Cornelius Adam Igbudu

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Cornelius Adam Igbudu (1914–1981) was a Nigerian religious figure known for founding the Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS), an evangelical group in the Anglican Church of Nigeria. [1] He was credited with healing ability. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Legacy

The Nigerian independent churches God's Grace Ministry and New Glory Revival Ministry were traced back to the evangelistic ministry of Cornelius Adam Igbudu in the Nigerian Anglican Church. [5] Cornelius Adam Igbudu was promoted to the status of a saint, and a church was named after him (St. Adam's Anglican Church at Oghio in the Olomu area of Delta State, Nigeria). A secondary school in Araya (Adam Igbudu Memorial Secondary School) [6] and a bible school in Emevor (Adam Igbudu Christian Institute) were named after him. [7]

The Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS) has not gone defunct along with Cornelius Adam Igbudu in 1981. [8] He was said to have had a disagreement with a prominent Nigerian Isoko cleric, Archbishop Christian Aggrey Apena, whom he accused of "disturbing his ministry" in the Nigerian Anglican Church. [9]

In 1992, Michael Y. Nabofa wrote a book about his life, titled Adam: The Evangelist. [10] In May 1998, Sam U. Erivwo wrote that Cornelius Adam Igbudu was held "in very high regard" by Bishop Agori Iwe, his contemporary. [11]

Igbudu was also remembered for his remarkable contribution to the spread of Christianity in Nigeria through the Anglican Adam Preaching Society. [12] Igbudu was later dubbed "Isoko's Greatest Evangelist" because he was said to have "won thousands to Christ". [13] Igbudu was also later eulogised for "his immense contributions to the spread of the gospel of Christ across Nigeria", with a tribute by Isaiah Egedegbe describing him as "a reputable evangelistic catalyst for gospel propagation and church growth". [14] [15]

In spite of being "one of the most Isoko influential pastors we had then", who was said to have "left unbeatable legacies in the Christian race in Isoko", yet it is only the AAPS members and few Isoko gospel singers that celebrate Igbudu's life today. [16]

History

Cornelius Adam Igbudu was born to Igbudu Etatimi and Ajeminemu sometime around 1914 and hailed from the rustic village of Araya, whose predominant religion at the time was African traditional religion. [17]

Igbudu later converted to Christianity and joined the Anglican Church of Nigeria, where he was ordained an evangelist. [17] He became a force to reckon with, carried out his evangelistic activities outside the Church and successfully made many people to accept the Christian faith. [13]


Apart from his evangelical exploits, Igbudu was also noted for his composition of Isoko gospel songs that have become known today as 'Kirimomo'. [13] [17] He was credited with revolutionizing the Anglican Church of Nigeria by introducing indigenous gospel songs that appeal to the spirituality of the Isoko people in the Niger Delta region. [13] [17] He was, therefore, considered as "a man whose Isoko self-composed songs inspired many". [13]

Described by E. Onosemuode as "a great musical reformer among Isoko and Urhobo Christians", [18] Igbudu's name continues to be seen as being among those "who could be regarded as pioneers" of indigenous African music, much later with others such as Evi Edna Ogholi and Kefee Obareki Don Momoh emerging. [19]

The Isoko gospel songs otherwise known as 'Kirimomo' or 'Ebio' were originally Igbudu's style of music in Isokoland and beyond, which has since become a Christian native air genre of both the Isoko and Urhobo people in Delta State. [20] They were mainly sung by the evangelistic choral groups of the A.A.P.S., especially at open-air crusades and during church revival programmes, in the ever-rhythmic Isoko melodious tunes and sounds from the South-South of Nigeria. [20]

With several former adherents of African traditional religion renouncing their idols and accepting the Christian faith through Igbudu's ministry, [21] today Christianity is becoming more acceptable than it ever has before. [22]

The evangelistic campaigns of Igbudu made him tour rural areas in Isokoland and beyond, preaching about salvation and renunciation of idol worship. He was also said to have "visited church after church winning converts and strengthening believers". [23]

Death and burial

Cornelius Adam Igbudu died aged 67 on 12 March 1981 and was buried at his compound at Araya on 4 April 1981. [13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Cornelius Adam Igbudu: Isoko's Greatest Evangelist". NewsNGR. 15 March 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Igbudu, Cornelius Adam". Dictionary of African Christian Biography.
  3. ↑ "History of the Founder". Anglican Adam Preaching Society. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Edeigba, Linus (23 August 2022). Adam Igbudu: He got provoked in the spirit and commanded his dead father to come back to life. Infopedia Publication. ASIN   B0BBQ9JRNQ.
  5. ↑ Smit, Johannes; Kumar, Pratap (2018). Study of Religion in Southern Africa: Essays in Honour of G.C. Oosthuizen. BRILL. p. 108. ISBN   978-904-740-749-2.
  6. ↑ "Foundation Brings Succour To Students In Isokoland, Donates 50,000 Notebooks". BigPen Nigeria. 31 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Agamugoro, Peters (12 February 2022). "Adam Igbudu Christian Institute Graduates 26 Masters Degree Students!". Anglican Diocese of Warri. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Erivwo, Samuel U. (1979). The Urhobo, the Isoko and the Itsekiri: A History of Christianity in Nigeria. Daystar Press. p. 139. ISBN   978-978-122-139-2.
  9. ↑ Eyoboka, Sam; Abugoh, Gladys (1 December 2013). "Why I fought Idahosa, Anglicans - Archbishop Christian Aggrey Apena". Vanguard News. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Nabofa, Michael Y. (1992). Adam: The Evangelist. Daystar Press. ISBN   978-978-122-224-5.
  11. ↑ Professor Sam U. Erivwo. "FOREWORD". Urhobo Historical Society.
  12. ↑ "Professor Michael Nabofa's Account of Translation of the Holy Bible into Urhobo Language". Archived from the original on 25 February 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cornelius Adam Igbudu: Isoko's Greatest Evangelist". Archived from the original on 1 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "One moment, please". Archived from the original on 9 June 2024.
  15. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240609224848/https://www.nggossips.com/2024/06/09/exploring-the-life-of-evangelist-cornelius-adam-igbudu/
  16. ↑ Odidi, Godday. "We don't have influential Pastors and Musicians in Isoko-Pastor Odidi". The Nigerian Voice. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "The History of Late Chief Cornelius Adam Igbudu (Founder) 1914-1981". Isoko.com.ng. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  18. ↑ Smit, Johannes; Kumar, Pratap (2018). Study of Religion in Southern Africa: Essays in Honour of G.C. Oosthuizen. BRILL. p. 105. ISBN   978-904-740-749-2.
  19. ↑ Salawu, Abiodun; Fadipe, Israel A. (2022). Indigenous African Popular Music, Volume 1: Prophets and Philosophers. Springer Nature. p. 157. ISBN   978-303-097-884-6.
  20. 1 2 Enuwosa, J. (2005). "Kirimomo: A Hermeneutical Approach in Gospel Proclamation among the Urhobo of the Niger Delta". Study of Religion in Southern Africa. pp. 97–113. doi:10.1163/9789047407492_008. ISBN   978-90-474-0749-2.
  21. ↑ "THE LIFE AND WORK OF AGORI IWE FIRST BISHOP OF BENIN DIOCESE (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)". Urhobo Historical Society. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  22. ↑ "HISTORY OF URHOBO PEOPLE". EdoWorld.net. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023.
  23. ↑ Onibere, S. G. A.; Adogbo, Michael P. (2010). Selected Themes in The Study of Religions in Nigeria. African Books Collective. p. 72. ISBN   978-978-842-224-2.

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