Hello ,

Last week, on 22 February, we were in Ibadan for the launch of a new book on Bishop Ajayi Crowther. Titled Passing the Baton, it’s written by the Most Reverend Joseph Olatunji Akinfenwa, Bishop of Ibadan Anglican diocese, and covers an aspect of Crowther’s life hardly touched by scholars: his life as a model father and husband.

“In this book, I have made a connection between the past and the present,” Archbishop Akinfenwa said in an interview with the Crowther Project, shortly after the book’s presentation. “You will see family meetings still being held in the name of Ajayi Crowther, and the minutes of their meeting and so on and so forth.

 Some members of the Crowther Project Team with Bishop Joseph Akinfenwa, the author of the book Passing The Baton

Crowther, Unknown

The book came on the back of a doctoral thesis researched by the author while studying Church History at the University of Ilorin.

“The agreement to write on this great man of God, a legend as it were, was made between myself and my professors,” Akinfenwa added, shedding more light on the process that resulted in the 209-page book. “And I think they considered my person as an Archbishop, as an Anglican leader, and looking at what was missing here and there, and decided that because of my interests and my position in the church, it will give it a lot of credence if we delved into hitherto unknown waters and bring out some salient, forgotten things about Bishop Crowther and his family, which other writers must have ignored or neglected.”

Describing Crowther as “the most notable African Christian of the 19^th century,” Akinfenwa, 66, stressed the need for Nigeria to still do more in Crowther’s memory as a pioneer on several fronts, including his groundbreaking translations of the English Bible into different languages.

“Ajayi Crowther is our history, Ajayi Crowther is our heritage. Ajayi Crowther is our great example of tolerance, of hard work, of impartiality, because as he trained and raised ministers, he was also empowering the wives of the ministers,” he continued, describing some of Crowther’s exemplary life and conduct.

“For the sake of their family. He did so many things, even in terms of leadership; during the crises when he was humiliated, he humbled himself under the cross, which is the example of Christ. According to history, this is a man who has been showing us the example of Christ-likeness in all of his dealings.”

Pelu Awofeso poses with a copy of Passing The Baton

A missionary and family man

Most Reverend Akinfenwa was born in Zaria and started his journey into priesthood in 1987 in Kaduna. The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) elected him the Lord Bishop of the Sokoto diocese, where he served for many years before his transfer in 2000 to Ibadan.

In Passing the Baton, Akinfenwa notes that while Crowther selflessly committed himself to his missionary duties, he didn’t let his family life suffer, describing him as an outstanding spouse and father in Christ.

“While being on the road on many occasions, he was never unfaithful to his wife, remaining loyal and a stellar model for missionaries and ministers who also spent a lot of time on the road,” he writes in the section detailing Crowther’s marriage and parenting style.

“Furthermore, Bishop Crowther ensured that his wife and children had no sense of lack. While often being away from home, he was still able to ensure that his children remained upright in Christ. Even beyond that, his family remained together up until their children were full-grown adults with children and lives of their own.”

In other News

An exhibition (30 March – 19 April) of ceramics has open at the Yusuf Grillo Gallery at the Yaba College of Technology. Themed ‘Beyond Limit’ and curated by Mathew Oyedele, it features the works of eight young ceramists and guest participation by Ato Arinze. Oyedele says his intention is to bring the art of ceramics into more reckoning in the artistic/ creative space in Nigeria.

“The main purpose of this is to build a platform for the exhibition and promotion of ceramic works,” he said at the exhibition’s opening day.

“We have lots of events, programmes and exhibitions in Lagos, but before you see one ceramics piece you would have seen multiple paintings, sculptures, knit media and other forms of art. Ceramics are rarely exhibited.”

Pelu Awofeso with Matthew Oyedele

With this exhibition, he added, he plans to draw more attention to this artistic stand, so that ceramics get their own deserved space at the table.

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P.S: If you are interested in buying Passing The Baton you can place your order directly from us.

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Pelu Awofeso

For: The Bishop Crowther Project