DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70004#0088
86
veloped centralized and powerful political structures in pre-colonial times like
the Lozi, the Bemba and the Ngoni. The former mentioned also had a lower
ethnic prestige and were reached by missions later than the latter. With an ID
= 18, the church, together with the Catholics, is the most equally distributed
of all the churches considered here and must, therefore, be seen as a national
church. Only 26% of its societies are in cities.
b. The New Apostolic Church
Despite several attempts to make contact, very little material could be obtained
on this church22, although the author was assured by its Administrative Head-
quarters that membership data, etc., was very reliably collected. It seems that
they prefer to work quietly, not wanting public attention. This attitude seems
quite astonishing as there is no evidence of any hindrance to their work as
in the case of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The church originates from Germany
where it is the third largest church. The denomination, which was formed in
1863 and is led by the Chief Apostle and a council of 48 apostles, has a strong
hierarchical organisation. World-wide it has over a million members, half of
them in the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic
and Switzerland. The church came to Zambia via South Africa, where it ar-
rived with German immigrants and where it has about 300,000 adherents. In
Zambia, with nearly 200,000 adherents, it is the fourth largest denomination.
In Lusaka a very costly church was built and consecrated by the New Apostolic
Church in 1983: seating 5,000 people it is the second largest church building
in the capital, the largest being the Anglican Cathedral.
c. The Independent Churches
Independent African churches, of which those in South Africa and in Kenya,
the Aladura churches in Nigeria, the “Harrists” in the Ivory Coast and the
“Kimbanguists” in Zaire are possibly the best known, are not as important
in Zambia as in most other African countries. In Kenya, Zaire, Ghana and
Zimbabwe more than 15% of the total population belong to such churches, in
South Africa and Swaziland even more than 20% (HENKEL 1986). In Zambia
the percentage is only 8%. The largest independent churches are the African
Gospel Church and the Watchman Healing Mission, each with an estimated
60,000 adherents. The former, also called “Masowe Apostles”23, is formed by
followers of Johane Masowe who came from Mashonaland in Zimbabwe. In
the early thirties Masowe claimed to be a prophet, founding an indigenous
religious movement in which he took the central role of a Messiah, sent to the
Africans just as Jesus was sent to the White people (DILLON-MALONE 1978).
The movement spread from Zimbabwe into nearly all the countries of South,
veloped centralized and powerful political structures in pre-colonial times like
the Lozi, the Bemba and the Ngoni. The former mentioned also had a lower
ethnic prestige and were reached by missions later than the latter. With an ID
= 18, the church, together with the Catholics, is the most equally distributed
of all the churches considered here and must, therefore, be seen as a national
church. Only 26% of its societies are in cities.
b. The New Apostolic Church
Despite several attempts to make contact, very little material could be obtained
on this church22, although the author was assured by its Administrative Head-
quarters that membership data, etc., was very reliably collected. It seems that
they prefer to work quietly, not wanting public attention. This attitude seems
quite astonishing as there is no evidence of any hindrance to their work as
in the case of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The church originates from Germany
where it is the third largest church. The denomination, which was formed in
1863 and is led by the Chief Apostle and a council of 48 apostles, has a strong
hierarchical organisation. World-wide it has over a million members, half of
them in the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic
and Switzerland. The church came to Zambia via South Africa, where it ar-
rived with German immigrants and where it has about 300,000 adherents. In
Zambia, with nearly 200,000 adherents, it is the fourth largest denomination.
In Lusaka a very costly church was built and consecrated by the New Apostolic
Church in 1983: seating 5,000 people it is the second largest church building
in the capital, the largest being the Anglican Cathedral.
c. The Independent Churches
Independent African churches, of which those in South Africa and in Kenya,
the Aladura churches in Nigeria, the “Harrists” in the Ivory Coast and the
“Kimbanguists” in Zaire are possibly the best known, are not as important
in Zambia as in most other African countries. In Kenya, Zaire, Ghana and
Zimbabwe more than 15% of the total population belong to such churches, in
South Africa and Swaziland even more than 20% (HENKEL 1986). In Zambia
the percentage is only 8%. The largest independent churches are the African
Gospel Church and the Watchman Healing Mission, each with an estimated
60,000 adherents. The former, also called “Masowe Apostles”23, is formed by
followers of Johane Masowe who came from Mashonaland in Zimbabwe. In
the early thirties Masowe claimed to be a prophet, founding an indigenous
religious movement in which he took the central role of a Messiah, sent to the
Africans just as Jesus was sent to the White people (DILLON-MALONE 1978).
The movement spread from Zimbabwe into nearly all the countries of South,