The 170 year old church says it will build a cathedral at a site in Badagry “where Christianity was first preached in Nigeria.”

The Methodist Church of Nigeria will celebrate 170 years of Christianity in Nigeria with the foundation laying ceremony of the Badagry Tourist Chapel on September 24.

The Bishop of Badagry Diocese, Emmanuel Ahisu, said on Monday in Badagry that Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State would perform the foundation laying ceremony.

Mr. Ahisu said that arrangements are being made for the historic event to commemorate how Christianity came to Nigeria through Badagry.

The chapel will be built at the site of Agia Tree Monument in Badagry, where Christianity was first preached in Nigeria. As history has it, Christianity was first preached in Badagry on September 24, 1842, by Thomas Birch Freeman of Wesley Mission (now Methodist Church).

The Agia Tree was uprooted by a heavy rain storm at exactly 11.45 p.m. on June 20, 1959. Mr. Ahisu, however, said that as part of the anniversary, an inter-denominational service would hold at Freeman Memorial Methodist Cathedral.

“We are also converging on Shagamu for the inter–zonal football competition, while the U-21 female and U-17 boys and relay race would take place at Gate Way International Stadium,’’ he said.

Mr. Ahisu said that other activities lined up for the celebration include an evangelical service at Melon Memorial Methodist Cathedral, Shagamu in Ogun.

NAN