ECWA is one of the largest church denominations in Nigeria, reaching about five million people. Its registered Head Headquarters office is situated at No 1 Noad Avenue, Jos, Nigeria. ECWA is a partner church of the international Christian Mission Organization: Serving In Mission. (SIM, formerly Sudan Interior Mission). It was founded in 1954 when the SIM-related churches (initially in Nigeria) came together to form an indigenous body. Since that time, mission stations, Bible Schools, academic schools, and medical programs have been transferred to ECWA leadership.

Throughout Nigeria but especially in the central regions, ECWA churches are growing rapidly. Some churches have experienced as much as 400% growth in the last several years.2 Churches in the Northern (traditionally more Islamic) parts of the country are also growing. There are currently more than five thousand ECWA congregations with more than five million attendees and a church membership of over three million people. ECWA has started three Theological Seminaries (ECWA Theological Seminary Igbaja, established 1941, Jos ECWA Theological Seminary, established 1980, and ECWA Theological Seminary, Kagoro founded in 1931), eight Bible colleges and fifteen theological training institutes. ECWA’s Medical Department co-ordinates a wide network which includes four hospitals, a community health programme with over 110 health clinics, a central pharmacy and the School of Nursing and Midwifery. It is also involved in radio, publications for outreach and discipleship, rural development, urban ministries, and cross-cultural missions. There are more than 1600 missionaries from ECWA churches who serve in Nigeria and other countries with the Evangelical Missionary Society (EMS), the missionary arm of ECWA.

Meaning of ECWA

The name Sudan Interior Mission (S.I.M) was adopted by pioneers of a Christian Mission whose sole objective was to open the Sudan, the land of the blacks from the West to the East of Africa between the equator and Sahara desert, to the gospel of Christ. A month after landing in Lagos, Bingham wrote a letter to Mr. J.C. Hindle of Southport, England and said “… we have decided to call the mission “The Sudan Interior Mission.”

There were times, however, when it was called by other names. In 1901 it was known as the African Industrial Mission. In 1905 it became known as African Evangelistic Mission. The name was again changed to the Sudan United Mission in 1906. The original name, the Sudan Interior Mission was reverted to in 1907. Reasons for these frequent changes in the name within seven years are not clear. The aim, however, remained unchanged at anytime; the sixty million lives in the ‘dark Sudan’ must be reached for Christ and this aim was resolutely pursued. The degree of its achievement was quite remarkable.  By 1954 a move had been made to indigenize the mission hence the name; the name Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) was adopted. In 2011, the Evangelical Church of West Africa was changed to Evangelical Church Winning All. The name reflects the evangelical nature of the Mission, while the vision that the work would extend to other countries in West Africa inspired its authors to extend its scope beyond African borders.

History of ECWA

It all started in 1893 when Mrs. Gowans, the mother of a Canadian young man, Walter Gowans, saw the vision of Sudan as a dark area waiting for spiritual illumination and decided that her son, Walter Gowans should be used by God for that purpose. She got two more willing hands in this regard –Thomas Kent and Roland Victor Bingham. The three landed in Lagos on December 4, 1893. They were warned by the Methodist missionaries of the dangers ahead but they remained undaunted. Bingham stayed in Lagos to get supplies from home and maintained contact with friends, while the remaining two moved on the Interior. Gowans soon died in Girku near Zaria on November 17, 1894. He was buried in a cornfield by his servant. Tom Kent was taken ill with malaria and also died at Bida on December 8, 1894. Bingham returned home. Mission impossible? Far from that –Bingham  came back to Africa in 1900. He was again dissuaded by missionaries and by the ‘devil’ himself from making another attempt to the Sudan. He was ill again and on medical advice, ordered home. The two companions who had promised to carry on while he was away, could not make good their promises but left Lagos for home by the next boat.8 Mission impossible? Far from it.

Bingham got three other willing missionaries, namely: E.A. Anthony, Charles Robinson and Albert Taylor who were ready to make the third attempt while another, A.W. Banfields joined the party later. Also with the help Sir Frederick Lugard who gave them a safe passage, they got to Patigi to build the first mission home in 1901.9 There; Dr. Andrew P. Stirret also worked as a Missionary and doctor but within two years of the four missionaries –Anthony, Robinson and Taylor had died leaving only Banfield.

1n 1904, the second SIM station opened at Wushishi was headed by Mr. F.E. Hein. In 1908, the third SIM station was opened at Egbe under the supervision of Tommie Titcombe. In 1912, another station was opened at Oro-Ago by Guy Playfair. In 1915, the Mission at Agunjin was started. From Agunjin the SIM Missionary work spread to most Igbomina villages. Although progress was very slow, the Mission at Agunjin later became the nucleus of SIM expansion into Igbomina land.

Understandably, Ilorin remained untouched by the mission’s efforts until the early part of 1940s. The Islamic adherents in the town jealously guarded against any outside influence –particularly from missionaries –on the religion. The colonial government, in line with official policy in this regard would not allow the missionaries to operate so freely in a provincial capital and at the headquarters of the Emir. By 1942, however, the necessity to have a mission station where missionaries going to Igbomina and Yagba towns would receive their supplies became quite obvious.

All missionaries passing through Ilorin had made use of a building belonging to the church missionary society which was formerly occupied by Bishop Smith. With the departure of Bishop Smith, the house was used by all missionaries as a Rest House. That building became inadequate for the SIM missionaries whose number had grown to the extent that by 1943 they had been operating seven European-Staff stations that depended on Ilorin for supplies and transport facilities. It became necessary for the Mission to apply for certificate of occupancy for land to build a rest house and accommodation for a resident transport agent in Ilorin.

This was granted in 1943 and work began on it in 1944. Elder R.B. Buremoh was the main contractor, the Missionaries kept strictly to the purposes the buildings were put up for as contained on the certificate of occupancy. No attempt was made to establish a local SIM church until 1946 when the move was made by Rev. C.P. Jenson.

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