The Nazareth Baptist Church (Alternatively called "The Nazarite Church" "iBandla lamaNazaretha") is the second largest African initiated church based in South Africa, founded in 1910.[1]
It reveres Shembe as a prophet sent by God to restore the teachings of Moses, the prophets, and Jesus. Members are Sabbath-observers and avoid pork, smoking, and premarital sex.[2]
It was divided into two groups after the 1976 death of Johannes Galilee Shembe. The larger group was led by Bishop Amos Shembe until his death in 1995, while Rev. Londa Shembe led the smaller group.[3]
As of 2009, it was divided into three factions in KwaZulu-Natal and one in Gauteng.[4]
The religion uses leopard skins as part of their ceremonies, which some activists are trying to stop or replace with synthetic leopard skin.[5]
On 18 October 2016, the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban declared Vela Shembe the legitimate leader of the Nazareth Baptist Church after a protracted court battle, which had dragged on since 2011.[6] Despite this, the previous leader's son Mduduzi Shembe, who lives in the large village of Ebuhleni, remains the de facto head of the church and most church members have ignored the ruling.[7]
- ^ Fisher, Jonah (16 January 2010). "Unholy row over World Cup trumpet". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Brockman, Norbert (2011). Encyclopedia of Sacred Places (2nd ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 152. ISBN 978-0874368307. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
Nazareth, Nazarite Church shembe sex.
- ^ "Isaiah Shembe and the amaNazarites". University of Calgary. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^ Memela, Mhlaba (30 June 2009). "Shembe house torched - Nazareth faction leader fears for his life after attack". www.sowetan.co.za. Retrieved 16 January 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Shembe snarl at mock leopard skin
- ^ "Vela Shembe comes out victorious in church leadership battle". News24. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ Sosibo, Kwanale (22 December 2016). "Why Vela Shembe won't be king". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2017.