A central African religious movement preaching liberation and unity.
Religion: Christianity
Founder: Simon Kimbangu Kiangani
Founded: 1921
Location: Congo
Kimbanguism, named after its founder Simon Kimbangu, is a significant Christian new religious movement that originated in the Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1921. Simon Kimbangu, a Baptist mission catechist, launched this mass movement through his miraculous healings and biblical teachings, which quickly attracted a substantial following. However, his activities led to his arrest by the Belgian colonial authorities in October 1921, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of insurrection.
Despite Kimbangu’s imprisonment, the movement continued to grow and evolve, often clandestinely, under the name Ngunzism or Prophetism. Following a period of persecution and mass deportations by the colonial government, the movement, officially known as the Kimbanguist Church or the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth Through the Prophet Simon Kimbangu, gained legal recognition in 1959. This recognition came after the movement had shown a significant ability to spread across Central Africa, transcending class, tribal, and national boundaries, and developing a hierarchical organization under Kimbangu’s three sons. Nkamba, Kimbangu’s birthplace, became known as the New Jerusalem and serves as the spiritual center of the church.
Kimbanguism promotes a puritan ethic, eschewing politics, violence, polygamy, the use of magic and witchcraft, and the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Its worship practices are rooted in Baptist traditions, and it was only in 1971 that the institution of Communion was introduced to the church. The church also operates extensive social services, including efforts in agriculture, healing, education, and youth work, making it a modernizing influence among its members, whose numbers are estimated between 1 million to 3 million.
Simon Kimbangu’s impact extended beyond the confines of religious doctrine; he is revered as a messiah by his followers, who see him as a martyr and a symbol of resistance against colonial oppression. His teachings and the church’s activities have played a role in shaping the political and social landscapes of the region. The Kimbanguist Church maintains an intricate relationship with the political dynamics in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other Central African nations, reflecting Kimbangu’s own engagements and prophecies about political leaders and the future of the region.
Kimbanguism’s reach is not limited to the African continent; it has a global presence, attributed to the diaspora and the church’s missionary activities. Kimbanguists see themselves as God’s chosen people, tasked with spreading the Gospel worldwide, a mission that reflects Kimbangu’s prophesies about crossing boundaries and leading nations. The church’s headquarters in N’Kamba continues to be a site of pilgrimage and a symbol of the movement’s enduring legacy and its vision for spiritual liberation and unity among Black people worldwide.
image via IBTimes
