ACCOUNT FOR THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT CHURCHES IN AFRICA

5. ACCOUNT FOR THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT CHURCHES IN AFRICA


Approach
• Define independent churches
• Give examples of independent churches from all over Africa
• Give the factors for the rise of such churches and each point should be followed with an example
• Conclude
Back ground to the question
These were African oriented churches which broke away from original missionary founded churches.
Examples of independent churches include:
The Niger Delta church in west Africa under Crowther, The United Methodists church, United church of Yorubaland, Abamalaki in East Africa, Seventh day Adventist (Malawi in Central Africa), Seventh Day Baptist under Charles Dorrningo, The watch Tower movement under Elliot Kamwana,United native African church (West Africa),Brother Church Movement of Congo, Nazareth Church in Zulu land, Ethiopian church of Barotse under Mokalapa, Providence industrial mission under Reverand John Kilembe among others.
Leaders behind African Independent churches included
Bondoson, Crowther, Joshuakate, Reuben Spartus, Elliot Kamwana, Charles Domingo, Simon Kibangu, Chernils, Isaiah Sherub, John Kilembwe among others.
Factors for the Rise of Independent Churches
1. Mistreatment done by White Christians annoyed African converts. Africans detested this because it did not comply to the equality principle emphasized by the Bible i.e. forced labour, low payments of Africans in churches yet over worked.
2. Social discrimination as a result of influx of Europeans like administrators, traders, settlers. European missionaries began to relate more with people of their race than Africans as they had done before, e.g. they discriminated the Tonga in northern Malawi, and they even rejected sexual intercourse with Africans.
3. Discrimination of African cultures norms, and values such as polygamy forced them to form independent churches and revive their cultural values, they referred to African names as being ungodly, they stressed monogamy for polygamy, and this angered the Africans.
4. There was a need to prove their ability to rule and manage their own theology since they were banned from top administrative posts.
5. Africans wanted to use their churches as their platform to fight against European colonialism.
6. Over ambitiousness of educated converts they blamed European missionaries for preaching things which they could not do themselves like equality, for instance Kilembwe capitalized on European injustices to form the Providence industrial mission.
7. Need to unite Africans under the same umbrella. Led to the formation of independent churches.
8. The way European missionaries were bartering African converts for example from British Baptists to German missionaries as if they were commodities thus formed the native Baptist church, this in fact led to resentment in areas of Dawara (Cameroon)
9. Church dues, admission to church needed one to undergo length growth of catechism and those who had paid church dues. Those who could not afford such dues formed their churches.
10. The exploitation and oppression by the Europeans towards Africans forced them to form their own churches. They emphasized that torture was justifiable if civilization and Christianity was to take root
11. Encouragement by African chiefs and support such as Lewanika of Loki supported Mokalapa to establish their church, even Charles Domingo encouraged Africans to start up their churches.
12. Some African leaders dared and preached against ill treatment of Africans by white missionaries e.g. Elliot Kamwana, Charles Domingo, and John Kilembwe in central Africa and Ajai Crowther in West Africa.
13. Africans like the Tonga in Malawi were disappointed by missionary action of favouring certain villages against others.
14. The pathetic process of converting Africans into Christianity under missionary churches was too long for them.
15. Educational segregation the Africans could not access education; this forced them to form their own churches.
16. Failure by Africans to get charity which they had anticipated from the white missionary station.
17. The hope and belief of a black messiah to rescue Africans from continuous suffering forced them to form their churches.e.g. in South Africa, there was an African messiah by the names of Isaiah Ishembe, in Congo there was Kibangu.
18. European missionaries took too long to ordain African clergies that gathering involved heavy financial implication e.g. Ajai Crowther finished his course in 1900 and was not ordained until 1908.
19. Inspiration from Ethiopian success at Adowa in! 896 where the church was used to fight and defeat Italians, other Africans picked a leaf from there and formed churches to fight against Africans.
20. Conflicts among the missionary groups e.g. in Malawi puzzled the converts and African clergies wondered why they did so, they thus became suspicious and decided to form their own churches.
21. The general practice of colour bias syndrome on the Africans especially by the Dutch reformed church, in southern Africa the white church supported apartheid.
22. Protest of introduction of school fees yet they regarded the church as charity organization i.e. Elliot Kamwana
23. White missionaries’ failure to appreciate the work and effort of the Africans.
24. Effect of the white radicals. (Offsprings of AfraAmerican socialization) e.g., Joseph Robertson, Michael Tina, Joseph Botha, all of the suffered during slave trade and so heated to do anything with Europeans.
25. Influence of Diaspora i.e. coupled with the already existing movements.
26. The sympathetic activities and lamentation of some whites on holidays in central Africa, they advocated for better treatment of Africans. Such positive talk from the Europeans made Africans obliged to form their own churches.
27. Some missionaries gave financial assistance to Africans to establish independent churches e.g. the Livingstonia mission supported John Kilernbwe.
28. The impact of training and education given to Africans by white missionaries encouraged the former to oppose the latter by establishing their own churches.
29. Some Africans leaders and clergy had been frustrated by colonial powers who failed to reward them the way they expected e.g. Kakungulu was disappointed and formed Katonda Ayinza Byonna.
30. Translation of the bible into local languages like Kiswahili, Luganda.this eased the work of African evangelists and their followers.
31. Death of Samuel Ajai Crowther.