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Effects/Impacts of Hannington’s Death on the Church
Positive effects
The death of Bishop Hannington in Buganda favoured the spread of Christianity as shown below:
- His death made the church popular and famous in East Africa thus attracting many people to join the church.
- It increased the determination of missionaries to come into East Africa to spread the Christian faith. The death of the Bishop was a confirmation that Christianity had taken route in Buganda hence the need for other people to join it.
- It led to increased funding of missionary work in East Africa by British government which led to rapid expansion of the church.
- It also increased the British protection towards missionaries in East Africa which made them spread the gospel everywhere without fear.
- The bishop’s death became the basis for the death of the Uganda Martyrs whose blood is highly recognized for having made the church to grow.
- The killing of the bishop in Buganda made Buganda region a centre of Christianizing all other regions in Uganda.
- It become a confirmation to the missionaries that the spread of the gospel was a very hard task that needed endurance in order to be successful
- The killing of the Bishop partly led to the religious wars in Buganda that scattered Christians to different parts of Uganda leading to the spread of gospel.
- His death won the church a number of sympathizers who joined Christianity just to console themselves for losing their Bishops.
- His death also led to colonization by British in Buganda in particular and Uganda at Large which strengthened Christianity in the region.
Negative effects
- The death of Bishop Hannington hindered the spread of Christianity as explained below.The death of James robbed the church leader who was bold and determined to push the church forward.
- The death of the Bishop scared other missionaries to come to East Africa fearing to die hence decline of the gospel spread.
- His death also scared some Baganda to join Christianity also fearing to be killed by the king, since the Bishop’ death pointed to the king’s dislike for Christianity.
- His death led the death of other Christians in East Africa e.g. Joseph Mukasa Balikuddembe hence reducing the number of Jesus’ converts.
- His death partly was the basis for the religious wars in Buganda which brought insecurity in Buganda hence interfering with missionary work.
- His death father worsened the working relations between the kabaka and the missionaries which also disrupted the spread of the gospel in Buganda.
- His death negatively publicized the church which made people to have a lot of suspicion and stop others from joining Christianity.
- The missionaries who came to Buganda after James’ death had to use distant routes other than Eastern routes which delayed the actual spreading of the gospel in Buganda.
- His death scared some missionaries who had already set off to Buganda to go back to the coast. E.g.
- William Jones one of the Bombay got scared and went back to Rabai mpya.
- The killing of the Bishop brought fear among the converted Christians who stopped spreading the good news for fear of losing their lives.
- Assess the influence of Bishop Hannington’s death on the spread of Christianity in East Africa
- To what extent did Hannington’s death contribute to the spread of Christianity in East African interior?