Kimbanguism

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Members of the Kimbanguist Church in Portugal celebrating Christmas outside Lisbon, 25 May 2013. The church shifted observance of Christ's birth to the birthday of leader Salomon Dialungana, who is believed to be Christ reincarnated.

Kimbanguism is a new religious movement professed by the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth by His special envoy Simon Kimbangu (French: Église de Jésus Christ sur la Terre par son envoyé spécial Simon Kimbangu) founded by Simon Kimbangu in the Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in 1921. It is considered a branch of Christianity. A large, independent African Initiated Church, it has an estimated 5.5 million believers and has its headquarters in Nkamba.

History

In April 1921, Kimbangu, a Baptist mission catechist, inaugurated a mass movement through his supposed miraculous healings and biblical teaching. The Belgian authorities treated the faith with suspicion and imprisoned Simon Kimbangu until his death in 1951. The church was formally recognised by the Belgian colonial authorities in 1959.

Some smaller, more loosely organised groups in Central Africa regard Kimbangu as God's prophet.

Life and works of Kimbangu

According to the church, Simon Kimbangu is said to have come down to earth from Mount Zion as a Congolese infant. His father had been a traditional religious leader, but both parents died and Kimbangu was orphaned and put in the care of his maternal aunt. She took him to Baptist missionary school where he studied for many years. He grew up to be a Baptist.

In 1921, the mother of a deceased child is said to have approached Kimbangu while he was talking to his disciples. He said to her, "Have faith in Me. I will give you a miracle and you will know the truth about me. I will do something great for your daughter and you will see God's glory", and raised her child from the dead.

Beliefs and practices

The church eschews politics and embraces puritan ethics, rejecting the use of violence, polygamy, magic and witchcraft, alcohol, tobacco, and dancing. Its worship is Baptist in form, though the institution of Holy Communion was not introduced until 1971.

The three key dates in the Kimbanguist calendar are 6 April (marking the date of the start of the ministry of healing), 12 October (Kimbangu's death anniversary) and 25 May (marking Christmas, falling on the birthday of Father Dialungana). The church is largely non-sacramental, with large services that are well-organised.

The church also believes that Father Simon Kimbangu is the Holy Spirit, in accordance with John 14:15-17. Like many Christian groups, the Kimbanguists begin and end prayers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Alongside Simon Kimbangu, the Holy Trinity are, Father Kisolokele (first son of Kimbangu) as God the Father, Father Salomon Diangani Dialungana (the reincarnated Jesus Christ and second son of Kimbangu), Father Diangienda Kuntima (last son, reincarnation of Kimbangu and second human form of the Holy Spirit), and Father Simon Kimbangu Kiangani (grandson of Kimbangu, third human form of the Holy Spirit, and current spiritual leader of the Church since 2001).

Hierarchy

• The spiritual head (Diangienda)
• Adjunct spiritual heads (Dialungana and Kisolokele – the other sons of Simon Kimbangu)
• Bansadisi (healers)
• Legal representatives of churches in the various countries
• Regional representatives and their staffs
• Subregional representatives and their staffs
• Main parish ministers, evangelists and helpers
• Parish-section ministers, evangelists and helpers
• Congregants

See also

• Mandombe

External links

• http://www.gospelcom.net/dacb/stories/demrepcongo/diangienda_joseph.html
• Official Website (mostly in French, some German)
• Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste (in French)
• Kimbangu resource (in French)

Further reading

• Kimbangu: An African Prophet and His Church Marie-Louise Martin (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976) ISBN 0-8028-3483-3