Staff Writer
Nigerian Jehovah’s Witnesses have inaugurated a historical museum to chronicle their 100 years of service to the nation.
The museum will also chronicle the remarkable tale of common Nigerians and foreigners, including men, women, and children, whose deeds of faith formed the basis for the flourishing activities of more than 400,000 witnesses in the nation.
In a statement, the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ spokesman Olusegun Eroyemi claimed that the museum in the Edo State town of Igieduma displayed the many impacts of non-witness actors that affected the spread of their activities both favorably and unfavorably.
He stated that Claude Brown, also known as Bible Brown, arrived in Nigeria in 1921, marking the start of the Witnesses’ history there. The Witnesses launched their evangelical work in the nation and opened their first branch office in the same year, according to the museum.
In Igieduma village, Edo State, Jehovah’s Witnesses has opened a historical museum, according to Eroyemi. The Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who were active in the foundation of their preaching and community development operations in Nigeria from 1921 are documented in the museum project titled 100 Years of Courage.
“Nigeria is a varied nation with a significant historical and cultural past. The country’s population has a variety of social, religious, and cultural traditions that go back many centuries. A new era in the history of the people who make up Nigeria was ushered in by the arrival of Christianity and its expanding number of faiths.
“Jehovah’s Witnesses represent a sizeable portion of Nigeria’s Christian population. This museum project was launched in the Jehovah’s Witnesses branch office in Igieduma village, Edo State, during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. The project chronicles the 100 years of witness work in Nigeria as well as the remarkable tale of common Nigerians and foreigners, men, women, and children, whose deeds of faith formed the cornerstone of the flourishing work of over 400,000 witnesses in Nigeria.
Speaking about the difficulties the Jehovah’s Witnesses encountered in Nigeria, Eroyemi said the country’s civil war added a new dimension to those difficulties. He also said that some Witnesses were killed by soldiers and others were killed because they refused to participate in the fighting in observance of God’s command in the Bible.
The flow of Bibles and publications based on the Bible became stretched as a result of the reduced communication, he continued. The Witnesses on both sides nevertheless bravely crossed the lines to bring literature and instructions to persons in the conflict zone, showing great acts of faith in the process.
The museum “captures the experiences of unique witnesses who took part in the perilous endeavour of visiting the combat zones to reach their audiences through heartwarming personal stories.
On the other side are brothers and sisters. The combination of creativity and faith was frequently on display.
“Unfortunately, several Witnesses were slain by soldiers, and others were killed for refusing to participate in the fighting, as God had said in the Bible (EXODUS 20:13), that one should not kill. In an intriguing turn of events, several of the wartime troops, including some who came across or even killed Jehovah’s Witnesses for opposing the war, later converted to the faith and became elders and missionaries.
