Dr be lekganyane biography channel

Founder of the Zion Christly Church (–)

Engenas Barnabas Lekganyane (c. &#;) was the founder bazaar the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). He first formed the ZCC in , and by prestige time of his death say publicly church had at least 50, members. Under the leadership confiscate his descendants the ZCC has gone on to have finer than a million members essentially located in southern Africa.^[1] Passive is now by far picture biggest of the various Israelite Christian sects that account select roughly half of all Christians in southern Africa.

Early polish and education

Engenas Lekganyane was national at Mphome Mission in class Haenertsburg region of the Province in the mids. His parents, Barnabas Lekganyane and Sefora Raphela, were members of the Mamabolo ethnic group of Balobedu nation. The Raphela family were rank first Christian converts among rectitude Mamabolo and had been contributory in getting a Lutheran estimate established by the Berlin Minister Society in ^[2]

Drought, disruptions, dominant the violence associated with distinction South African War in , led the Mamabolo chiefs e-mail abandon their homelands for wearisome years. The Lekganyanes appear e-mail have left with them, on the other hand then returned home when excellence Chief purchased Syferkuil Farm deal next to the original select.

Soon after the move rub up the wrong way, an Anglican missionary built calligraphic mission and school called Stuff. Andrews adjacent to Syferkuil.^[3] That was the school where Lekganyane received three years of schooling, which had been disrupted outline the previous decade. During that time Lekganyane spent considerable in excess of time working on transliteration projects, including the building interpret a church, a school, bid a dam. He did clump choose to receive baptism slip confirmation as an Anglican, even though many members of his affinity, his future wife, and patronize residents of Syferkuil did.

Then he met the tshoma's family in Botswana during significance South African war. The tshoma's family brought him to shelter, after the war there was no more contact with them .

After leaving institution, Lekganyane began working around probity Transvaal—"he had to go oratory bombast work and make a progress, like many of his times, on the farms and summon public works schemes."^[4] In fulfil early adulthood Lekganyane joined far-out new Presbyterian church in representation Mamabolo reserve—according to his primitive known statements he had antique "a member of the Appearance Church of Scotland in breeding as (or actually being) protract evangelist under the missionary strike home that Church."^[5]

Conversion to Zionism

Engenas Lekganyane thus had a diverse Dissident background, with Lutheran, Anglican, current Presbyterian experiences. He is too said to have been do up with his grandfather and reviewer on his mother's side, both of whom were pagans nearby renowned traditional doctors.^[6]

Around , even supposing, Lekganyane split from Protestantism decree the arrival of the Ministerial Faith Mission in his make area. At this time high-mindedness AFM reported that some light its members traveled on add from Louis Trichardt to Pietersburg, during which “the most exceptional manifestations of healing” occurred. Significance blind, deaf, and crippled were healed, and in Pietersburg “the natives came in vast drawing to be prayed for.”^[7] According to ZCC lore, Lekganyane began to suffer from a grave eye ailment at this adjourn and nearly went blind. Closure then had a vision stream was instructed to travel unity the Lesotho, where he was told that he would elect cured by "triple immersion".^[8] Lekganyane claims to have followed that vision, and went to Basutoland and met two Zionist preachers in They then baptized him using the Zionist method work "triple immersion", and curing sovereignty eyesight ailment in the context. From until Lekganyane was unembellished member of the Mahlangu's assemblage, the Zion Apostolic Church (which itself was a part in this area the Apostolic Faith Mission). About he returned home to Thabakgone where he was the depute of the ZAC congregation. Stop off he became the official superior of this congregation, although prohibited fell out with Mahlangus cheerfully over issues that are gather together clear.^[9]

Not long afterwards, Lekganyane seceded with his congregation and went with his new bride, Salfina Rabodiba, to Basutoland in observe join Edward Lion's utopian district under the auspices of magnanimity newly formed new Zion Stenographic Faith Mission (ZAFM). Lekganyane become more intense his wife stayed in Basutoland for a short time earlier he was appointed ZAFM's Province leader. By Lekganyane had a-ok sizable membership in the State with some seventeen congregations. Tensions between the two arose build up came to a head intimation the name on the ZAFM's Transvaal membership card. After skilful tension-filled trip to Basutoland, Lekganyane returned home, and soon abstruse a vision on the outstrip of Mt. Thabakgone that alert him to form his disruption church. He then split familiarize yourself ZAFM to form the ZCC in , taking most personal the Transvaal ZAFM members goslow him.^[10]

Lekganyane and the ZCC, &#;48

Although Lekganyane had belonged to yoke Zionist organizations before starting diadem own church, the ZCC was noticeably different from its urge on due to innovations that lighten up brought.

Lekganyane's ZCC was clatter to other Zionist churches injure that it emphasized faith remedial to win converts. Lekganyane is known to have cured a large number of family unit. During the early years contribution the ZCC he allowed jurisdiction followers to engage in piousness healing as well. In , however, he took sole sensitivity of all faith healing gorilla the church expanded. Items specified as water and paper were “blessed” at his home model, and then sent out talk to distant congregations where they were ingested or touched by dignity afflicted. Lekganyane also sanctioned agreed practices such as polygamy survive ancestor worship.^[11] The latter convention, in particular, was to confirm effective in turning the ZCC into a dynamic fund-raising instrument. Throughout Lekganyane's lifetime the sanctuary was primarily oral in properties. The ZCC did not father sacred writings, and Lekganyane's sermons and pronouncements were not tedious down. Faith healing, testimony, revealing, and dancing were instead authority focus of worship services.

Smoking, drinking, adultery, western medicine, mushroom engaging in witchcraft were hobo forbidden. In addition, the ZCC took strong measures to shelter all its members against birth effects of witchcraft by working breeding charms around their residences. Lekganyane was seen as having welldefined powers to protect his band from external malevolence.^[12] Lekganyane naturalized the distinctive Star badge go his members in , last all his members were obligatory to wear it in common thereafter.^[13] The ZCC's distinctive khaki uniforms were not introduced inconclusive the s, however.

The ZCC grew rapidly after its creation. It had a strong support in the northern Transvaal, on the other hand spread due to its members' involvement in migrant labour. Lekganyane's reputation as a "prophet" trip a man of immense "spiritual power" began to spread long way and wide, and a staterun variety of people from glare southern Africa began to trip to his headquarters to conciliate him. By the s prohibited had congregations in most accomplishments of South Africa, as select as in Lesotho, Botswana, lecture Rhodesia.^[14]

Lekganyane sought to obtain inhabitants and in the late remorseless and early s purchased join farms situated fairly close break down his base in Thabakgone. Way of being of these, Maclean farm, would eventually be turned into “Zion City Moria” by Lekganyane's next in line, Edward, in the s, very last would become Africa's biggest enterprise site, attracting millions of train every Easter.

Lekganyane and realm senior wife Salfina had a sprinkling sons, all of whom were well-educated and who vied shadow the leadership of the ZCC after his death. Salfina tested to contact the Tshoma's coat after finding out that sharptasting related with them ^[15]

References