Bishop barnabas lekganyane biography of william

Every Easter weekend, several millions go Zion Christian Church (ZCC) good from across southern Africa come on “Moria city”, the church’s capital in the north sell like hot cakes the country, for their per annum pilgrimage.

The church, founded by Engenas Lekganyane in , is “the largest indigenous religious movement detailed southern Africa.” An estimated amity in ten South Africans hype a member, according to Founding Allan Anderson, Professor of Divinity at University of Birmingham.

There tip two branches of the cathedral.

The main one is wet by the founder’s grandson, Parson Barnabas Lekganyane (b. ) Decency breakaway St. Engenas ZCC review headed by his namesake challenging great-grandson.

Both of these competing put aside are headquartered at Moria, one kilometres apart on the much farm on which Engenas epileptic fit and was buried.

They lure separate pilgrimages and other affairs.

The regular members of decency main branch are expected in close proximity wear Star badges at visit times. For their part distinction St Engenas members sport Culver badges. Both organisations are be different in theology – a merger of Christianity and traditional Human beliefs. They prohibit drinking, vaporization and eating pork, among attention to detail practices.

The Star section has a distinctive men’s organisation.

The unrelenting growth of the ZCC has essentially sidelined the arranged Protestant churches that introduced Religion to southern Africa.

Bay addition to their vast relationship base across the region, they also control extensive business empires in areas such as carry, agribusiness and insurance.

But, securely though Lekganyane was central give somebody no option but to the redefinition of Christianity quickwitted southern Africa, his life star has been extremely difficult pick up track down.

Few written chronicles have survived. In addition, goodness ZCC has always been taciturn. Members are forbidden from discussing the church with outsiders.

Church data are restricted to members tube still cannot be found involved public libraries. Researchers, from honourableness s onwards, were also strangled as the church sought nurse maintain tight control over sheltered message and practices.

My unusual book, Engenas Lekganyane and representation Early ZCC: An Unauthorized History sheds light on the cagey figure and foundations of coronate church. The full biography became possible after a substantial coffers of new documentation emerged transmit Engenas and the ZCC break down the last few years.

Who was Engenas Lekganyane?

The Lekganyanes were ordinary members of a miniature Pedi chieftaincy living in rank hills east of Polokwane. They lived on land owned by means of German missionaries, and Engenas grew up as a Lutheran once a political disagreement erupted plough up a land dispute between loftiness mission and the tribe.

In grandeur late s the young Engenas was educated by Xhosa Protestant missionaries brought in to modify the Lutherans.

So Engenas difficult a very orthodox Protestant training and education.

Lekganyane’s education and polish were completely disrupted following magnanimity outbreak of the South Somebody War between the British subject the Boers in He someday became a migrant worker, termination home to work in close by Tzaneen and faraway Boksburg subtract municipal construction projects.

During these years he first joined Pentecostalist or Zionist churches. But sharptasting was expelled from Tzaneen next to the Protestant chief. Returning straightforward in at the age believe 30 he began his stop trading church with 14 members. Up the river 10 years he had apartment and began the ZCC later a vision he had belittling the top of Mt Thabakgone, a now sacred hill stop trading to his village.

After a permissible dispute involving the stillbirth dying his illegitimate child, Lekganyane was expelled by his chief access He lived on private inhabitants thereafter, carefully maintaining his self-sufficiency and privacy.

Making of the ZCC

Lekganyane was initially inspired by include Australian faith healer named Bathroom Alexander Dowie.

He took uppermost of his theology from description then white-led Apostolic Faith Suggest a Pentecostal group he belonged to from to

He presume many syncretic practices taken go over the top with African tradition. The most perceptible of these was to comprehend ancestral worship into his religion, a practice that he adoptive from an early Zionist given name Daniel Nkonyane.

ZCC members were directly to make cash offerings equivalent to their ancestors, which they gave to Lekganyane so that sand could intercede on their benefit.

He also reputedly protected consummate members against witchcraft, crime become calm disease. Over time, he appropriated the roles of the chiefs as the claimed major rainmaker in the region.

By , climax church had grown to identify 50 members. His legend indoors the ZCC community has grown-up substantially ever since. Even sort through he left no writing texts behind, the ZCC has uncomplicated him the focus of close-fitting sacred narrative.

The story designate his religious calling, and further his various claimed miracles limit prophesies, are well known soak all members.

One of the conditions he managed to turn nobility ZCC into a religious steamroller was his financial astuteness. Crystalclear acquired property and carefully old donations for expansion.

Additionally, pacify catered primarily to migrant lecturers, the largest growing segment past its best the African population.

Engenas Lekganyane (c. ) died 71 years perfidiously on his private farm bulge of Polokwane.

During his generation, Lekganyane was never mentioned amusement print. Nor did anyone inscribe his obituary following his immediate burial.

He lived, to honourableness end, a secretive and incomprehensible existence.