Attached is the bifobaLetterToOldBoys.pdfletter to old boys.

THE MAN: THOMAS BIRCH FREEMAN (1809 – 1890)

Thomas Birch Freeman (December 6, 1809 – August 12, 1890) was a missionary of Anglo- African descent who established the Methodist Church on a firm footing in the Gold Coast and extended its work to Lagos and Badagry, in Nigeria.

He was born in 1809 in Twyford, near Winchester, Hampshire, England. His father was an African freeman called Thomas, and his mother was Amy Birch, an Englishwoman who had had three children by her first husband, John Birch. His father died when he was six and he lived with his mother in Twyford.

He was introduced to Methodism as a boy by a shoemaker on whom he and his playmates used to play tricks. Like his father, he first worked as a gardener, and was a keen student of Botany. He became Botanist and head Gardener to Sir Robert Harland at Orwell Park, near Ipswich in Suffolk. He had a good knowledge of Latin botanical names and read avidly.

Years later when he was in West Africa, he corresponded with Sir William Hooker (1785 – 1865), the first Director of Kew Gardens near London, the world’s leading botanical institution, on West African flowers and trees. Freeman also collected information on tropical fauna for Kew Gardens.

His enthusiasm for Methodism displeased his employer, Sir Robert Harland, who told him to choose between his job and the new religion. The Methodist Mission Society in England had just made an appeal for missionaries in Africa, and Thomas felt he had been called by God to go there. He left his job and after he had preached a good sermon at a Methodist conference in Leeds, England in October 1837, was appointed as minister, on a trial basis, at Cape Coast. He had been ordained in Islington Chapel, London on October 10, 1837. A few days later he married Elizabeth Boot, Sir Robert and Lady Harland’s housekeeper, and sailed with her for Cape Coast on November 5, arriving on January 3, 1838.

But Thomas fell ill and had to be nursed by his wife, who then died suddenly. Thomas recovered from his illness and from the blow of his wife’s death and started work. Freeman was the first Methodist Missionary to arrive at Badagry in Nigeria on September 24, 1842, accompanied by William de Graft and his wife. They were permitted to establish a mission there and had completed a mission house and a chapel there by the end of November and William de Graft was put in charge.

Freeman and de Grafts left for Abeokuta at the written invitation of the Alake (ruler), Shodeke. They were well received and preached in the palace courtyard. Freeman presented a Bible to the Alake.

Before retiring, Freeman supervised the building of several churches, held religious revival camp meetings and wrote a couple of books one of which is ‘Missionary Enterprise No Fiction’. Among other things he had to face opposition from a Muslim sect which came to the Fante area from Lagos, but neutralized its influence by opening a school in the area. He opened a new chapel at Mankesim, and baptized several converts with his son, Thomas Birch Freeman Jr. who had also been ordained a Methodist minister.

After being the principal preacher at the jubilee of the Gold Coast Methodist Mission, held in 1885, he retired, living in a small house near Accra until his 81 years. His final days were spent in the Methodist Mission House in Accra, when he died on August 12, 1890.

CONSTITUTION REVIEW COMMITTEE (CRC)

Gentlemen and Fellow Old Boys:

Consistent with the Global President’s Year 2012 Report, with specific reference to the inauguration of the subject Committee, kindly be informed that the 11-man Constitution Review Committee (CRC), under the Chairmanship of Barr. Kingsley Essien (Vice President, School Affairs (BIFOBA National) will be formally inaugurated during BIFOBA (Headquarters) Nigeria’s General Meeting of Sunday, 10^th March, 2013 commencing at 4.00 pm Nigerian time.

All BIFOBA members and particularly, the CRC members in Diaspora are advised to connect Lagos (the meeting) on Skype to join in and/or witness the Inauguration ceremony.

Listed below for Old Boys’ information and use are the contact details of members of the CRC.

Members are enjoined to actively participate in the Constitution review process to fashion out an acceptable yet enduring Constitution to guide BIFOBA affairs going forward by sending memoranda by e-mail, addressed to the CRC Chairman and copying all other CRC members.

For BIFOBA (Headquarters) Exco’s use, all such memos should also be copied to BIFOBA’s e-mail address viz: bifoba@gmail.com.

