The crisis model for managing change in African Christianity: the story of St John's Apostolic Church

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Periodical article

Title:	The crisis model for managing change in African Christianity: the story of St John's Apostolic Church
Author:	Masondo, Sibusiso
Year:	2013
Periodical:	Exchange: Journal of Contemporary Christianities in Context (ISSN 0166-2740)
Volume:	42
Issue:	2
Pages:	157-174
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Southern Africa
Subjects:	Christianity religious rituals African Independent Churches African religions
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1163/1572543X-12341262
Abstract:	St John's Apostolic Faith Mission, founded by Christinah Nku (also known as Mme Christinah) and all its splinter groups can be theorized as presenting a crisis model for managing change. These churches provide their members with a well worked out path of inclusion through baptism and related rituals, as well as, alleviation of crisis through an assortment of healing, cleansing and deliverance rituals. There is also a strong element of maintaining a person's healing through an assortment of rituals of celebration and ideological reinforcement. They do this through a process of resource mobilization from both Christianity and African Religion to set up a religion that adequately responds to both the existential and spiritual needs of their members. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]