Collaboration in the Spread of Missionary Christianity in Africa: The Case of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria

This article explores the significance of collaboration in the spread of missionary Christianity in Africa through a historical study of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria (TACN). It examines how the partnership between British missionaries and Nigerian leaders produced a hybrid mission model that combined Western ecclesiastical structure with African spirituality. Drawing on historical records, church documents, and existing scholarship, the article adopts a narrative–analytical method to trace how figures such as Pastors George Perfect, Idris J Vaughan and DO Odubanjo negotiated issues of theology, finance and cultural identity. The study finds that collaboration initially fostered institutional growth and doctrinal development but later provoked contestations over leadership authority and the doctrine of divine healing. These tensions, rather than weakening the church, became catalysts for the rise of indigenous leadership and theological independence. The article argues that the evolution of TACN illustrates the transformative potential of intercultural collaboration as a process through which missionary Christianity in Africa became both local and global. By integrating historical reconstruction with analytical interpretation, the article contributes new insight into the making of African Christian identity and offers a methodological model for studying collaborative mission histories.