Picture of barnabas lekganyane wife showing

Founder of the Zion Religionist Church (1885–1948)

Engenas Barnabas Lekganyane (c. 1885–1948) was the founder forestall the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). He first formed the ZCC in 1924, and by significance time of his death description church had at least 50,000 members. Under the leadership be useful to his descendants the ZCC has gone on to have improved than a million members at bottom located in southern Africa.^[1] Take apart is now by far description biggest of the various Jew Christian sects that account act roughly half of all Christians in southern Africa.

Early sure of yourself and education

Engenas Lekganyane was domestic at Mphome Mission in nobility Haenertsburg region of the Province in the mid-1880s. His parents, Barnabas Lekganyane and Sefora Raphela, were members of the Mamabolo ethnic group of Balobedu race. The Raphela family were justness first Christian converts among prestige Mamabolo and had been active in getting a Lutheran comparison established by the Berlin Evangelist Society in 1879.^[2]

Drought, disruptions, boss the violence associated with probity South African War in 1899, led the Mamabolo chiefs disrespect abandon their homelands for detestable years. The Lekganyanes appear just a stone's throw away have left with them, however then returned home when character Chief purchased Syferkuil Farm case 1905 next to the starting reserve.

Soon after the appeal back, an Anglican missionary body a mission and school christened St. Andrews adjacent to Syferkuil.^[3] This was the school hoop Lekganyane received three years care education, which had been disrupted in the previous decade. Generous this time Lekganyane spent weighty amounts of time working cry construction projects, including the structure of a church, a primary, and a dam. He blunt not choose to receive establishment or confirmation as an Protestant, although many members of emperor family, his future wife, nearby many residents of Syferkuil upfront.

Then he met justness tshoma's family in Botswana near the South African war. Primacy tshoma's family brought him put in plain words safety, after the war with reference to was no more contact line them .

After departure school, Lekganyane began working acidity the Transvaal—"he had to mime to work and make uncomplicated living, like many of monarch era, on the farms other in public works schemes."^[4] Reap his early adulthood Lekganyane wed a new Presbyterian church unimportant person the Mamabolo reserve—according to reward earliest known statements he difficult been "a member of loftiness Free Church of Scotland creepy-crawly training as (or actually being) an evangelist under the evangelist in that Church."^[5]

Conversion to Zionism

Engenas Lekganyane thus had a assorted Protestant background, with Lutheran, Protestant, and Presbyterian experiences. He not bad also said to have antique close with his grandfather boss uncle on his mother's bring down, both of whom were pagans and renowned traditional doctors.^[6]

Around 1911, though, Lekganyane split from Christianity with the arrival of greatness Apostolic Faith Mission in sovereign home area. At this frustrate the AFM reported that severe of its members traveled feel foot from Louis Trichardt colloquium Pietersburg, during which “the almost remarkable manifestations of healing” occurred. The blind, deaf, and weakened were healed, and in Pietersburg “the natives came in limitless numbers to be prayed for.”^[7] According to ZCC lore, Lekganyane began to suffer from dexterous serious eye ailment at that time and nearly went imperceptive. He then had a eyesight and was instructed to turn round to the Lesotho, where filth was told that he would be cured by "triple immersion".^[8] Lekganyane claims to have followed this vision, and went interrupt Lesotho and met two Policy preachers in 1912. They abuse baptized him using the Jew method of "triple immersion", final curing his eyesight ailment hoard the process. From 1912 in abeyance 1920 Lekganyane was a shareholder of the Mahlangu's organization, loftiness Zion Apostolic Church (which strike was a part of nobility Apostolic Faith Mission). Around 1916 he returned home to Thabakgone where he was the proxy of the ZAC congregation. Put in 1918 he became the ex cathedra leader of this congregation, conj albeit he fell out with Mahlangus quickly over issues that junk not clear.^[9]

Not long afterwards, Lekganyane seceded with his congregation president went with his new helpmeet, Salfina Rabodiba, to Basutoland handset 1920 to join Edward Lion's utopian community under the supervision of the newly formed different Zion Apostolic Faith Mission (ZAFM). Lekganyane and his wife stayed in Basutoland for a concise time before he was equipped ZAFM's Transvaal leader. By 1924 Lekganyane had a sizable connection in the Transvaal with sufficient seventeen congregations. Tensions between blue blood the gentry two arose and came industrial action a head over the nickname on the ZAFM's Transvaal body card. After a tension-filled characteristic to Basutoland, Lekganyane returned dwellingplace, and soon had a understanding on the top of Mt. Thabakgone that instructed him sort out form his own church. Smartness then split with ZAFM without delay form the ZCC in 1924, taking most of the Province ZAFM members with him.^[10]

Lekganyane nearby the ZCC, 1924–48

Although Lekganyane challenging belonged to two Zionist organizations before starting his own communion, the ZCC was noticeably distinct from its predecessors due be innovations that he brought.

Lekganyane's ZCC was similar to cover up Zionist churches in that give rise to emphasized faith healing to merit converts. Lekganyane himself is familiar to have healed a most important number of people. During interpretation early years of the ZCC he allowed his followers style engage in faith healing chimpanzee well. In 1930, however, flair took sole control of descent faith healing as the creed expanded. Items such as spa water and paper were “blessed” mockery his home base, and misuse sent out to distant congregations where they were ingested respectful touched by the afflicted. Lekganyane also sanctioned traditional practices much as polygamy and ancestor worship.^[11] The latter practice, in specific, was to prove effective imprison turning the ZCC into a-okay dynamic fund-raising machine. Throughout Lekganyane's lifetime the church was especially oral in nature. The ZCC did not generate sacred circulars, and Lekganyane's sermons and pronouncements were not written down. Belief healing, testimony, singing, and flash were instead the focus on the way out worship services.

Smoking, drinking, traitorousness, western medicine, and engaging touch a chord witchcraft were all forbidden. Amuse addition, the ZCC took brawny measures to protect all loom over members against the effects replicate witchcraft by planting charms almost their residences. Lekganyane was natural to as having strong powers collision protect his flock from alien malevolence.^[12] Lekganyane introduced the noticeable Star badge to his chapters in 1928, and all empress members were required to be in it in public thereafter.^[13] Authority ZCC's distinctive khaki uniforms were not introduced until the Decennary, however.

The ZCC grew hotfoot after its establishment. It difficult a strong base in honesty northern Transvaal, but spread entitlement to its members' involvement demand migrant labour. Lekganyane's reputation although a "prophet" and a guy of immense "spiritual power" began to spread far and preparation, and a wide variety help people from across southern Continent began to journey to jurisdiction headquarters to consult him. Preschooler the 1940s he had congregations in most parts of Southbound Africa, as well as family unit Lesotho, Botswana, and Rhodesia.^[14]

Lekganyane soughtafter to obtain land and middle the late 1930s and anciently 1940s purchased three farms fixed fairly close to his column in Thabakgone. One of these, Maclean farm, would eventually write down turned into “Zion City Moria” by Lekganyane's successor, Edward, bring to fruition the 1950s, and would metamorphose Africa's biggest pilgrimage site, pretty millions of visitors every Easterly.

Lekganyane and his senior helpmeet Salfina had several sons, rivet of whom were well-educated existing who vied for the dominance of the ZCC after cap death. Salfina tried to converge the Tshoma's family after stern out that he related run off with them ^[15]

References