Yours faithfully

DADA AJAI-IKHILE

GENERAL SECRETARY

BIFOBA (NATIONAL) 

BIFOBA’S CONSTITUTION REVIEW COMMITTEE

MEMBERS’ DETAILS & CONTACT INFORMATION

NAMES	LOCATION	E-MAIL
(1)   Barr. Kingsley Essien	(Chairman) BIFOBA (National)	barrkingsleyessien@yahoo.com
(2)   Barr. Dipo Shotonwa	(Member)	daslawajara@yahoo.com
(3)   Dr. Jide Idowu	(Member)	iremed18@yahoo.com
(4)   Barr. Ade Agunbiade	(Member)	adeimran@yahoo.com
(5)   Mr. Kunle Williams	(Member)	olakunlewilliams@yahoo.com
(6)   Dr. Kayode Oloruntola	(Member)	teekayoloruntola@yahoo.com
(7)   Mr. Alli Oseni	(Member)	aoseni@msn.com
(8)   Dr. Olumide Aderoba	(Member)	robagun@yahoo.com
(9)   Mr. Kola Odunlami	(Member)	todunlami2006@gmail.com
(10)Mr. Biola Olaifa	(Member)	abiolla@gmail.com
(11)Mr. Mike Mogaha	Gen Sec)    BIFOBA (National)	esomyke@yahoo.co.uk

Memphis 2014

Memphis 2014: NA Reunion’s Report

On Friday, July 18 through Sunday, July 20, 2014, (BIFOBA) North America chapter organized the seventh alumni reunion in Memphis, Tennessee. The event was held at Homewood Suite, Hilton Hotel in Memphis. Alumni, families and friends across North America gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of the past, review the present, and look toward the successful future for the chapter and BIFOBA as a whole.

On Friday of the event, members started arriving at the venue as early as 8 am. By 2 pm, members already gathered in the hall of the venue, exchanging pleasantries, regaling one another with tales of their times at BFHS, and wearing T-shirt (dedicated in honor of the two departed illustrious members:  Dr. Igbuan Oyakhire and Ras. David Tunde Lowo).

By 4 pm, it was a fun time: alumni, families, and friends gathered by the swimming pool of the hotel for a delicious cook out of “Suya” meat, roasted plantains and corns, mixed vegetable salads and fruits, along with red and white variety of great Italian wine. The cookout celebration continued until early Saturday morning.

On Saturday, breakfast was ready by 6 am and, by 8:30 am, morning session of the reunion kicked-off with a prayer. After prayer, Mr. Niyi Fagbamiye, North America President, reminded members of the theme of the 2014 reunion: “Living In America”. The “theme” denotes the daily essential of making a quality living pertaining to – Physical Health Check-up, Estate Planning, Family Togetherness and, much more, the NA president explained.

During the session, Dr. Olumide Aderoba talked extensively on the essentials of having regular medical check-up and the importance of doing annual (medical) physical, while Mr. Kayode Elutilo and Mr. Barry Adebowale (CPA) spoke at great length on the importance of having a good personal financial planning, a living will, and a power of attorney respectively. 

By 11 am, the session ended and immediately followed by refreshments of a variety of sandwiches and snacks, with cool drinks (plus wine) to wash it down.

The annual general meeting of the reunion began at 2 pm, with a prayer from Pastor Samuel Ogunyooye. With many members across North America joining the meeting via satellite telephone-conference, members deliberated extensively on the accomplishments of the chapter, reviewed the present, and discussed about future programs and the overall successful future for the chapter and BIFOBA as a whole. Members discussed thoroughly on how the chapter could improve on its financial reporting.

At the end of the general meeting, alumni in Atlanta, led by Mr. Idowu Etefia, expressed their wish to host the next reunion again. Since there was no other city vying with them, all members voted for Atlanta, Georgia to host 2015 reunion.

One of the climaxes of the general meeting was when BIFOBA president Mr. Feyisola Dinyo called in from Nigeria. All members were thrilled to hear his voice and thanked him for his excellent leadership. The president apologized for his inability to attend this year NA reunion, and specially thanked the host of the reunion: Dr. Olumide Aderoba and Mr. Charles Adadevoh. BIFOBA president urged members to spare a thought for our dear departed Colleagues (Mr. Lowo and Dr. Oyakhire). The president gave members a brief update on the events at the national level and wished everybody a very successful reunion. (Expect news on national events as reported by BIFOBA president)

Shortly after President Feyi Dinyo’s call, the national vice-president Mr. Ladi Lewis (government affairs) also called in from Nigeria. Mr. Ladi Lewis wished all members a happy reunion.

By 4 pm, the annual general meeting of North America chapter was over and followed immediately with another light refreshments and photo session.

