A night school was established on December 27, 1906, with 50 young men attending to learn reading and writing. Two days later, Dennis convened the chiefs of the five villages of Egbu to discuss the construction of a schoolroom. The chiefs agreed to erect a building that would serve both as a church and a school.
On the following Sunday, a delegation from Mbieri arrived with a goat, yams, and wine to request assistance in establishing a mission presence in Mbieri.
The first baptism in Egbu took place on November 3, 1907, with approximately 430 people in attendance. Those baptized included Uwakwe (James), Ohaka (John), several young men from Egbu, Eluemenam (John), Ide (Timothy) from Umunede, Obio, two of Fanny’s boys, and two of Bradshaw’s apprentices, Samuel and Thomas.
Easter Sunday 1908 marked the second baptism in Egbu. Eight new members joined the church, including Rebecca Mbata Uwakwe, the first woman convert, who wore a white gown and carried her baby daughter, Rachel Chiaka. Among those baptized was a boy named Uwenma, who took the name Paul. Upon returning home, Paul was expelled by his father, a chief, because of his baptism. He was taken in by the family of David Eze and planned to support himself until his father would accept him again.
Other baptismal candidates included Daniel Onwuegbula, Paul Egejuru, James Onyewuotu, John Osuji, and Jacob Ibeawuchi.
On April 21, 1908, the ownership status of six acres of mission land at Egbu was formally settled at Government Headquarters in Owerri. On June 21, 1908, the first Christian marriage in the community was celebrated, when James Uwakwe married Rebecca Mbata. They wore ordinary clothing, having already been married traditionally and living together prior to baptism.
The wife of Orisakwe, the son and successor of Egbukole, later gave birth to twins. She brought them to the church for safety, but both children died. Earlier, on August 29, 1905, another mother with newborn twins was brought to the mission compound in a state of great fear. Dennis recorded that young Christians voluntarily formed a vigilance committee to guard the mother and children day and night. Despite these efforts, one twin died after six days and the other three days later.
On February 26, 1910, a two-day-old baby whose mother had died was brought to the compound. T. D. Anyaegbunam traveled to Owerri to seek assistance. A week later, another baby and a set of one-month-old twins were brought in (LH, 26 February and 7 March 1910). The following week, one of the motherless babies died, and one of the twins became seriously ill. Dennis decided that the twins and their mother should be taken to the Government hospital in Owerri so they could be under medical supervision, noting the deep fear and hostility surrounding such births (LH, 14–15 March 1910).