Peyton Adams Eubank
Missionary - Africa 1882 - 1892

Memories of a Missionary Tour of Duty in Africa: 1882 - 1892
by Laura Boardman Houchens Eubank
Wife of Rev. Peyton Adams Eubank
Missionaries To Nigeria 1882
Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board, Richmond, VA.

A Small Remainder of the Old Converts

I have said that we found just a mall remainder of the old converts. Our church in Abbeokuta began with this few. I remember my husband once called them together to consult with them as to the best method of getting the people interested in our work. Idonu, one of these men whom, I am afraid had no high degree of either intellect or spiritually, got up and gave his idea "Give them chops; (food) if you give them plenty of chops they will be interested" We smiled at Idonu's crusade notions of religious work, but in these later days I smile again when I see the most intelligent, enlightened Christians, who cannot hold a religious conference of any kind not even a prayer meeting - without some sort of a dinner to get the people interested. Give 'em chops! It works!

The religion of the people was a Pagan form of worship - idolatry have heard they had :400 gods but never knew all of them. They had many images each representing something.. They believed in Olorun - one God over all. They did not think that death was the end. If a child died and the mother had another child afterward, they believed it was the same child come back. In front of each house was a small burner, call "The Devil's House", where they made offerings to the Devil to prevent his coming into their homes. They always wore some kind of charm to ward off evil, especially if going on a journey. Useless to say, they were very superstitious. Their offerings of prayer were to propitiate the gods and keep off evil, or to secure blessings, many children or great wealth. (Spiritual blessings were not known or desired.)

 


August 2000 - Notes - WRE Jr.

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