The main event took off at 7:30 pm, with a prayer and singing of the school’s hymn. After singing, Mr. Niyi Fagbamiye (North America chapter’s president) delivered his speech. He thanked members and their families for coming and officially welcomed everybody to the 2014 reunion.

After the NA president’s speech, the buffet party took off in a grand style. Members ate, drank, exchanged pleasantries, and socialized (dance, dance, dance) all night long until early Sunday morning.

During the buffet party, live band show from Mr. Benjamin Adadevoh and his wife, children game competitions, raffles, and auction sales – all these activities –  added colors and excitements to the grand occasion.

By 5:30 am on Sunday, the 2014 North America chapter’s reunion in Memphis, Tennessee finally ended.

Thomas Birch Freeman

1809 to 1890
Methodist
Ghana/Nigeria

Thomas Birch Freeman (December 6, 1809-August 12, 1890) was a missionary of Anglo-African descent who established the Methodist Church on a firm footing in the Gold Coast, and extended its work to Lagos and Badagry, in Nigeria.

He was born in 1809 in Twyford, near Winchester, Hampshire, England. His father was an African freeman called Thomas, and his mother was Amy Birch, an Englishwoman who had had three children by her first husband, John Birch. His father died when he was six, and he lived with his mother in Twyford, where he must have had a reasonably good education, although there is no record of the schools he attended

He was introduced to Methodism as a boy by a shoemaker on whom he and his playmates used to play tricks. Like his father he first worked as a gardener, and was a keen student of botany. He became botanist and head gardener to Sir Robert Harland at Orwell Park, near Ipswich in Suffolk. He had a good knowledge of Latin botanical names, and read avidly. Years later. When he was in West Africa, he corresponded with Sir William Hooker (1785-1865), the first director of Kew Gardens near London, the world’s leading botanical institution, on West African flowers and trees. Freeman also collected information on tropical fauna for Kew Gardens.

His enthusiasm for Methodism displeased his employer, Sir Robert Harland, who told him to choose between his job and the new religion. The Methodist Mission Society in England had just made an appeal for missionaries in Africa, and Thomas felt he had been called by God to go there. He left his job, and, after he had preached a good sermon at a Methodist conference in Leeds, England, in October 1837, was appointed as minister, on a trial basis, at Cape Coast. He had been ordained in Islington Chapel, London, on October 10, 1837. A few days later he married Elizabeth Boot, Sir Robert and Lady Harland’s housekeeper, and sailed with her for Cape Coast on November 5, arriving on January 3, 1838.

But Thomas fell ill and had to be nursed by his wife, who then died suddenly. Thomas recovered from his illness and from the blow of his wife’s death, and started work. He made friends with Captain George Maclean. British governor from 1830-43, who gave him encouragement. He also took advice from those who knew the country. He bought a bigger and healthier house for the Mission, and built the first Methodist Church at Cape Coast, opened on June 10, 1838. He also supervised the building of churches at Anomabu, 5 miles (8km) to the east, and at Dominase, 18 mi (28 km) to the northeast, of Cape Coast. He trained two Fante youths. William de Graft and John Martin, for what was called the “native” ministry, since he himself was regarded as an Englishman. He made friends with several chiefs, and became known as the “white fetish priest”. Since he had arrived on a Wednesday, and was the fourth Methodist missionary, the Africans called him Kwaku Anan.

He recommended to the Methodist Mission in England that boarding schools be established to train teachers and preachers, far from the influence of non-Christian communities. His education curriculum excluded the study of local languages and manual labor for boys. He never learned to speak or write Fante, and this was his greatest shortcoming as a missionary. He started regular missionary meetings on September 3, 1838, with Governor Maclean presiding over the first one. In October 1838 a Methodist Church was established by Freeman in Accra, and a school was started with John Martin as the head. Missions were established along the coast from Dixcove, 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Takoradi, to the west, to Winneba, 35 miles (56 km) west of Accra, to the east.

In 1839 Freeman decided to go to Assante to establish a mission there. His motives were suspected by the Asante, however, and he had to wait for nearly seven weeks before the Asantehene, Kwaku Dua I (ruled 1834-67), would see him. He arrived at Kumase on April 1, 1839, and tried to persuade the Asantehene to allow him to build a church and a school. His request was not granted, and he left for Cape Coast on April 15. His Journal of a Visit to Ashanti was published in England in installments in Wesleyan Missionary Notices, and led to the enrollment of more missionaries for the Gold Coast in January 1840.

In 1840 he visited England with William de Graft to try and raise funds for the Gold Coast Mission. He met the Methodist Missionary Committee on June 16, and a resolution was passed to establish a mission in Asante and to send six more missionaries to the Gold Coast. Freeman toured several large towns with de Graft, and succeeded in raising 4,650 pound sterlings out of target sum of 5,000. On November 25 of the same year he married Lucinda Cowan of Bristol, and left for Cape Coast on December 10, arriving on February 1, 1841. Out of 12 Methodist missionaries, 4 died in 1841, and another 3 returned to England for health reasons. Freeman’s wife also died on August 25, 1841.

Freeman had brought gifts from the Mission in England for the Asantehene and his household, the most important item being a four-wheeled carriage which had been shown to Queen Victoria (reigned 1837-1901). His second visit to Asante met with better luck, since Freeman was accompanied by two nephews of the Asantehene, John Owusu-Ansa (q.v.) and Owusu Kwantabisa, hostages whom Maclean had had educated in England. The party left Cape Coast on November 6, 1841, and reached Kumase on December 13. They were warmly welcomed, and the Asantehene was impressed with the presents and with the care taken of his nephews. Freeman was allowed to start a church but not a school. He left for Cape Coast with gifts for the Mission and himself, leaving a missionary named Brooking in charge of the Asante mission. As during the first visit, the gifts included female slaves, whom Freeman freed and took to Cape Coast.

Freeman was the first Methodist missionary to arrive at Badagry in Nigeria on September 24, 1842, accompanied by William de Graft and his wife. They were permitted to establish a mission there, and had completed a mission house and chapel by the end of November, and William de Graft was put in charge. Freeman and the de Grafts left for Abeokuta at the written invitation of the Alake (ruler), Shodeke. They were well received and preached in the palace courtyard. Freeman presented a Bible to the Alake

Freeman was subsequently invited by King Gezo of Dahomey (ruled 1818-58), the traditional enemy of the Yoruba of Badagry and Abeokuta. Freeman saw this invitation as an opportunity to try to prevent Gezo from attacking Badagry and Abeokuta, which would have destroyed the mission’s work there, but could obtain no assurances. He also hoped to persuade Gezo to stop slavery and human sacrifice. He landed at Ouidah (Whydah) on what is now the coast of Dahomey on January 1, 1843, and a few days later was entertained by the notorious Brazilian slave trader Don Antonio Da Souza (17?-1849), the friend of Gezo, with whom he himself became friendly. He was able to have an audience with Geza at Kana, 8 miles (13 km) from the Dahomeyan capital of Abomey, in March, but was shocked by the human sacrifice, the war lust of the Amazons, who comprised the female warrior regiment of the Dahomeyan kings, and Gezo’s autocratic powers. He told Gezo about his work in Badagry, however, and was asked if he could do something similar in Ouidah. Gezo also said that he wanted an English governor for the fort at Ouidah. Freeman also visited Abomey, and was amazed at the palace, which was full of human skulls and blood-plastered walls. After receiving an invitation to establish a mission at Oudah, he left Dahomey for Cape Coast. According to contemporary Gold Coast sources, one direct result of Freeman’s visit was that Gezo took away from provincial chiefs the right to offer human sacrifice or to execute criminals without the King first hearing their appeals. But the practices of slavery and human sacrifice continued.

Between 1843 and 1854 Freeman tried to extend the work of both the mission in the Gold Coast and what is now Nigeria, and spent enormous sums on travelling and other items. He did not keep proper accounts, and ran a heavy deficit. He went to England on leave after he had received stern warnings from the home Mission about the huge deficits he was running. In London he met the Missionary Committee, who expressed disapproval of his financial administration. He then toured the country and raised 5,500 pounds. He also communicated with Thomas Clarkson (1760-1846), the English abolitionist, about slavery on the West African coast, and wrote to Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby (1799-1869), the British statesman who abolished slavery, then the Colonial Secretary, about means of ending the slave trade. He also met a mulatto from Grenada in the West Indies, Henry Wharton, who decided to go to the Gold Coast with him, and worked there for 28 years.

Upon Freeman’s return to Cape Coast in June 1845 he found several problems awaiting him. The home mission had forbidden him to open any new missions or to increase the staff of the existing ones. The mission in Asante had failed after the appointment of Commander H. Worsley Hill (term of office 1843-50), Hill’s successor. They both visited Dahomey, after which Freeman visited Badagry, returning on foot – a distance of more than 300 miles (480 km) – to Cape Coast. In 1848, again with Governor Winniett, he revisited Kumase in the hope of a treaty being signed to abolish human sacrifice. The mission was, however, unsuccessful. In 1850 Winniett took Freeman to Accra as his honorary secretary when he took possession of the Danish settlements on the Gold Coast which the British government had bought. The two men entered the Danish settlement of Christiansborg together and received the keys of Christiansborg Castle from the Danish authorities.

From 1850-54 Freeman worked hard in his circuit, facing the persecution of Christians and problems created by the fetish priests of the fetish named Naanam Mpow at Mankesim, 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Cape Coast. These latter problems were, however, solved when James Bannerman (q.v.), Lieutenant-Governor of the Gold Coast from 1850-51, tried and imprisoned the culprits.

In 1854, Freeman again visited Dahomey and Abeokuta, and on his return home married and educated African woman who bore him four children. His wife helped him with his work, and he enlarged the Cape Coast church in 1855, and built six new churches in his district in 1856. This was done without authority from London. As a result, the London committee sent out William West to be financial secretary of the Gold Coast mission, and Daniel West to examine and report on the financial administration. The report was adverse, and as a result Freeman wrote to the committee in England to ask to be relieved of his post as chairman and general superintendent of the mission. He left without bitterness, and promised to work for the mission in any capacity. But he had incurred a debt as a result of financial maladministration, and had to pay it. After his resignation, he therefore accepted the post of administrative and civil commandant of the Accra district from Governor Sir Benjamin Pine (term or office 1857-58).

While Civil Commandant, Freeman encouraged the people of Christiansborg to return and rebuild their homes, which had been destroyed when the British had bombarded the town during the poll tax riots of 1854. He also took part in the negotiations which ended the Anlo war of 1866, between the British allied with the people of Ada, on the right (west) bank of the Volta, on the one hand, and the Anlo on the left (east bank), supported by the Akwamu and, later, the Asante, on the other. During this period his popularity with the people enabled him to settled a number of disputes. He was also asked by Governor H. T. Ussher (who held office at intervals between 1867 and 1880) to settle a quarrel between the Fante chiefs on the other hand, and the Dutch and the people of Elmina on the other during the siege of Elmina by the Fante in 1868. His pleas, however, were not accepted by the Fante.

After some years as a government official, he bought a piece of land near Accra, built a house on it, and took to farming. He continued his botanical studies, and wrote regularly to Kew Gardens. He organized a Society for Agriculture in Accra, and engaged in trading with the produce from his farm. He also wrote a novel called Missionary Enterprise No Fiction, and published in anonymously at the Epworth Press in England.

On September 1, 1873 he returned to the service of the Methodist Mission, and worked for another 13 years before retiring. He supervised the building of churches, held religious revival camp meetings, and made the church very popular in Fanteland. The church’s popularity annoyed the non-Christians, and they tried to disrupt services, but Freeman dealt firmly with them. Among other things he had to face opposition from a Muslim sect which came to the Fante area from Lagos, but neutralized its influence by opening a school in the area. He also opened a new chapel at Mankesim, and baptized several converts with the aid of his son, Thomas Birch Freeman Jr., who had also been ordained a Methodist minister. He also dealt with troubles arising among the various Methodist societies and , being a good conciliator, was able to prevent apostasy. After being the principle preacher at the Jubilee of the Gold Coast Methodist Mission, held in 1885, he retired, living in a small house near Accra until his 81 year. His final days were spent in the Methodist Mission House in Accra, when he died on August 12, 1890. (From The Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography – SOURCE: L. H. Ofosu-Appiah)



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Bibliography:

J. F. A. Ajayi, Christian Missions in Nigeria, 1841-1891: The Making of a New Elite, Evanston, 1969; F. L. Bartels, The Roots of Ghana Methodism, London, 1965; Allen Birthwhistle, Thomas Birch Freeman: West African Pioneer, London, 1950; H. W. Debrunner, A History of Christianity in Ghana, Accra, 1967; Thomas Birch Freeman, “Journal of a Visit to Ashanti,” published in parts in Wesleyan Missionary Notices, 1840-43, Journal of Two Visits to the Kingdom of Ashanti in Western Africa, London, 1843, Journal of Various Visits to The Kingdom of Ashanti, Aku and Dahomi, London, 1844, Missionary Enterprise No Fiction, a novel, 18?; David Kimble, A Political History of Ghana, 1850-1928, Oxford, 1963; F. D. Walker, Thomas Birch Freeman, The Son of an African, London, 1929.