{"id":61,"date":"2016-10-13T06:21:05","date_gmt":"2016-10-13T05:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/egbadiocese.org\/?page_id=37"},"modified":"2022-07-15T10:24:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T10:24:25","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/egbadiocese.org\/?page_id=61","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n[et_pb_column type=\u201d4_4\u2033][et_pb_text admin_label=\u201dText\u201d]At the advent of Christianity in Nigeria, the first organized congregation was founded in January 4, 1843 when Mr. Henry Townsend (later Revd. Townsend) came into Abeokuta on the invitation of some Christian-returnees from Sierra Leone. The church established at that time has since metamorphosed into what we know today as the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake, Abeokuta. Initially, it was called Ake Church, built in 1844 and burnt down 1846. Its second structure known as Exeter Church was dedicated on March 21, 1847.<\/p>\n

This was the first building to be covered with corrugated iron sheets. By 1898 the third church building came under construction, completed, dedicated and named St. Peter\u2019s Church, Ake on February 1, 1900. It was popularly called \u2018church idi tower\u2019 in the twentieth century. It was from here that missionary ventures took off to Lagos, Ibadan and other hinterland of Yorubaland and that of Nigeria. Its compound accommodates the first educational institution in the country: St. Peter\u2019s Anglican School founded in 1846; it is the citadel of civilization in Nigeria. Some of the vital information in the annals of the first church in Nigeria are:<\/p>\n