Its members, estimated to number between 2 million and 6 million in more than 4, parishes, live primarily in urban townships and rural communities. The church is well known by the abbreviation, ZCC, pronounced "zed-say-say. Lekganyane was educated by Scottish Presbyterian missionaries, and the church reflects some elements of that religion. The highlight of the ZCC religious calendar is the Easter celebration, which has drawn more than 1 million church members for several days of religious services at Zion City.
Zion Reformed Church is fully committed to the biblical doctrines summarized in the historic creeds and Reformed confessions of the Christian Faith. Below is a brief summary of some of these core beliefs. He is the all-holy, all-loving, and all-satisfying Creator of the universe; upholding, sustaining and governing all things for His glory. This church attracts the poor and uneducated, the oppressed and the marginalised Africans, and serves as a refuge for Africans.
It has critically developed a radical reconstruction to accommodate these ignored situations of the black people. The ZCC represents what Maimela stated: "The greatest attraction of these churches lies in their open invitation to the Africans to bring their fears and anxieties about witches, sorcerers, bad luck, poverty, illness and all kinds of misfortune to the church leadership" , This means that the ZCC has become the African-centred church that certainly answers the African's ignored questions and spiritual realities which the mainline churches, Pentecostal and charismatic churches never attempted to answer because of their Western worldview approach of Christianity.
The ZCC is committed to Africanisation, which takes seriously the African spiritual life at the very point of its church history. It takes Africanisation to align itself with the Word of God as the good news to Africans. Moripe observed:. African Christian Theology is emerging from the African hermeneutic because the questions it addresses are African and the answers have to speak to the African situation in the light of the Word of God.
Thus speaking to the soul of an African. The African is first and foremost a human being and then a believer. In fact, African Christian Theology is a reflection of what the Biblical God is doing to enhance African survival through the agency of people who are informed by Scripture and traditional concepts of God who is revealed to us through the faith and life of Jesus Christ Moripe , It is only from this creative method of African theology that Africanisation has clearly developed to fulfil the African Renaissance.
It is the task of African theology, African women's theology and Black theology to ensure that Africanisation is indeed perceived by the Africans as opposed to the Western theology.
What he said at annual conferences would form the theme for preaching in the congregations" [own emphasis] Lukhaimane , Engenas's followers used these names because of the healings he performed for his people and also for his preaching. What was claimed about Engenas was that he accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Bible as the word of God, and ordained his ministers to fulfil his called ministry within the African society.
It is argued that Engenas did not like to be called such names; instead he preferred to be called "bishop". In an interview, a member said: "As ZCC members we prayed in Engenas's name and Jesus' presence was respected, but not central to our faith" Mashabela It could be critically important that the ZCC members' faith in the church of Engenas be treated with respect and dignity for their freedom of religion, as that was how their faith was practised.
Other African Christian people who were not ZCC members had criticised this faith-vision approach as evil and un-Christian. This was influenced by the trained white and African pastors with an achieved oppressive Western education.
There was a perception among ZCC members that Engenas was the Messiah to the extent that in prayer, they mentioned and prayed in the name of Engenas. Further, in baptism, the threefold immersion in water was in the name of Engenas Lekganyane, Edward Lekganyane and Barnabas Lekganyane Mashabela Let us then look at baptism.
Baptism in the ZCC is viewed as healing and not necessarily for the forgiveness of sins. Baptism within the ZCC is implemented without any cost, as opposed to the African mission churches and African Pentecostal churches. During a baptismal ceremony, the congregation would dance and sing with joy as new members of the congregation receive new clothing, uniforms and badges. The church would keep them, although the church is also called kereke ya bongaka "diviners' church".
These spiritual healers are discouraged from using dipheko since they are now ZCC members. According to Allan Anderson's view: "We asked members of the ZCC among others why they were attracted to their church. The answer was often based on an appreciation of the 'African' nature and orientation of the church. ZCC members referred to the African liturgy of the church, especially the singing and dancing. Their church was especially geared to fulfil African aspirations and to meet African needs" Anderson , Therefore, ZCC members have developed an African church to embrace African identity and culture and to continue with the debate of Africanisation.
