GOVERNMENT POLICY AND INVESTIGATIONS INTO INDEPENDENT CHURCHES

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ETHIOPIAN-TYPE INDEPENDENT CHURCHES – THE FIELD OF STUDY

Barrett in his book on Schism and renewal in Africa 1 lists thirty-four nations in Africa in which schism from mission churches has occurred. These include Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Dahomey, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa. For the purpose of this study only independent churches originating in South Africa will be considered. Much has been written about the separatist church movements in South Africa. Gerdener wrote: « The interesting if pathetic phenomenon of separatism has set many pens and tongues in motion ». 2 Most of what has been written has, however, been about the Zionist churches. This study concentrates on what has been written about the Ethiopian churches which formed the earliest schismatic groups.

A study of the factors that influenced the rise and development of

Ethiopianism within the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, was written in 1985. In it he dealt with the William Taylor mission of 1866 in which Taylor drew attention to the need for African ministers to be trained. 162 He, like Kamphausen, sees the Unzondelelo movement as a precursor of the Ethiopian movement. Balia writes about the Ethiopian leaders Tile and Mokane. He looked at the present policies of the Methodist Church and felt that « it was necessary to retain the reactionary nature of Ethiopianism as a vital element in the quest for African religious independence ». 163 Balia again mentioned the Ethiopians in his study on Black Methodists and white supremacy in South Africa. However, the study is mainly about the Black Methodist Consultation, a movement within the Methodist Church which seeks renewal within the Church rather than separation from it.

Analysis and application of the perceived causes of Ethiopian schism

There is remarkable agreement about the causes of schism from the mission churches even though the manner of addressing the problem changed with the years. The understanding of the main-line church writers of the underlying causes for independent churches changed little with the passing of time until the appearance of Sundkler’s Bantu prophets in South Africa. Approaches and attitudes changed from puzzlement and an effort to determine why schism occurred, to considering the independent churches a subject for research. Fear of political motives being behind the formation of the Ethiopian-type churches appeared to blind people to the particular reasons for each of the groups leaving the socalled « mother church ». It will be seen that the Wesleyan Methodist Church was one of the mission churches from which the greatest number of secessions took place. Within the parameters of the research examined above a reason for this will be sought. It must be emphasised that while the same predisposing factors prevailed in many sections of the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, there were always far more African clergymen who remained within the structures of the mission church than left to form their own independent groups. It was only when the prevailing conditions became untenable or a crisis arose that individuals left to form independent churches.

African nationalism

The era in which the Ethiopian church movement arose also saw the growth of the African nationalist movements. African ministers were often leaders in these movements. Anti-white feeling due to the colour bar, especially after the 1913 Land Act, led to secession from « white » churches. Writers who were members of the Methodist Church like Jabavu spoke out vigorously against discrimination and were supporters of African nationalism. The bitterness felt by some of the schismatic church leaders towards the church that they felt had let them down, found an outlet in the anti-white feeling of African nationalism. Ethiopianism’s alliance with the African Methodist Episcopal Church was perceived by white South Africans to be anti-white rather than pro-black. The link with emerging African nationalism and antiwhite feeling was emphasised by writers from the earliest like Stormont to modern writers like Balia and Kuzwayo.

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GOVERNMENT POLICY AND INVESTIGATIONS INTO INDEPENDENT CHURCHES

This survey will deal with government policy and investigations into the « separatist » churches during the years 1892 to 1925. The causes of schism, as revealed in the interviews and reports of the various commissions, will be examined. Sundkler in his book on the African Independent Churches in South Africa 1 categorised government involvement with the Independent Churches into three periods: pre-union up to 1910, 1910 to 1925 and after 1925. Attitudes to the independent churches in each period depended on how much people knew about the movement. Interest in the secessions was widespread as people tried to find reasons why black church leaders and members should desire independence. For example, in 1903 the executive of the South African Native Congress 2 sent a statement to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in London in which they blamed the secessions on « the conduct of untrained men taking upon themselves responsibilities for which many of them are eminently unfitted by character and culture … « .

CONTENTS :

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 ETHIOPIAN-TYPE INDEPENDENT CHURCHES – THE FIELD OF STUDY
- Books exclusively about the separatist churches- pre
- Writers from wider Africa
- Later South African writers on the independent churches
- Black writers on the independent churches
- Institutional studies on the African Independent Churches
- Analysis and application of the perceived causes of
- Ethiopian schism
- African nationalism
- Methodist doctrine as a predisposing factor
CHAPTER 2 GOVERNMENT POLICY AND INVESTIGATIONS INTO INDEPENDENT CHURCHES
- The context in which the 1903-1905 Native Affairs Commission was constituted
- The 1903-1905 South African Native Affairs Commission
Desire to belong to the black-controlled African Methodist
Episcopal Church as a possible cause of schism
Testimony of loyal mission church members
- The testimony of newspaper editors sought in an effort to establish the causes of schism
Perceptions of the causes of schism articulated by whites
Independent church leaders provide their reasons for schism
Interviews conducted in Natal provide evidence of « hidden » causes and the attitude of whites Further interviews by the Commission in British colonies
Assessment of the perceptions of the causes of schism The Report of the Commission
Events in the years between the Commissions
- The 1923 Native Affairs Commission
- The 1925 Native Affairs Commission
- The Bulhoek tragedy
Information on the causes of schism found in the answers to the questionnaires Churches which seceded from the American Board Mission
- Some schisms from the Zulu Congregational Church
- Some schisms from the Apostolic Faith Mission
- Some schisms from the Baptist Church
- Some schisms from the Church of England
- Some schisms from the Methodist Church Doctrine and schism Reasons for secession cited by witnesses before the Commission
The Report of the Native Churches Commission – Comparison of the report with the questionnaires
After
Later Commissions that provide insight into causes of schism
The Tomlinson Report
The commission of enquiry into certain organisations – The
Christian Institute
CHAPTER 3 CASE STUDY l:THE GENESIS OF THE ETHIOPIAN MOVEMENT IN THE
- CAPE AND TRANSVAAL
- Mokone’s reasons for leaving the Methodist Church
- The Ethiopian Church
- Reasons why the Ethiopian leaders joined the AMEC and why some did not remain
CHAPTER 4 CASE STUDY 2: ETHIOPIA REACHES OUT AGAIN
- The Order of Ethiopia or Dwane’s revolt
- The Order of Ethiopia after
- The Ethiopian Catholic Church in Zion
- The Ethiopian Church of South Africa Reasons for leaving the AME Church
CHAPTER 5 CASE STUDY 3: PRESBYTERIAN INDEPENDNECE
CHAPTER 6 CASE STUDY 4: A FURTHER INDEPENDENT METHODIST INITIATIVE