William McClement
After the departure of Elder David Cladwell Babcock at the height of World War One, William McClement set foot on the Nigerian soil in 1919 immediately at the end of he war. Pastor McClement was an Irish missionary whose arrival a Nigeria was met with lots of challenges. As Elder Babcock did not leave behind any handouts on how to run the christian community in Nigeria, Pastor McClement had to start from scratch. Even so, there had been established churches at Erunmu, Sao and at Ipoti. Elder McClement had to revitalize these establishments to ensure they did not fall with the unceremonious depature of Elder Babcock. He quickly sought to upgrade the status of the vernecular school established at Sao by Babcock to a Seventh Day Adventist formal school.
The work at Sao failed to thrive as compared to the work at Enumru and Ipoti. Sao was a Muslim stronghold and the presence of the Islamic faith in the region made it difficult for Elder McClement to make an effect on the people. Besides, the colonial government only acknowledge the Islamic faith there and none other. These restrictions led to the collapse of the school at Sao in 1927. The learning facilities were transferred to Ibadan by WTB Hyde. While McClement was in his way from Sao to Ipoti in 1922 he met a few people from Osun state who challenged him to start an adventist church in their town. Thus in the same year Adventism entered Oke-Ila and Otun -Ekiti for Pastor McClement and Isaiha A. Balogun opened a new mission station at Otun.
Afterwards, the gospel shine upon more villages including the town of Aba in Eastern Nigeria. By 1930, Adventism had spread so rapidly that it was decided that the country be organised into a Union mission. The field was organised into four missions. North Western, North Eastern South Eastern and South Western with Wilfred G. Till, John J. Hyde, L. Edmonds and William McClements as the respective directors of the missions. In 1943 Pastor William McClement became the president of the West Africa Union Mission following a reorganization of Advenist work in West Coast of Africa.
For a long time, McClements relied on the tracts printed in the publishing house overseas. He eventually came together with a few other leaders to raise funds for a project to establish a printing press in Nigeria. A. W Cook was the Director of publishing at that time and by 1935 , the project was set at Oke-Bola in Ibadan. The Advent Printing Press showed a great deal of success within its early years of establishment with W.T.B Hyde as the manager.It developed fast to the extent that it was made a Union institution and moved from Ibadan to Accra in 1951. With the press, Elder McClements managed to steer the West African Union Mission to heights of great reputations as one of the best Unions outside the States.
After servicing in West Africa three decades the McClements left for the United States in 1950. He left a legacy of a thriving Seventh Day Advetism with colporteurs ,school teachers, evangelistic ministers and ordained ministers carrying on the work he set up. In the forty sixth session of the General Conference, Pastor McClements gave a report on his achievements as the president of the West African Union Mission. He sighted hospitals, primary schools, training schools and sabbath schools as some of the things he had set up during his time. He worked at South England Conference as a committee member on his retirement. In 1960, he and his wife were invited to Nigeria by the government for the celebration of independence. Only he came for his wife was unwell at the time.
On the 20th of March 1961, Pastor McClements died after a short illness. His funeral was conducted by Pastor J.A McMillan, president of the British Union Conference at Hove Cemetery, Sussex, South England where he was laid to rest on 23rd March 1961.
