African Independent Churches; African Indigenous Churches; African Instituted Churches; African Initiated Churches

2 Different names are currently used to designate the so called AICs: African Independent Churches; African Indigenous Churches; African Instituted Churches; African Initiated Churches. "Independent" has been chosen in this study to indicate the historic differentiation between the mainline, or Euro-centric churches and the churches that originated without being institutionally bound to the mainline churches. struggle, as was the case in Zimbabwe, nor by the coming into being of the Ethiopian churches, which started mostly in the urban areas and metropolitan cities. The purpose of establishing the new movements by the indigenous people, was not a move to ostracise the white missionaries, who introduced Christian religion. The formations of the Independent Churches in Venda were the "signs of the times" indicating that the "train" of Christianity was rather too westernised, and that the Vhavenda felt deprived of their traditional culture. With the result that their beliefs and practices were not interwoven into the Christian religion. From a historical point of view, Jesus Christ had a very large contingent following Him all the time during His ministry on earth. The most important reason was, not to hear the Word of God, but to witness miracles when the invalids were healed. Eternal life to them was something far-fetched, as they cherished the present life. The Indigenous people regarded healing as a physical restoration of the discomfort in the body. The Vhavenda regarded a physical cure as paramount to the life hereafter. According to the Vhavenda, security and protection against evil was of a great significance. When the pioneers of the Independent Churches caused a schism from the mainline churches, they made faith healing the 162 cornerstone of the Gospel. Mahon was known to practice faith-healing. The indigenous people came on feet and wagons to be healed, and the possessed were healed of the demons (Oosthuizen 1985:45). The Vhavenda have a strong respect for a traditional healer who has a reputation for healing. They usually go to far away places in search of good traditional healers. To the Vhavenda, therapeutic salvation was regarded as a priority to spiritual salvation. The indigenous Independent Churches rose to power through faith healing. Sundkler supports this statement when he purports that, "In order to rise to leadership, the prophet must above all be a healer" (Sundkler 1961:115). The indigenous leaders of the Independent Churches, realising that the Vhavenda accepted faith-healing as a relief from sorcery and witchcraft, joined the Indigenous Churches as a refuge from the evil ones. The Vhavenda believe that illness is caused by the evil one as the precipitator of the destabilisation and discomfort in the family circles. The Independent Churches also accept the Vhavenda's perception that some kind of illnesses are caused by witches or the evil one. If, for example, the sick person suffers from high fever, where the person is prone to say anything that causes hallucination in the mind, the conclusion could be drawn, according to Vhavenda cultural background, that the person is bewitched. During the seizures of the sick, priests and the prophets pray for the patient, this is done in such a way that prayer becomes an interrogation, in which the emphasis is laid on removing Thuri (Polecats) from his body. It was commonly believed that the polecats (Thuri) could take hold of the human being and control his behaviour. Van Rooy, in support of this statement, alleges that, "when a person has high fever he intends to speak senseless things, so it is assumed that he has thuri (U pandela Thuri: Muishond) To chase away the "polecats" (Van Rooy 1964:7), the ministers of Independent Churches regard the action of dispelling the evil spirits as analogous to the incident of the demons, who pleaded with Jesus not to order them into the bottom pit but sought physical refuge between the swine. The practice of praying for demon-possessed in Independent Churches, is like a reinforcement of faith and confidence bestowed on the Independent Churches. In reality, the mighty acts of God's words and deeds should be accorded to Jesus Christ, who has the power above that of church leaders, including the Bishops. The ministers of the Independent Churches are inclined to lay emphasis on the name of Jesus that through it, a person would be healed when prayed for. The prayer plays an important role, and thus it becomes a vehicle for the healing process. When the sick have been healed, they are converted and start regarding the church as a refuge from evil spirits. These sentiments are endorsed by Sundkler who says: "The message of healing is in fact the strongest asset of the Zionist Evangelisation, because of this function both the converted and unconverted are attracted from the mainline churches to the A.T.C" (Sundkler 