“The Wind Blows Where It Will”: Transnational Formations in Early African Pentecostalism

An International Conference on the Origins of Christ Apostolic Church

in Nigeria and Ghana

held at Joseph Ayodele Babalola University

Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Nigeria

January 16-18, 2012

sponsored by New York Theological Seminary, Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, The Institute for Diasporan African Studies, and Christ Apostolic Church (First in the Americas), Brooklyn, NY with support from The Henry Luce Foundation

New York Theological Seminary, Joseph Ayodele Babalola University, The Institute for African Diasporan Studies, and Christ Apostolic Church (First in the Americas) with support from the Henry Luce Foundation are sponsoring a conference on transnational formations in early African Pentecostalism to be held January 16-18, 2012 on the campus of Joseph Ayodele Babalola University in Ikeji-Arakeji, Oshun State, Nigeria.  The conference will bring together scholars working on three continents to examine transnational dimensions of the origin and life of Christ Apostolic Church in both Nigeria and Ghana beginning in the first decades of the 20^th century.  The Christ Apostolic Churches claim today to be the first Pentecostal churches in West Africa.  The movement emerged in both Nigeria and Ghana under strong African leadership with transnational connections to the United States and England.  Today both churches continue to be characterized by significant transnational connections, having their headquarters in West Africa while maintaining a presence throughout the African diasporan world.  The conference will help shed light on the origins and development of Christ Apostolic Church while advancing understanding of global Pentecostalism and transnational and diasporan African church life.

The conference is open to the public.  There is no registration fee, and accommodations are available on the campus of Joseph Ayodele Babalola University at modest rates.  For more information on attending the conference and to register, see the attached flyer or email Professor Wanda Lundy at wlundy@nyts.edu.

Background

Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in both Nigeria and Ghana grew from a prayer movement at the beginning of the 20^th century to become churches with several million members world wide today.  Both bodies (Nigerian and Ghanaian) emerged in relationship to a congregation known as Faith Tabernacle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the USA, and later had a relationship with the Apostolic Church of Great Britain.  The manner in which CAC in both Ghana and Nigeria related to these overseas churches differed significantly from other mission-founded churches in West Africa in the 19^th and 20^th century and even from most African Initiated Churches.  In the case of CAC, there was no direct connection with western missionaries in Africa.  Faith Tabernacle published a regular paper which was sent to West Africa and read in both countries.  Faith Tabernacle corresponded with the West African leadership but sent no direct missionaries.  As a consequence both churches were fully African in leadership, identity, style of worship, and character of message from their inception.  Both churches also taught and practiced spiritual gifts, especially divine healing.  Both consider themselves today to belong to the global Pentecostal movement, albeit of African origins.

Method of the Conference

The conference will bring together an international group of scholars and students for three days.  Up to fifteen academic papers will be presented in plenary sessions with participants invited to respond in discussion formats.  Papers are expected to cover the origins of Christ Apostolic Church with a focus on the transnational (United States, Nigeria, Ghana, and the United Kingdom) connections, and a number of related factors.  Additional opportunities for conversation, historical explorations, and cultural exposure (including sessions with conference leaders and presenters meeting with church leaders, university leaders, the local media, and local political leaders) will also be scheduled.  The conference organizes expect to publish the papers presented at the conference as a single volume in either an academic press or as a separate edition in an existing scholarly journal.  The organizers also seek to build connections among the various researchers for further collaboration and study.

Conference Presenters

• Akintunde E. Akinade
  Visiting Associate Professor
  Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar
  Qatar

• David O. Alabi
  Department of Religious Studies
  Joseph Ayo Babalola University
  Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Nigeria

• Peter Olusegun Alokan
  Department of Religious Studies
  Joseph Ayo Babalola University
  Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Nigeria

• Martina Iyabo Atere
  Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Women Studies
  Lagos State University
  Ojo, Nigeria

• Deji Isaac Ayegboyin
  President and Professor of Church History
  Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary
  Ogbomoso, Nigeria

• Moses O. Biney
  Assistant Professor of Religion and Society
  Director of Research in the Center for the Study and Practice of Urban Ministry
  New York Theological Seminary
  New York, NY USA

• Anthea Butler
  Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Graduate Chair of Religion,
  University of Pennsylvania
  Philadelphia, PA, USA

• David D. Daniels
  Henry Winters Luce Professor of World Christianity
  McCormick Theological Seminary
  Chicago, IL, USA

• Gbenga Famojuro
  Pastor, Christ Apostolic Church (First in the Americas)
  Brooklyn, NY, USA

• Apostle John Adjormo Gama
  Missions Director
  Christ Apostolic Church International
  Accra, Ghana

• Wandy Lundy
  Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies
  Associate Director of the Doctor of Ministry
  New York Theological Seminary
  New York, NY, USA

• Adam Mohr
  Senior Writing Fellow, Critical Writing Program and Department of Anthropology
  University of Pennsylvania
  Philadelphia, PA, USA

• Eleanor Moody-Shepherd (joint paper)
  Vice President for Academic Affairs & Academic Dean
  Professor of Women’s Studies
  New York Theological Seminary
  New York, NY USA

• Daniel Nyante
  Executive Director
  The Institute for Diasporan African Culture
  Brooklyn, NY, USA

• Mercy Amba Oduyoye
  Director of the Institute of African Women in Religion and Culture
  Trinity Theological Seminary
  Legon, Ghana

• Matthews A. Ojo
  Professor in the Department of Religious Studies
  Obafemi Awolowo University
  Ile-Ife, Nigeria

• Christopher Olubunmi Oshun
  Professor of Christian Studies and Church History
  Lagos State University
  former Vice-Chancellor, Joseph Ayodele Babalola
  Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, Nigeria

• Eva Shaw-Taylor
  Associate Director
  The Institute for Diasporan African Culture
  Bowie, Maryland, USA

• John D. Y. Peel
  Professor, Department of Anthropology and Sociology
  School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
  London, UK