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Added on: 18 Mar 2016
Last Modified on: 18 Mar 2016
Approach
• Brief background about missionary work in central Africa.
• Explain with vivid examples the problems missionaries faced
• Conclude logically.
Back ground to the question
Christian missionaries were self declared soldiers of Christ who came to Africa to fight Christ's way into the souls of Africans.
In central Africa missionary work was largely based on Dr David living stone. He was later joined by Bishop Mackenzie. In Barotse land west beech was the key figure there while in Matebele and Mashona land missionary work was done by Rev. Moffat and in Lozi it was Francois Coillard.
Missionary groups in central Africa included the livingstonia mission, Free Church of Scotland, Presbyterian Church, Verona Fathers among others.
Missionaries in central Africa faced a number of problems, some of them were of their own making and others not
1. Poor transport and communication, there were no roads, railways yet even lakes and rivers were not yet open for navigation. Thus missionaries walked for long distances moreover through thick unsafe forests, there were numerous
sand bars at the mouth of Zambezi river.
2. lnter-ethinic wars like Tonga, Ngoni, and Ndebele had inter-tribal wars and missionary groups like LMS were given alot of difficulty in spreading Christianity at Fwamba,
3. Ineffective leadership among missionary groups, this was common in the Blantyre mission, some missionaries used the funds for the project for personal gains.
4. There was lack of proper substitutes for slavery and slave trade, some refused emancipation e.g. Amagoche Yao.
5. Numerical disadvantages, they were few compared to their tasks especially those at Mission Maclear.
6. Inadequate knowledge of the areas of operation, magazine books had less to offer, they over relied on Arabs and Africans who were their enemies because of slavery.
7. Resistance from people who had converted to Islam like Amachinga Yao, the Jumbes, Mwate- Kazembe of Malawi etc.
8. Problem of tropical diseases like malaria, small pox, yellow fever and sleeping sickness e.g. bishop Helm's wife and children died of malaria; other victims were Bishop Mackenzie Krapt and his wife and Dr David Livingstone himself
9. Missionaries lacked enough man power to execute their work they came in small numbers yet many Africans resisted their work in the initial stages.
10. For quiet along time language barrier remained a problem; preachers and their converts could not understand each other.
11. They also faced resistance from Africana culture and traditional believers like the Mlimo and Mwari cults of the Shona and Ndebele.
12. Opposition from slave traders, they looked at missionaries as enemies who were trying to close their source of livelihood e.g. Mlozi, Msiri and Amachinga Yao.
13. Existence of hostile groups like the Ngoni Arabs and Swahili in Malawi and in Zambia plus the Ndebele warriors.
14. Negative attitude of some leaders towards missionary work, e.g. Lubengula confined and restricted missionaries to the borders of Ndebele state while Lewanika of the Lozi confined Coillard Francois at his palace.
I5. The humid and hot climate in some pans which conditions missionaries not used/ familiar. This also made their work difficult.
16. Financial shortages and sometimes bankruptcy, thus they could not easily execute their work i.e. could not pay assistants.
17. Conflicts among missionary groups in order to win colonies for their govemments. Such conflicts undermined missionary work since missionaries from different countries could not operate in another powers colon).
I8. Some missionaries were over worked and exhausted due to numerous duties on their backs e.g. Dr David Livingstone was an explorer, doctor, researcher and a missionary,
19. Sometimes missionaries were disturbed by colonialists’ activities e.g. activity of the British led to more resistances from A Africans.
20. Emergency of independent churches that preached against white missionary activity e.g. that of Elliot Kamwana, Charles Domingo and Chilembwe.
In spite of the numerous problems and threats missionary work grew to substantial level in central Africa especially in Nyasaland (Malawi).
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