Johanna Veenstra (1894–1933) was the first missionary of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) to go to
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, ...
.
Biography
She was born on Thursday, April 19, 1894, on Hopper Street in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and joined the Union Missionary Training Institute. She also studied at
Calvin University
Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reforme ...
and took on a midwifery course in New York.
On October 2, 1919, she left
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. On December 31, 1919, she took another ship to Africa, arriving in Lagos in January 1920. In February 1921, she arrived at her station in Lupwe, which is near Takum, now in
Taraba State
Taraba is a States of Nigeria, state in north-eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River, which traverses the southern part of the state. It is known as "Nature's Gift to the Nation". Its capital is Jalingo. The state's main Demographics ...
. Two years later, Veenstra assumed leadership of the work in Lupwe. She was engaged primarily in medical work and in preaching. She and her colleague Miss Haigh opened a school and medical dispensary. During her ministry in Lupwe, a number of people especially of the
Kuteb people
Genesis sanda from Takum LGA taraba state
The 'Kuteb' (or Kutep) people are an ethno-linguistic group in West Africa, who speak Kuteb, a Jukunoid language. Most of the Kuteb people reside in Taraba State, Nigeria.
Genesis sanda
According t ...
became Christian. The roots of the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria (CRCN) and the Reform Church of Christ in Nigeria (RCCN) Headquarters in Takum, Taraba State Nigeria lay in part in the work of Veenstra.
In March 1933, Veenstra became ill. She traveled to the Sudan United Mission hospital in Vom, which is in present-day
Plateau State
Plateau is a northern states of Nigeria, Nigerian state. It is located in the north-central geopolitical zone of Nigeria and includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and Tourism". Th ...
. On
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is the Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Its name originates from the palm bran ...
, April 9, 1933, Veenstra died of appendicitis and was buried in Vom.
In addition to her missionary work in Nigeria, Veenstra is significant for presenting the mission needs of Nigeria to the Christian Reformed Church. In 1940, this church adopted Nigeria as a mission field. Today, the Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria is a strong independent African church. Veenstra Hall at
Calvin University
Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reforme ...
is named after her, as is the seminary of the CRCN, Veenstra Seminary located in Donga.
Her papers are held at Hekman Library at Calvin University.