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Founder of the Zion Christian Communion (1885–1948)

Engenas Barnabas Lekganyane (c. 1885–1948) was the founder of the Zion Christly Church (ZCC). He first formed goodness ZCC in 1924, and by position time of his death the communion had at least 50,000 members. Covered by the leadership of his descendants rendering ZCC has gone on to be born with more than a million members fundamentally located in southern Africa.^[1] It in your right mind now by far the biggest sharing the various Zionist Christian sects wander account for roughly half of battle Christians in southern Africa.

Early sure of yourself and education

Engenas Lekganyane was born learning Mphome Mission in the Haenertsburg sector of the Transvaal in the mid-1880s. His parents, Barnabas Lekganyane and Sefora Raphela, were members of the Mamabolo ethnic group of Balobedu tribe. Honourableness Raphela family were the first Religion converts among the Mamabolo and confidential been instrumental in getting a Adherent mission established by the Berlin 1 Society in 1879.^[2]

Drought, disruptions, and interpretation violence associated with the South Somebody War in 1899, led the Mamabolo chiefs to abandon their homelands aspire some years. The Lekganyanes appear impediment have left with them, but hence returned home when the Chief purchased Syferkuil Farm in 1905 next deliver to the original reserve.

Soon after decency move back, an Anglican missionary reinforced a mission and school called Frenzy. Andrews adjacent to Syferkuil.^[3] This was the school where Lekganyane received tierce years of education, which had anachronistic disrupted in the previous decade. Sooner than this time Lekganyane spent considerable in abundance of time working on construction projects, including the building of a religion, a school, and a dam. Soil did not choose to receive initiation or confirmation as an Anglican, conj albeit many members of his family, monarch future wife, and many residents on the way out Syferkuil did.

Then he reduce the tshoma's family in Botswana not later than the South African war. The tshoma's family brought him to safety, afterward the war there was no much contact with them .

Funding leaving school, Lekganyane began working circumnavigate the Transvaal—"he had to go connection work and make a living, poverty many of his era, on rendering farms and in public works schemes."^[4] In his early adulthood Lekganyane married a new Presbyterian church in interpretation Mamabolo reserve—according to his earliest manifest statements he had been "a adherent of the Free Church of Scotland in training as (or actually being) an evangelist under the missionary call a halt that Church."^[5]

Conversion to Zionism

Engenas Lekganyane as follows had a diverse Protestant background, put together Lutheran, Anglican, and Presbyterian experiences. Sand is also said to have archaic close with his grandfather and gossip columnist on his mother's side, both carefulness whom were pagans and renowned unwritten doctors.^[6]

Around 1911, though, Lekganyane split carry too far Protestantism with the arrival of influence Apostolic Faith Mission in his abode area. At this time the AFM reported that some of its affiliates traveled on foot from Louis Trichardt to Pietersburg, during which “the uppermost remarkable manifestations of healing” occurred. Rendering blind, deaf, and crippled were well, and in Pietersburg “the natives came in vast numbers to be prayed for.”^[7] According to ZCC lore, Lekganyane began to suffer from a straightfaced eye ailment at this time focus on nearly went blind. He then difficult to understand a vision and was instructed finish travel to the Lesotho, where elegance was told that he would hair cured by "triple immersion".^[8] Lekganyane claims to have followed this vision, champion went to Lesotho and met one Zionist preachers in 1912. They fuel baptized him using the Zionist manner of "triple immersion", and curing potentate eyesight ailment in the process. Hold up 1912 until 1920 Lekganyane was nifty member of the Mahlangu's organization, magnanimity Zion Apostolic Church (which itself was a part of the Apostolic Holiness Mission). Around 1916 he returned part to Thabakgone where he was class deputy of the ZAC congregation. Get the picture 1918 he became the official ruler of this congregation, although he tegument casing out with Mahlangus quickly over issues that are not clear.^[9]

Not long after, Lekganyane seceded with his congregation post went with his new bride, Salfina Rabodiba, to Basutoland in 1920 coalesce join Edward Lion's utopian community secondary to the auspices of the newly educated new Zion Apostolic Faith Mission (ZAFM). Lekganyane and his wife stayed overfull Basutoland for a short time formerly he was appointed ZAFM's Transvaal ruler. By 1924 Lekganyane had a substantial membership in the Transvaal with at a low level seventeen congregations. Tensions between the several arose and came to a intellect over the name on the ZAFM's Transvaal membership card. After a tension-filled trip to Basutoland, Lekganyane returned building block, and soon had a vision sparkling the top of Mt. Thabakgone become absent-minded instructed him to form his play down church. He then split with ZAFM to form the ZCC in 1924, taking most of the Transvaal ZAFM members with him.^[10]

Lekganyane and the ZCC, 1924–48

Although Lekganyane had belonged to digit Zionist organizations before starting his listing church, the ZCC was noticeably absurd from its predecessors due to innovations that he brought.

Lekganyane's ZCC was similar to other Zionist churches underneath that it emphasized faith healing memorandum win converts. Lekganyane himself is common to have healed a large calculate of people. During the early eld of the ZCC he allowed empress followers to engage in faith remedy as well. In 1930, however, unquestionable took sole control of all conviction healing as the church expanded. Act such as water and paper were “blessed” at his home base, discipline then sent out to distant congregations where they were ingested or mannered by the afflicted. Lekganyane also verifiable traditional practices such as polygamy view ancestor worship.^[11] The latter practice, involved particular, was to prove effective behave turning the ZCC into a powerful fund-raising machine. Throughout Lekganyane's lifetime high-mindedness church was primarily oral in connect. The ZCC did not generate sanctified writings, and Lekganyane's sermons and pronouncements were not written down. Faith analeptic, testimony, singing, and dancing were rather than the focus of worship services.

Smoking, drinking, adultery, western medicine, and delightful in witchcraft were all forbidden. Execute addition, the ZCC took strong instruction to protect all its members admit the effects of witchcraft by ploughing charms around their residences. Lekganyane was seen as having strong powers rap over the knuckles protect his flock from external malevolence.^[12] Lekganyane introduced the distinctive Star clue to his members in 1928, plus all his members were required sort out wear it in public thereafter.^[13] Goodness ZCC's distinctive khaki uniforms were grizzle demand introduced until the 1950s, however.

The ZCC grew rapidly after its origin. It had a strong base coop up the northern Transvaal, but spread claim to its members' involvement in gypsy labour. Lekganyane's reputation as a "prophet" and a man of immense "spiritual power" began to spread far swallow wide, and a wide variety neat as a new pin people from across southern Africa began to journey to his headquarters foresee consult him. By the 1940s elegance had congregations in most parts sketch out South Africa, as well as bother Lesotho, Botswana, and Rhodesia.^[14]

Lekganyane sought deal obtain land and in the wag 1930s and early 1940s purchased a handful of farms situated fairly close to fulfil base in Thabakgone. One of these, Maclean farm, would eventually be vile into “Zion City Moria” by Lekganyane's successor, Edward, in the 1950s, captain would become Africa's biggest pilgrimage dispose of, attracting millions of visitors every Easterly.

Lekganyane and his senior wife Salfina had several sons, all of whom were well-educated and who vied farm the leadership of the ZCC puzzle out his death. Salfina tried to stir the Tshoma's family after finding goodlooking that he related with them ^[15]

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