# Cornelius Adam Igbudu

Cornelius Adam Igbudu (1914–1981) was a Nigerian religious figure known for founding the Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS), an evangelical group in the Anglican Church of Nigeria. He was credited with healing ability.

## Legacy

The Nigerian independent churches God's Grace Ministry and New Glory Revival Ministry were traced back to the evangelistic ministry of Cornelius Adam Igbudu in the Nigerian Anglican Church. Cornelius Adam Igbudu was promoted to the status of a saint, and a church was named after him (St. Adam's Anglican Church at Oghio in the Olomu area of Delta State, Nigeria). A secondary school in Araya (Adam Igbudu Memorial Secondary School) and a bible school in Emevor (Adam Igbudu Christian Institute) were named after him.
The Anglican Adam Preaching Society (AAPS) has not gone defunct along with Cornelius Adam Igbudu in 1981. He was said to have had a disagreement with a prominent Nigerian Isoko cleric, Archbishop Christian Aggrey Apena, whom he accused of "disturbing his ministry" in the Nigerian Anglican Church.
In 1992, Michael Y. Nabofa wrote a book about his life, titled Adam: The Evangelist. In May 1998, Sam U. Erivwo wrote that Cornelius Adam Igbudu was held "in very high regard" by Bishop Agori Iwe, his contemporary.
Igbudu was also remembered for his remarkable contribution to the spread of Christianity in Nigeria through the Anglican Adam Preaching Society. Igbudu was later dubbed "Isoko's Greatest Evangelist" because he was said to have "won thousands to Christ". Igbudu was also later eulogised for "his immense contributions to the spread of the gospel of Christ across Nigeria", with a tribute by Isaiah Egedegbe describing him as "a reputable evangelistic catalyst for gospel propagation and church growth".
In spite of being "one of the most Isoko influential pastors we had then", who was said to have "left unbeatable legacies in the Christian race in Isoko", yet it is only the AAPS members and few Isoko gospel singers that celebrate Igbudu's life today.

## History

Cornelius Adam Igbudu was born to Igbudu Etatimi and Ajeminemu sometime around 1914 and hailed from the rustic village of Araya, whose predominant religion at the time was African traditional religion.
Igbudu later converted to Christianity and joined the Anglican Church of Nigeria, where he was ordained an evangelist. He became a force to reckon with, carried out his evangelistic activities outside the Church and successfully made many people to accept the Christian faith.
Apart from his evangelical exploits, Igbudu was also noted for his composition of Isoko gospel songs that have become known today as 'Kirimomo'. He was credited with revolutionizing the Anglican Church of Nigeria by introducing indigenous gospel songs that appeal to the spirituality of the Isoko people in the Niger Delta region. He was, therefore, considered as "a man whose Isoko self-composed songs inspired many".
Described by E. Onosemuode as "a great musical reformer among Isoko and Urhobo Christians", Igbudu's name continues to be seen as being among those "who could be regarded as pioneers" of indigenous African music, much later with others such as Evi Edna Ogholi and Kefee Obareki Don Momoh emerging.
The Isoko gospel songs otherwise known as 'Kirimomo' or 'Ebio' were originally Igbudu's style of music in Isokoland and beyond, which has since become a Christian native air genre of both the Isoko and Urhobo people in Delta State. They were mainly sung by the evangelistic choral groups of the A.A.P.S., especially at open-air crusades and during church revival programmes, in the ever-rhythmic Isoko melodious tunes and sounds from the South-South of Nigeria.
With several former adherents of African traditional religion renouncing their idols and accepting the Christian faith through Igbudu's ministry, today Christianity is becoming more acceptable than it ever has before.
The evangelistic campaigns of Igbudu made him tour rural areas in Isokoland and beyond, preaching about salvation and renunciation of idol worship. He was also said to have "visited church after church winning converts and strengthening believers".

## Death and burial

Cornelius Adam Igbudu died aged 67 on 12 March 1981 and was buried at his compound at Araya on 4 April 1981.