and literature prepared for them by the Presbyterians and together they nearly covered the southern half of Nigeria by 1916 (Falk 342). Meanwhile, the Lower Niger Mission began working slowly with the Igbo in 1906. The Igbo people were very receptive of Christianity, so the mission within their tribe was focused on (Hastings 93). Many school- teachers and doctors were sent to their area and a government was soon set up (www.uiowa.edu). Unlike many cultures, the Igbo requested more missionaries (Falk 347). As time went on within the Igbo tribes, the missionaries learned their language and around 1913, T.J. Dennis concluded the Ibo Union version of the Bible (Falk 342). With the translation of the Bible into the Igob language, came a rapid spread of Christianity in the tribe. Since they were able to read in their own language, the language of their heart, they could now experience God in a real way to them (Mazrui 508). This new rapid growth of Christianity amongst the Igbo birthed and fed many new independent churches in their area. Many leaders in the church have mixed emotions about the leap in members to the Christian church. Kane believes that it is good that the Africans have had the courage to turn to the truth but, It is bad, on the other hand, in that the new concerts are so numerous that it is impossible to five them the kind of instruction they need to make them into strong Christians. (Kane 87). In Hastings book he recalls the pope saying, There is no virtue in numbers alone if the quality is lacking. (Hastings 204). But, there was no doubt that these independent churches were increasing the numbers of the Christian church. Amongst the independent churches there were five categories of churches: churches focusing on political liberation (Mazrui 516), churches focusing on ancestor worship mixed with a tiny amount of Christianity (Mazrui 517), those who take more from Christianity but still hold on to many African ...
