Growth of churches of Christ among Ibibios of Nigeria /by Wendell Wright Broom, Sr.

Includes abstract.

Introduction

Legend or History? -- Why Ibibios and not Ibos? -- The Period Covered -- Objectives.

Methodology

Obstacles: Attitude toward numerical data -- Perspective of American Church life -- Sources of the Data: -- Personal observations -- Library data -- Correspondence -- Interviews.

Chapter I. The Ibibio People and Their Ways: A Resume

A cultural unit -- Population -- Social organization -- Education -- Religion.

Chapter II. Christian Missionaries and Churches Prior to 1948

The Pioneers: Church of Scotland Mission -- Strategy -- The fruit of their work -- Summary of the Church of Scotland Mission -- A Case Study: The Qua Iboe Mission -- An Overview of the Second Wave Missions -- Primitive Methodist Mission -- Roman Catholic Church -- Salvation Army -- Lutheran Church -- Church of God -- The Independent African Churches -- A growing African phenomenon -- The magnitude of Ibibio independency -- An attempt to understand the nature of Independent Churches -- Two answers to the problem -- Summary of Ibibio Churches -- Exploratory missions -- Mission stations -- Assisting a scattered church -- Assisting a people movement -- Assisting a large well-developed African church -- The statistical picture.

Chapter III. The Rise of the Churches of Christ: 1948 to 1960

The Groundwork is Laid -- Reese and Echols visit Essien: 1950 -- Reese and Echols report their findings -- Echols returns for three months: 1951 -- The Mission Takes Shape -- Stategy for the new mission -- Principles and methods: -- Preaching and planting churches in every village -- Village schools -- Short terms and missionary langauge -- American subisdy for Nigerian preachers -- Two year training for preachers -- The succession of twenty missionary families begins -- Names and dates (see Appendix) -- Analysis of missionaries -- Distinctive contributions of various men -- Results: many baptisms and churches -- A Disturbing Question: Are We Getting Real Churches? -- The increasing burden of subsidy -- Fraternal roles so easily become paternal -- The oversight involved in subsidy -- The haunting question: stewards or hirelings -- Questions that must be asked -- A Transition Plan: 1958-1959 -- A plan for reducing American500n subsidy -- The transitional plan is carried out -- Estimated results -- The On-Going Strategy: 1960 to 1967 -- Further expansion into Ibo tribe -- Village schools are expanded into a secondary school -- Third year of training in Bible at Ukpom.

Chapter IV. The Church Measurement of 1959

The Need for Evaluation -- The Process of Evaluating the Churches -- Was My Sample Truly Representative -- How the Churches of Christ began -- Size and location of the churches -- Church buildings -- Elders -- Attendance at services -- Collections -- Bible training in Sunday Schools -- Membership gains and losses -- Polygamy -- Literacy -- Leadership training -- Emigration -- Outreach -- Summary of Ibibio Churches of Christ: 1959.

Chapter V. Ten Years Later

Further Developments in Policy: 1960 to 1967 -- The Civil War with Biafra -- The Ibo background -- Ibibio involvement in secession -- Federal invasion of Biafra -- The upset for the Church -- What is the Present Condition of These Churches?.

Chapter Virgin Islands Church Growth Viewpoint: An Evaluation

Church Growth Viewpoint: A Position Statement -- God wants a growing church -- A growing Church is essential to a believing world -- The biblical basis of church growth -- The Church has always grown by the movement of peoples into Christ -- Such growth has a sound biblical basis: the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, recognizes (ta ethne): the tribes -- People movements give birth to indigenous churches -- Cultural barriers to church growth -- The decision-making processes of human society -- Receptivity or resistance of these units of society must be taken into account -- The Church growth viewpoint: solution to the problem of stopped churches -- Evaluation of the Spread of the Churches of Christ among the Ibibios -- Was this a people movemnt? -- What was the relation of social services and church planting? -- Ibibio Churches of Christ located on four descriptive axes -- What commonly causes stoppage in people movements? -- Did this stoppage occur among Churches of Christ in Ibibio? -- What could the American Churches of Christ have done?.

Chapter Virgin IslandsI. Training Men to Preach: A Critique and Evaluation

Leadership Structure of Churches of Christ -- Leadership Function -- Ukpom Bible College -- The Training Institution -- The Training Course -- Outgoing Students -- Summary and Analysis -- Strengths: -- A record of sustained church growth -- Diffusion of training beyond the campus -- One week annual training course -- Weaknesses: -- Inadequate shepherding of thechurches -- Student motivation -- Food allowance system -- Assimilation of trained men -- Selection of students -- Age level of students -- Professionalism among graduates -- Relevance of training -- Questions -- Greater Nigerian responsibility in financing and leadership -- A time for re-evaluation -- A Model for the Post-War Era: Leadership Training by Extension -- The Guatemala plan -- The relevance of extension training for the Ibibio.

Chapter Virgin IslandsII. Church Growth Answers to Questions That Need Asking

Is There a Better Solution to the Problem of Stopped Churches Among Receptive People -- of The Independent African Churches -- of the entry of new foreign missions -- Did the Churches of Christ Do Right in Entering Ibibio to Plant Churches? -- Had Churches of Christ not come, would tehse churches have stayed in the traditional denominations? -- What is the Relationship of the Christian Schools to Church Growth? -- What Were the Bridges Across which the Churches of Christ Spread into Other Regions?.

Chapter IX. The Post-War Churches of Christ: Practical Steps Toward a Vision

The Profile of the Post-War Church -- Wise Subsidy: The Godly and Effective Use of Money -- Welcoming the Multitudes into the Church -- Deepening Spirituality in Men and Churches -- Task Force Missions -- Leadership Training by Extension -- Lectureships and Conferences -- A New Role among the Independent Churches - The Unrecognized Nominal Fringe -- And Suddenly It Was Summer!.

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