Samuel Alexander Bill MBE (10 December 1864 – 24 January 1942) was an Irish Christian missionary, explorer and the founder of the Qua Iboe Mission (later renamed

Mission Africa Mission Africa (formerly known as the Qua Iboe Mission and subsequently the Qua Iboe Fellowship) is an interdenominational, evangelical, Christian mission organisation. When founded in 1887, by the Irish independent missionary Samuel Bill, the ...

Early life

Bill was raised in Ballymacarrett Presbyterian Church, east

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, but was most notably associated with Island Street Belfast City Mission Hall. His interest in missionary work was sparked by a visit to Belfast by

Dwight L. Moody Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with Keswickianism, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Mas ...

and Ira D. Sankey in 1874. Fitzroy Presbyterian Church website, ''First World War Servicemen Biographies''
/ref> He attended the Harley Missionary Training College in London, then under the leadership of

Henry Grattan Guinness Henry Grattan Guinness (11 August 1835 – 21 June 1910) was an Irish Nonconformist Protestant preacher, evangelist and author. He was the great evangelist of the Third Evangelical awakening and preached during the Ulster Revival of 1859 wh ...

; and travelled to Nigeria to commence a work amongst the

Ibeno Ibeno is located in the south of Nigeria and is a Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Ibeno town lies on the eastern side of the Kwa Ibo River about from the river mouth, and is one of the largest fishing settlements on the Nigerian coas ...

people in 1887. The mission base was founded on the banks of the Qua Iboe River, and this base gave the name to the independent interdenominational mission that Bill founded in 1890. Bill was seen as a practical missionary, learning the

Efik language Efik (''Usem Efịk'') is the indigenous language of the Efik people, who are situated in the present-day Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, as well as in the north-west of Cameroon. The Efik language is mutually intelligible ...

, working with the

Annang Anaang (also spelled Annang and Ànnang) is an ethnic group in Southern Nigeria, whose land is primarily within 8 of the present 31 Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State: Abak, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ikot Ekpene, Obot Akara, Oruk ...

people, planting crops and running a trading station. He was created a

Member of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1938. Bill was a contemporary of

Mary Slessor Mary Mitchell Slessor (2 December 1848 – 13 January 1915) was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to Nigeria. Once in Nigeria, Slessor learned Efik language, Efik, one of many local languages, then began teaching. Because of her understanding ...

. Although not as well known as his Scottish counterpart, Bill's legacy is twofold. First, many historians of the Irish evangelical missionary movement note that he was one of the most influential men of his time, inspiring many in Ireland to overseas Christian service. The Qua Iboe Mission grew to be one of the largest and most successful missions in the UK. Secondly, the church that he founded, the Qua Iboe Church has grown to considerable proportions, numbering at least 2 million strong in 2007, and his memory is still strongly revered by many Nigerian Christians today. A theological college at Abak in southern Nigeria is named in his honour.

Family

Bill married Grace and they had two children, a daughter and a son named John Alexander Paterson Bill; his son had planned to join his father’s missionary work, but was killed on 16 August 1917 during the Battle of Langemarck. Bill's papers are held at the PRONI offices in Belfast. National Archives UK website, ''Bill, Samuel Alexander, (1864-1942), missionary''
/ref>

References

References and Related Studies

* Gerald H Anderson, ed., ''Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions'' (Simon and Schuster Macmillan, NY,1998). * JS Corbett, "''According to Plan''" (Belfast: QIF, 1986) * RJ Graham ''The Qua Iboe Mission 1887 - 1945'' (PhD Thesis, University of Aberdeen) * E.B. Ikpe, ''Qua Iboe Church of Nigeria: the first hundred years: the next jubilee'' (Uyo: QIC, 1987). * Robert L. MacKeown, ''Twenty-five years in Qua Iboe: the story of a missionary effort in Nigeria'' (London: Marshall Morgan and Scott, 1912).

External links

United Evangelical Church/QIC Utako Abuja National Worship CentreFacebook of United Evangelical Church/QIC Utako The Qua Iboe Church Mission Africa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bill, Samuel Presbyterian missionaries in Nigeria Irish Presbyterian missionaries 1864 births 1942 deaths British expatriates in Nigeria British Presbyterian missionaries Christian clergy from Belfast People from colonial Nigeria Members_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire