The church of the Lord: The expansion of a Nigerian independent church in Sierra Leone and Ghana

The most striking religious phenomenon in the African continent today is the development of what are variously described as the separatist sects or independent churches, akin to prophet movements, largely indigenous in origin, and much more African in belief and practice than the churches founded by or in association with Christian missions. For want of a more succint and specific term we shall speak of African independent churches. Since Sundkler's pioneer study in 1948, an increasing volume of work has been done in this field, setting forth the diverse circumstances and causes, the manifold forms and African-wide distribution of this movement for spiritual autonomy and cultural integrity that may prove in the end to be a profounder counterpart of the development of political independence that holds the public attention for the present.