The Anglican Adam Preaching Society is an interdenominational evangelical

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

movement based in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, which was founded by an evangelist of the

Church of Nigeria The Church of Nigeria is the Anglicanism, Anglican Church body, church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest Province (Anglican), province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptised membership (not by attendance), after the Church of Englan ...

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, ...

, the late

Cornelius Adam Igbudu Cornelius Adam Igbudu (1914–1981) was a Nigerian religious figure known for founding the Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS), an evangelical group in the Anglican Church of Nigeria. He was credited with healing ability. Legacy The Nigeri ...

who hailed from Araya in Isokoland. According to the A.A.P.S. official website, the evangelical group "is an interdenominational preaching society under the umbrella of the

. It stands for professional soul winning and being run by self-sacrifice and freewill donations". It was considered as being "famous for the spread of the gospel of Christ across Nigeria". Professor Peter Palmer Ekeh, Founder of Urhobo Historical Society, later wrote in his book: History of the Urhobo People of Niger Delta, that "The evangelical movement of Adam's Anglican Preaching Society (A.A.P.S.), which he gbudufounded, bestrode the Anglican Communion in the Former Bendel State. It created waves of mass conversions".

History

History has it that Cornelius Adam Igbudu was born in 1914 in a rustic village of Araya to Isoko

pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

parents who then practised African indigenous religion, and prior to his conversion to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

in 1927, he was part of a traditional dance group in Uzere in Isokoland. Shortly after Igbudu left the dance group, in 1938 he formed the "Ole-Orufuo", a prayer group which later metamorphosed into an evangelical group. After the movement locally became known as the "Ukoko Adamu" (meaning, "Adam's Preaching Society") in 1946, in the ensuing years there was a need to integrate it into the Nigerian Anglican Church and the word "Anglican" was formally added to the name of the group.

Evangelistic impact

The evangelical group of A.A.P.S. in the

, over the years has significantly promoted

evangelical Anglicanism Evangelical Anglicanism or Evangelical Episcopalianism is a tradition or Churchmanship, church party within Anglicanism that shares affinity with broader evangelicalism. Evangelical Anglicans share with other evangelicals the attributes of "co ...

and, through Igbudu's

evangelism Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...

, has also "won thousands to Christ". The Anglican Adam Preaching Society (A.A.P.S) has not gone defunct along with Cornelius Adam Igbudu in 1981. In fact, it has gained momentum over the years and, according to Professor Sam U. Erivwo, through this movement the Urhobo, the Isoko and the

Itsekiri The Itsekiri (also called the Isekiri, ''iJekri'', ''Itsekri'', ''Ishekiri'', or Itsekhiri) are an ethnic group who mainly inhabit Nigeria's Niger Delta area. They speak a Yoruboid languages, Yoruboid language and can be found in Ondo State, Ondo ...

witnessed (and are still witnessing) phenomenal revival. With the advent of

Christianity in Nigeria Christianity in Nigeria is a major religion, shaping the country's cultural, social, and political landscape. Introduced in the 15th century through European missionaries, it gained significant traction in the 19th century, particularly in the ...

, the evangelical group of A.A.P.S., through Igbudu's evangelism, Africanized

Anglicanism Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and made the

physiognomy Physiognomy () or face reading is the practice of assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance—especially the face. The term can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object, or terrain without referenc ...

of practical Christian expression of African

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

real to many Africans, notably the Isoko people and the Urhobo people in the present-day

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

of Nigeria. Consequently, the evangelistic activities of the evangelical group seem to have led to a decline in the practice of several

traditional African religions The beliefs and practices of Demographics of Africa, African people are highly diverse, and include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral tradition, oral rath ...

, as many Urhobo people as well as Isoko people have now become

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

and have nothing to do with

idol worship Idolatry is the worship of an idol as though it were a deity. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the Abrahamic ...

. It earned its founder a eulogy of being one of "Isoko's greatest evangelists".

Musical impact

The musical impact of the A.A.P.S. evangelical movement continues to be seen today as having revolutionized both Isoko and Urhobo

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

with the introduction of indigenous

African music The continent of Africa is vast and its music is diverse, with different regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres like makwaya, highlife, mbube, township music, jùjú, fuji, jaiva ...

by Igbudu himself, "a man whose Isoko self-composed songs inspired many". At that time when the style of worship and the mode of music in the mission churches were predominantly influenced by western civilization, which left many Africans with the feeling of spiritual alienation, Cornelius Adam Igbudu came into the scene and caused a change of practice by introducing indigenous Isoko music to the mission churches. It earned Igbudu a commendation from E. Onosemuode, who called him "a great musical reformer among Isoko and Urhobo Christians". Other writers in 2022 also mentioned Igbudu's name among those "who could be regarded as pioneers" of indigenous

. However, other notable people of Isoko and Urhobo extractions, who seemed "to have followed after the steps of the pioneers", later included Evi Edna Ogholi and Kefee Obareki Don Momoh. In 2005, the A.A.P.S. evangelical movement's sustained musical influence in the

, was particularly evident in the rendition of "entertainment songs by the Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS) band" during a

church service A church service (or a worship service) is a formalized period of Christian communal Christian worship, worship, often held in a Church (building), church building. Most Christian denominations hold church services on the Lord's Day (offering Su ...

held in commemoration of Bishop Agori Iwe who died on July 9, 1979.

Socio-economic impact

From the days of Cornelius Adam Igbudu until now, the evangelical group of A.A.P.S. is also noted for its genuine concern about providing

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

, especially for its members.

Religious disputes

Igbudu, the founder of the A.A.P.S. evangelical movement, was said to have had a disagreement with a prominent Nigerian Isoko cleric,

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Christian Aggrey Apena, whom he accused of "disturbing his ministry" in the Nigerian Anglican Church. In the early 1970s, the Anglican Adam Preaching Society (A.A.P.S.) and the Scripture Union (S.U.) were accused of what Archbishop Christian Aggrey Apena considered as being "religiously rebellious", by the Anglican hierarchy who felt that some members of both "evangelistic wings of the Church" were not only introducing strange doctrines to the Church but also challenging the constituted authorities of the Church. Consequently, it led to the

excommunication Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in Koinonia, communion with other members o ...

of several A.A.P.S. members from the Church.

Leadership

Since the death of its founder on 12 March 1981, the evangelical group of A.A.P.S. has continued to operate under a plethora of elected National Executives. As of 2022, the leaders of the A.A.P.S. movement included Evang. F. K. A. Usenu (JP) - National President, Evang. Sir. J. I. Afimoni (JP) - Vice National President, Evang. P. E. Ejovi - National Secretary, and Evang. Emma Ofano (JP) - Music Director.

References

External links

Missionary website
h1>