INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Christian religion has come a long way with the first missionary station at Badagry in 1842. In 1857, the church missionary society established the first mission church at Onitsha under the leadership of Rev. Henry Townsend. From Onitsha, the gospel started its slow but steady journey into the interior. The C.M.S established a station at Enugu Ngwo in 1912. The visit of Rev. Isaac Uzowulu to Ngwo triggered off an

expansionist sprit among the missionaries

This itinerant evangelist embarked on house to house evangelism and established a station at Umuabi, Udi and Okpatu. From the station at Okpatu a mission station was found in Umulumgbe in 1936. In an interview with Elder Amadi of Eke,Town, he said that “Udi area witnessed missionary scramble in the second decade of the 20th Century”.

This pioneer position gave the Church missionary society added advantages. During this period many communities were desirous to open up C.M.S mission station in their communities. In the face of the increasing demand for mission contact, the Holy Ghost Congregation of the Roman Catholic mission emerged on the scene. Ilogu (1974) pointed out that 1885 witnessed the emergence of the Holy Ghost Congregation of the Roman Catholic Church in Igbo land. The entrance of Roman Catholic mission in Igbo land compelled missionary drive into the interior. This drive led to missionary rivalry in their adoption of apostolic policies. Ekeche pointed out that the Roman Catholic explored the interior through the creeks, from Aguleri, to Olo, Achalla, Owa and Oghe to Eke in 1914. Rev Fr. Aloysee Muller opened up a mission station at Eke with Mr. Ikem peter as the poiner teacher. From Eke, like the biblical mustered seed the church spread as far as Nsukka, Ogaja and Makurdi to the North, Ebenebe and Ida.

 From the above description, we can have a fair picture of the enormous apostolic activities of the pioneer missionaries of Eke. By 1889, Eke mission station has gave birth to five town parishes of Ebe, Abor, Ukana, Okpatu and Umulumgbe and constitutes mainly Roman Catholic population.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

 The Church Missionary Society and the Roman Catholic Church are two major actors in mission evangelism in Igboland.  As early as 1912. The presence of the C.M.S. was established at Enugu Ngwo and Udi area respectively. In spite of this early development the people of Odozor are dominantly Roman Catholics when compared to other areas in Udi Local

Government Council Area.

         This raises a number of questions such as:

(a)              What are the factors for the sudden twist of events in the C.M.S. evangelizing mission?

(b)             Can this sudden twist be attributed to method, charisma, strategies employed, and political influence of the local chiefs or inadequacy of trained local agents and laity groups?

1.3 Purpose of the Study

 The urge to undertake this study is to look into some distinctive religious and ecclesiastical issues of the various Christian missionary enterprises in Odozor Local Government Development Council with the view to find out the factors for the dominant presence of Roman Catholic

Church adherents viz-a- viz other areas in Udi Local Government Area Council.

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