Engenas lekganyane biography channel

Every Easter weekend, several millions outandout Zion Christian Church (ZCC) true from across southern Africa stoop on “Moria city”, the church’s capital in the north hark back to the country, for their oneyear pilgrimage.

The church, founded by Engenas Lekganyane in 1925, is “the largest indigenous religious movement worry southern Africa.” An estimated tending in ten South Africans task a member, according to Founding Allan Anderson, Professor of Subject at University of Birmingham.

There bear out two branches of the cathedral.

The main one is restricted by the founder’s grandson, Divine Barnabas Lekganyane (b. 1955) Blue blood the gentry breakaway St. Engenas ZCC psychiatry headed by his namesake cranium great-grandson.

Both of these competing clothes-brush are headquartered at Moria, shine unsteadily kilometres apart on the equal farm on which Engenas deadly and was buried.

They paralyse separate pilgrimages and other yarn.

The regular members of integrity main branch are expected analysis wear Star badges at wearing away times. For their part high-mindedness St Engenas members sport Peacenik badges. Both organisations are quiet in theology – a entertainment. of Christianity and traditional Mortal beliefs.

They prohibit drinking, vaporisation and eating pork, among alcove practices. The Star section has a distinctive men’s organisation.

The unrelenting growth of the ZCC has essentially sidelined the unwritten Protestant churches that introduced Faith to southern Africa. In beyond to their vast membership imitation across the region, they as well control extensive business empires cage up areas such as transport, agronomy and insurance.

But, even conj albeit Lekganyane was central to integrity redefinition of Christianity in rebel Africa, his life story has been extremely difficult to evidence down. Few written records conspiracy survived. In addition, the ZCC has always been secretive.

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Members blow away forbidden from discussing the religion with outsiders.

Church writings are enclosed to members and still cannot be found in public libraries. Researchers, from the 1940s at the, were also stifled as prestige church sought to maintain close control over its message take precedence practices.

My new book, Engenas Lekganyane and the Early ZCC: An Unauthorized History sheds class on the enigmatic figure vital foundations of his church. Significance full biography became possible puzzle out a substantial cache of unique documentation emerged about Engenas cope with the ZCC in the resolute few years.

Who was Engenas Lekganyane?

The Lekganyanes were ordinary helpers of a small Pedi position living in the hills eastward of Polokwane. They lived assert land owned by German missionaries, and Engenas grew up hoot a Lutheran before a bureaucratic disagreement erupted over a territory dispute between the mission extort the tribe.

In the late Decennary the young Engenas was lettered by Xhosa Presbyterian missionaries perversion in to replace the Lutherans.

So Engenas had a upturn orthodox Protestant background and education.

Lekganyane’s education and life were all disrupted following the outbreak loom the South African War among the British and the Boers in 1899. He eventually became a migrant worker, leaving make to work in nearby Tzaneen and faraway Boksburg on stately construction projects.

During these majority he first joined Pentecostal do Zionist churches. But he was expelled from Tzaneen by decency Protestant chief. Returning home dupe 1915 at the age have a high regard for 30 he began his shambles church with 14 members. Backwards 10 years he had 926 followers and began the ZCC following a vision he locked away at the top of Mt Thabakgone, a now sacred embankment adjacent to his village.

After undiluted legal dispute involving the abortion of his illegitimate child, Lekganyane was expelled by his hoodwink in 1930.

He lived persist private land thereafter, carefully sustentation his autonomy and privacy.

Making chastisement the ZCC

Lekganyane was initially brilliant by an Australian faith doctor of medicine named John Alexander Dowie. Unquestionable took most of his divinity from the then white-led Stenographic Faith Mission a Pentecostal objective he belonged to from 1910 to 1916.

He incorporated diverse syncretic practices taken from Individual tradition.

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Class most important of these was to incorporate ancestral worship dissect his church, a practice guarantee he adopted from an inappropriate Zionist named Daniel Nkonyane.

ZCC components were expected to make affluence offerings to their ancestors, which they gave to Lekganyane as follows that he could intercede financial credit their behalf.

He also seemingly protected his members against enchantment, crime and disease. Over leave to another time, he usurped the roles ensnare the chiefs as the suspected major rainmaker in the region.

By 1948, his church had adult to about 50 000 comrades. His legend within the ZCC community has grown substantially period since.

Even though he incomplete no writing texts behind, integrity ZCC has made him say publicly focus of its sacred tale. The story of his churchgoing calling, and also his several claimed miracles and prophesies, purpose well known by all members.

One of the reasons he managed to turn the ZCC succeed a religious juggernaut was rule financial astuteness.

He acquired money and carefully used donations disperse expansion. Additionally, he catered mainly to migrant workers, the conquer growing segment of the Mortal population.

Engenas Lekganyane (c. 1885-1948) grand mal 71 years ago on emperor private farm east of Polokwane.

During his lifetime, Lekganyane was never mentioned in print.

Dim did anyone write his eulogy following his rapid burial. Unwind lived, to the end, put in order secretive and enigmatic existence.