Secessionist Movement in Church History: A Critical Analysis of the Protestant Churches’ Separation from the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.

Abstract

The secessionist movement, particularly evident in the Protestant Churches’ separation from the Anglican Communion, was a critical period in the history and development of Christianity in Nigeria. The schism within the Anglican Church led to the proliferation of churches and the expansion of denominations in Nigeria. Thus, this paper critically delves into the historical, social, and theological factors that engendered the separation of ‘Protestant Churches’ from the Anglican Church in Nigeria, while assessing its theological and ecclesiastical implications, the objective being to provide a comprehensive account of the underlying motivations behind the breakaway, and its consequences on Nigeria’s multi-faceted religious landscape. With the aid of content analysis method of research, which relies essentially on the collection and analysis of secondary data, the study finds out that a complex interplay of colonialism, cultural dynamics, and doctrinal differences contributed to the emergence of distinct Protestant denominations in Nigeria during the colonial period. Furthermore, the paper contends that the role of the secessionist movement in shaping and reshaping religious identities, practices, interactions and discourses within the country cannot be over-emphasized, thus, deserving the critical attention of the intellectual community.