The Lumpa Church, an independent Christian church, was established in 1953 by "Alice" Lenshina Mulenga in the village of Kasama,
Northern Rhodesia (
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
). The church promoted a blend of
Christian and traditional religious values and practices, including a belief in the role of women as spiritual mediums.
Origin
The group began with the ideals of Alice Mulenga Lubusha who rechristened herself
Alice Lenshina or essentially "Alice Regina."
The group was what could be deemed the "eradication movement" in African religion. It strongly opposed
polygamy
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is ...
and
sorcery
Sorcery may refer to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities
* Magic in fiction, ...
.
Further narration
By 1958 the organization adopted the controversial rejection of all earthly authority. It began having its own courts and refused to pay taxes or be registered with the state. This led to a confrontation known as the
"Lumpa uprising" soon after Zambia became independent. This violent confrontation led to the deaths of approximately 700 members and the arrest of Alice Lenshina. Alice was released in 1975, but imprisoned two years later for trying to revive the movement's strength. The Catholic Lay movement
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary ( la, Legio Mariae, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve it on a voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Marian movement by the layman and civi ...
adopted some of their hymns and thus converted some of the former members, although the Lumpa Church itself is said to survive and split into various churches - Jerusalem Church, Uluse Kamutola Church, New Jerusalem Church, Siloam Church.
See also
*
Alice Lenshina
*
History of Church activities in Zambia
References
External links
Alice Lenshina biographical information
{{Authority control
Churches in Zambia
Christian new religious movements
Christian organizations established in 1953
1953 establishments in Northern Rhodesia