather the latter were over pampered. This lack of funds, has affected the growth of the Baptists in Nigeria. The article is of the view that Henry Venn’s missionary policies can be of help in solving the problem. The research demands the use of multi-dimensional approaches; which include phenomenological cum historical methods and the conduction of interviews especially on financial policies on the NBC and Missionary’s records. Quantitative approach was also used by subjecting the BMN attrition policy on the NBC into statistical analysis. Among others, it has been demonstrated in this research that lack of discretion and courage on the part of the BMN in keeping strictly and consistently to the attrition policy was the major factor behind slow growth and non-rapid financial advancement of the NBC. On the contrary, if Venn’s mission’s financial policy is adopted, we hope, it will go a long way in ameliorating the financial inadequacies and promote missions in Africa in general and the NBC in particular.
Keywords: African Missions, Baptist Convention, Foreign Missionaries’, Nigerian, policies