Nigerian Christians will be taking a significant part in official celebrations when Africa’s most popu lous country receives its Independence this year. Drawing attention to the spread of the Gospel light over the past 120 years, members of the Boys’ Brigade, a Christian youth organization, will run a re lay marathon of 751 miles across the Federation, car rying a message from the Protestant churches to the Prime Minister. The marathon will begin on September 22nd in Calabar, in Nigeria’ s far eastern comer, where mis sionaries first landed in 1846, and will end on October 1st in Lagos, the Federal Capital, where missionary work began at nearby Badagry in 1842. Although only a 3% million minority in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim 36 million population, Chris tians have a leading role in the nation’s affairs. West ern Nigeria’s Governor, Sir Adesoji Adermi, who this year became the British Commonwealth’s first African Governor, is an active churchman. The Western Premier is the country’s outstanding Baptist layman, Chief S. L. Akintola. The Eastern Premier is a Methodist. Leading the Government Op position in the House of Representatives is a Bible- reading Methodist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who has called for the evangelization of Nigeria’ s remaining millions of pagans. Even Muslim leaders have been generous in paying tribute to the work of missions and the part played by the church in national affairs. “ W e are grateful to the missionaries who have done so much to assist in the development of Nigeria,” Alhaji Sir Abubakar, Federal Prime Minister, stated in his speech on the Motion for Independence. Speaking to national and missionary leaders of the Sudan Interior Missions, the Northern Regional Pre mier (who is second in leadership of West Africa s Muslims) stated: “ I wish to pay tribute to your work. I know that it is often carried out during difficult con ditions and with little worldly reward, and I know that your lives are devoted to the welfare of the people.”
CHRISTIAN CHURCHES PREPARE FOR INDEPENDENCE
by W. Harold Fuller
BAPTISMAL SERVICE IN NIGERIA. Pastor James Bolarin of the Evangelical Churches of W est A frica, the indigenous Church of the Sudan Interior Mission, baptizes a convert at an open-air service in Nigeria. M ore than 70 Biola graduates serve with the S.I.M. THE KING'S BUSINESS
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