1961:233). The ministers of the Independent Churches have the time and the pertinent ear to listen to the sick like a traditional healer. Through the healing sessions, in the Independent Churches, the church is able to show that the congregation cares for its members who are ill. During these sessions, an atmosphere of expectation and confidence is created. It is alleged that the patient is even healed before he is prayed for, because he regards the pastor as a messenger of God. The pastor is placed in a highly respectable position, in that of a living saint. According to the Vhavenda culture, a person who has been ill for a long time without improvement, has to go out of his home in search of healing in far away places (U bva dzima mudi). No wonder the spiritual leaders of the Independent Churches have big villages, which in most cases are inhabited by patients who await healing sessions. Maboea is in common cause with this statement when he indicates: "The places are referred to as Hospital Jerusalem or Lekganyane's Zion City" (Maboee 1982:122). The Vhavenda, like any indigenous people, have a strong belief in drinking medicine to cure their ailments as prescribed by traditional healers. It is somewhat analogous to the drinking of water, which had been blessed by the spiritual leaders of the Independent Churches. After the blessing process, the patients regard the water as having a curative effect on ailments and they either drink, or wash themselves. "...'Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.' So the man went and washed his face, and came back seeing" (John 9:7). This biblical reference also confirms that blessed holy water has curative powers, and the Independent Churches anchor their faith on this commandment of Jesus. The main characterisation of Independent Churches is the healing process, which seems to overshadow both salvation and exegesis of the Gospel message. Oosthuizen argues: "If one has to reduce the A.T.C (African Traditional Church) to one common denominator, the most outstanding phenomenon is healing and thus the most appropriate designation" (Oosthuizen 1985). This implies that, had the historical churches made the church a refuge for salvation and also a healing community to the society around it, their members would not have sought dual memberships. At night, some of the members of the mainline churches do attend the healing session conducted by the Independent Churches and carry water for the purpose of drinking or sprinkling, as a way of dispelling evil spirits. On Sundays they attend services at their mainline churches, and play significant roles as elders of the church. The Vhavenda do not see a vast difference between the spiritual leaders of the Indigenous Church and a traditional healer, as both take care of their physical health, and ultimately they are both healers. This statement is reinforced by an article on Magic in the Sunday Times which reports: "Evodia Rametsi is training to be a prophet in the Christian tradition of the Zion apostolic churches. She says she will combine the vocations of sangoma and prophet because she believes there is no contradictions between the two" (Sunday Times Magazine 29/06/1997:10). The Vhavenda regard physical cure as paramount to eternal life, for in the Independent Churches they secure protection against witchcraft. This protection gives the new movements a good foundation on which they anchor. As a result, many new converts join the church for the sake of protection from the evil spirits. Engenas Lekganyane, the leader of the Zion Christian Church, was regarded as a powerful spiritual leader and his exegesis of the message of the Gospel was accepted as prophesy. As a result, healing received the highest priority during his church services. Lukaimane, in support of this statement, indicates that, "instead of faith alone, Engenas introduced some traditional practices and different ways of faith healing, with the result that healing more often becomes important than spiritual salvation" (Lukhaimane 1980:41). It would not be considered an exaggeration to indicate that the Vhavenda, by tradition, participate in their activities while singing. From a cultural point of view, the Vhavenda are not very fond of melodious songs, but of emotional songs, which are accompanied by the rhythm of instruments, such as drums and mbila (xylophone). This point of view is in line with the argument by Blacking when he says "Venda music is founded not on melody, but on a rhythmical stirring of the whole body, of which singing is but one extension" (Blacking 1974:27). Blacking adds that their music goes with the rhythms which lead the whole body to be set in motion, irrespective of the prevailing circumstances. Movements will be aroused, even though they sing songs of sorrow. In support of the above statement, Moboea purports that "Traditionally, when Africans worship, they sing and dance togeiher.

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