This invited the African mission churches and African Pentecostal churches, as well as theological higher education, to move away from spiritual, economic and political injustices caused during the apartheid epoch.
Members of the congregation claimed that they joined the church because they received healing from it. The ZCC does not heal only those who have joined the church, but also those who are not members. The members' interest lies in witnessing faith healing. ZCC membership growth is done through home visits, which play an important role in the life of this church.
What motivates this growth is an approach whereby in healing, the culture of the African people is taken into consideration. The members of this church would not consider that they have been assisted successfully when they visit medical doctors, diviners or traditional healers and other prophets Anderson , If the Bible was rarely used, what was then preached?
The ZCC of Engenas was known as a faith-healing and a miracle-performing church and every act in the church was an act of God. Ministers would preach on how a person was healed, how a barren woman conceived, how a witch was caught and other social programs which were solved in the church [own emphasis] Lukhaimane , The ZCC doctrine is at the heart of prophetic and healing practices, which attract and fulfil many black people's needs.
In an African context, witchcraft cannot be avoided with regard to misfortune or illness, and the ZCC offers an alternate hope with an African solution to these agonies. Members claim to be protected from evil spells witchcraft , which is not the case in African Pentecostal churches and mainline churches. The attraction of the healing service in the ZCC provides a space for dancing and singing, which forms part of the most significant requirement for healing the sick and answering prayers.
One of the terms used for dancing is mpoo this is dancing by a group of men, all wearing church attire Mashabela These are qualities required in an African context to fulfil the spirituality of Africanisation.
Africanisation can be seen as the divine call of Africans to be allowed to live their African lifestyle. In actual fact, even in Pentecostal and mainline churches, dancing and singing is a daily reality.
However, the Western missionaries taught these churches not to dance during worship, which is totally un-African. Within the ZCC, prophets play the important role of healing church members and even non-church members. They are gifted with divine powers and receive the message from God in order to address the concerns of the spiritually challenged African people.
They are entrusted with, and responsible for a key office to pray for the healing of its members. Anderson states: "The prophet is somebody who helps people when they are sick, was one typical response. Their healing practices are expected to be effective and to actually bring healing to the patients" Anderson , Africans believe that prophets are entrusted with the gift of healing the sick. This is derived from the African understanding of a traditional diviner or healer who uses ditaola that she or he has inherited from her or his proctor ancestors badimo bagolo.
The healing power originates from God, and even a notion of the prophet reveals the same in the Bible. The prophets' duties are to advise the sick on what their ancestors expect to be done in order to be healed Mashabela Anderson states: "The ZCC now also uses special tea and coffee made for healing purposes, labelled in Sesotho, tee ya bophelo" tea of life Anderson , Anderson's view that tea and coffee are new practices differs from the conducted interviews. During the interviews, it was confirmed that tea and coffee are old forms of healing and have been used since the church's inception Mashabela This African approach of healing is the African spiritual worldview as opposed to the Western psychologists and anthropologists who think of it as an invented memory by the Africans.
In the African spirituality worldview, it is critically important to use coffee and tea as they are not invented memories but practically and historically lived memories within the ZCC spirituality. Historical research shows that white psychologists and anthropologists' work is mainly to deny and critique the AICs, including the ZCC, on how they practise their spirituality. These white professionals ignore the genuine African spirituality, spiritual ideas and voices of the Africans.
However, the well-being of the Africans' spirituality and reality cannot be ignored as being part of an Africa worldview.
They believe that the holy communion - wafers and wine are the actual body and blood of Christ. Charismatic Christianity These are known as spirit-filled Christianity Zalwane , which are churches that focuses on the holy spirit and spiritual gifts. Next Article. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting. MK vets will form 'human shield' around Zuma, says Carl Niehaus. Actor Mutodi Neshehe has died.
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