The Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Colonial Masters, and Christian Missionaries on African Christianity – Addressing the Misconception in Postmodern African Christianity
When many people in Africa today think about Christianity, what often comes to mind are painful memories tied to slavery, colonialism, and missionaries—the people who came to preach about Jesus while also standing alongside foreign rulers. But here’s the thing: in postmodern Africa, many mistakenly believe that slave traders, colonial masters, and missionaries were all part of the same force, working together. But were they really the same?
Let's take a step back. Christianity didn’t start in Africa with the Europeans. No, it was already here as early as the first century AD. North African cities like Alexandria in Egypt, Ethiopia, Aptunga in Tunisia, and Libya were some of the first places where Christianity took root. Think about that! While the Gospel was still spreading in Europe, there were already African Christians.
But here’s the reality: not all of Africa knew Christianity back then. Outside of North Africa, many parts of the continent were still following traditional religions or later saw the spread of Islam. So, when Europeans arrived much later, they weren’t bringing something new. They were reintroducing a faith Africa had once known—but now with the added baggage of colonial power and exploitation.
The Transatlantic Slave Trade: The First Wave of Exploitation
Picture this: It’s the 15th century, and European ships—Portuguese, Spanish, and later British and French—are docking along Africa’s coastline. At first, they buy slaves from existing markets. But as the demand for workers in the Americas grows, the Europeans become more forceful. They use guns and cannons to attack villages. Whole communities are burned, kingdoms fall apart, and millions of Africans are captured and shipped off to work on sugar, cotton, and tobacco plantations.
Now, take a moment to think: were these Europeans missionaries? No. They weren’t here to preach. They weren’t there to help. They were slave traders, looking to make money by exploiting people.
This is the first big misconception: slave traders and missionaries were not the same. Their only gospel was money.
Christian Missionaries: Preachers in a Time of Pain
Let’s fast forward a bit. By the 16th century, over a century after the transatlantic slave trade had started, missionaries begin arriving—first from Portugal, then from Britain, France, and others. Unlike the traders, missionaries came with a different message—about salvation and eternal life. They built schools, hospitals, and churches. Some even risked their lives to serve and uplift African communities. Think of David Livingstone or Mary Slessor, who walked barefoot across Calabar, saved babies, and built villages in places once abandoned by society.
But here’s the catch: these missionaries arrived at the same time as colonial powers. To the average African, it seemed like the missionaries were working hand-in-hand with the colonizers—one hand holding a Bible, the other holding a rifle.
Can you see why people might be suspicious? But here’s the truth: some missionaries actively opposed slavery. They preached against it and supported movements to abolish it. Take William Wilberforce from Britain—he played a huge role in ending the transatlantic slave trade. But the reality was more complicated. Some missionaries, sadly, allowed their work to be used to further the colonial agenda. So, the missionary story wasn’t all the same—it was messy. Some empowered, while others compromised.
Colonial Masters: The Heavy Hand of Control
By the late 19th century, the “Scramble for Africa” reached its peak. In 1884-1885, European powers met at the Berlin Conference to divide Africa up between them—without a single African voice present.
These colonial powers didn’t come with a message of salvation. They came to control land, take resources, and enforce their power. They used forced labor, new laws, and military might to control African lives.
And guess what? Even missionaries, with the best intentions, often found themselves caught up in this system. They needed protection from colonial governments to do their work, and so they became linked with the colonizers in the eyes of many Africans. Missionaries and colonial rulers were often seen as two sides of the same coin—one bringing spiritual control, the other bringing physical domination.
A Case Study: Dr. William Balfour Baikie and the Igbo People
Let’s zoom in on the Igbo people in Nigeria. They remember a British man named Dr. William Balfour Baikie, a colonial officer and explorer. Baikie led violent raids, killing people and capturing them as slaves, using military power to crush resistance. His actions were so brutal that the Igbos coined the word “Nwabeke” (meaning "child or brother to Bekie") to describe all Europeans. Even today, every white man is called “Beke” or “Nwabeke” by the Igbo. Baikie became a symbol of foreign intrusion, slavery, and domination.
For communities that had suffered such raids and brutality, it was impossible to see Christianity and colonialism as separate. The missionaries’ presence was forever tied to the pain of colonial rule.
Untangling the Misconception
So let’s break it down simply: were missionaries, slave traders, and colonial masters all the same? The answer is no.
- Slave traders came first, driven by profit.
- Colonial masters came later after the missionaries, driven by power.
- Missionaries came second, over 100 years after the transatlantic slave trade had begun, with the goal of spreading faith.
But because all of these forces often appeared together, African memory has mixed them all into one painful picture.
Reclaiming Christianity in Africa
So here’s the takeaway: Christianity was not invented by colonialism. It’s not the religion of slave traders, and it’s certainly not a “white man’s religion” as many might think. Christianity actually has African roots, reaching back to the time of the Apostles in the first century AD. That means the 16th-19th century European missionaries weren’t the first to bring Christianity to Africa. Christianity had already been there long before their arrival.
Yes, slavery and colonialism left deep scars. Yes, some missionaries were tied to oppressive powers. But Christianity itself is not to blame for those crimes. Today, we need to untangle the past and reclaim the faith as our own, rooted in African identity and offering healing, hope, and liberation, rather than a symbol of oppression.
Christianity is not foreign to Africa—it has always been part of our story. Let’s embrace it for what it truly is: a faith that heals and empowers us to rise above the wounds of history and build a future full of hope and freedom.
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