Theophilus Gardiner was born in Cape Mount, Liberia, the son of a Muslim Imam. Wanting the best education for their son, Gardiner’s parents sent him to St. John’s Mission School when he was ten years old. It was while attending this school that Gardiner decided to convert to Christianity.

After his baptism in 1883, he began training for the ministry and was ordained a deacon in 1896 and a priest ten years later. In Cape Palmas, Gardiner served as a rector at Mt. Vaughan and St. James churches and as assistant curate at St. Mark’s Church. He was also a superintendent of two subdistricts and a professor of history and assistant tutor of theology at Cuttington College. For twelve years he served as the president of the Council of Advice of the Church in the Missionary District of Liberia.

A member of the Vai tribe, Gardiner became the first native Suffragan Bishop of Liberia upon his consecration in 1921. As bishop, he worked towards building a Liberian Church influenced by Liberian culture, as opposed to being fully Americanized; however, he faced the resistance of white American church leaders. In spite of this, he was instrumental in spreading the message of the church to the interior regions of Liberia.