An article on the relevance of the bible and the plough in socio-economic growth and development of West-Africa Ezekiel College of theology, Ekpoma (In affiliation with Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and Wesley university, Ondo State, Nigeria)

2025-05-15T02:07:19+00:00

This study examines the relevance of the Bible and the plough in the socio-economic growth and development of West Africa. The objective is to study the strategy in African evangelization championed by important personalities like Thomas Forwell Buxton and Henry Venn, which aimed to combat the slave trade and “civilize” Africa by promoting Christianity alongside legitimate commerce, education, and agricultural development. Evaluation of various scholars on the subject was made. This study adopted historical and qualitative method of research for data collection. This is achieved by examining the concepts, aims, and strategy of the Bible and the plough in Africa, especially in Nigeria- in the Niger Delta area West- Badagry, Abeokuta and the northern parts of the Nation which Samuel Ajayi Crowther took active parts in it. The expedition of 1841 nearly failed, but the missionaries did not give up in spite of health and incorporative challenges of some local people. The one of 1854 revived the initial one. The data weregathered through secondary source such as textbooks, articles, and online resources. The findings revealed that the strategy adopted by the early missionaries to Christianize Africa worked. This was gathered through the information giving by various scholars. The missionaries laid the foundation of primary and secondary education in Nigeria and painstakingly bore the financial burden of it overall development, which include amongst other things provision of books and other writing materials, building of physical structures etcetera. In the area of agriculture various crops and method of farming were introduced to Africa. Medical services, commerce, Christianity politics, architectural designs were introduced to Africa. This work concludes that the Bible and the plough which the missionaries introduced to Africa over one fifty years ago is very much relevant to the contemporary church in soul winning and empowerment programmes. It is strongly recommended to all organizations to adopt the strategy of the Bible and the plough in socio-economic growth and development of their organization. Jesus Christ even declared categorically inLuke 9:62 that “No one who put his hands to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”. As Christians preach the gospel, they must also look for means of developing their organizations socially, educationally, and economically.

Keywords: bible and the plough, socio-economic growth, development of West-Africa

The Journal of Social Sciences Studies and Research

An article on the relevance of the bible and the plough in socio-economic growth and development of West-Africa Ezekiel College of theology, Ekpoma (In affiliation with Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo and Wesley university, Ondo State, Nigeria)