Nazareth Baptist Church
Encyclopedia
Nazareth Baptist Church is an African Initiated Church
founded by Isaiah Shembe
1910.
It has approximately 4 million members. The religion bans smoking, drinking, and fornicating. It is seen as a mixture of Zulu tradition and Christianity. It reveres Shembe as an African Messiah and emphasizes the Ten Commandments
.
It was divided into two groups after the 1976 death of Bishop Johannes Galilee Shembe. The larger group was led by Bishop Amos Shembe until his death in 1996, while the Rt. Rev. Londa Shembe led the smaller group.
As of 2009 it was divided into four factions – three in KwaZulu-Natal and one in Gauteng
.
to Nhlangagazi, on the first Sunday of the New Year. It is said that Isaiah Shembe was drawn to the area where the Holy Spirit
told him to start the Church.
They also hold a month-long celebration in Judea near Eshowe every year in October, where up to 25,000 members gather to receive the blessings of Shembe.
, used by fans attending football matches in South Africa
, actually belongs to their church. They threatened to pursue legal action to stop supporters from playing the vuvuzela at the South African World Cup
. However, no legal proceedings were initiated.
African Initiated Church
An African Initiated Church is any of a number of Christian churches independently started in Africa by Africans and not by missionaries from another continent, in which they sometimes hold to one or more African tribal belief systems syncretised with Christianity.-Nomenclature:A variety of...
founded by Isaiah Shembe
Isaiah Shembe
Isaiah Mloyiswa Mdliwamafa Shembe , was the founder of the Zulu Nazareth Baptist Church and a figure in the African independent church movement in South Africa...
1910.
It has approximately 4 million members. The religion bans smoking, drinking, and fornicating. It is seen as a mixture of Zulu tradition and Christianity. It reveres Shembe as an African Messiah and emphasizes the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
.
It was divided into two groups after the 1976 death of Bishop Johannes Galilee Shembe. The larger group was led by Bishop Amos Shembe until his death in 1996, while the Rt. Rev. Londa Shembe led the smaller group.
As of 2009 it was divided into four factions – three in KwaZulu-Natal and one in Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
.
Pilgrimages
The Shembe begin each year with a pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Nhlangagazi, on the first Sunday of the New Year. It is said that Isaiah Shembe was drawn to the area where the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
told him to start the Church.
They also hold a month-long celebration in Judea near Eshowe every year in October, where up to 25,000 members gather to receive the blessings of Shembe.
World Cup legal challenge
In early 2010 the Nazareth Baptist Church claimed that the vuvuzela hornVuvuzela
The vuvuzela , also known as lepatata Mambu , colloquially known in South Africa as "Moerstripper", is a plastic horn, about long, which produces a loud monotone note, typically around B3 . Some models are made in two parts to facilitate storage, and this design also allows pitch variation...
, used by fans attending football matches in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, actually belongs to their church. They threatened to pursue legal action to stop supporters from playing the vuvuzela at the South African World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. However, no legal proceedings were initiated.