Branham, Moreau, and East Africa

We’re continually on the lookout for existing resources on cults in East Africa. Recently I came across A. Scott Moreau's article on the Branham movement in the East Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology (April 1989). Moreau was a missionary in Africa and now serves as Professor of Intercultural Studies and Missions at Wheaton College and as editor of Evangelical Missions Quarterly. He writes:

Almost every Kenyan student at the Nairobi International School of Theology has had encounters with a Branhamite and found them to be extremely difficult to talk to without having to engage in a defense of the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity or of the baptismal formula “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Moreau first summarizes the history of the self-proclaimed prophet William Branham (1909–1965) and the movement that grew from his international healing ministry. Then he details the Branhamites’ core beliefs, especially that 1) while the Bible is inerrant, we need Branham’s gift of prophetic revelation to fully understand God’s message, and 2) God is not a Trinity; instead, the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are different manifestations of a single divine person. After mentioning several other doctrinal deviations, Moreau provides a basic evaluation of Branham’s ministry and teaching, concluding that Branham was a false prophet and his end-time message was in serious error. He concludes by classifying the Branhamites a theological cult and gives several suggestions for how to approach the movement’s followers.

There’s such a wealth of information in this brief article that I barely know where to begin. I especially appreciated Moreau’s practical emphasis. He wasn’t simply an academician dryly describing another religious group; he was an evangelical Christian on the front lines recognizing the need to more effectively engage this cult in Africa. For this Moreau deserves our sincere thanks.

Still, his article is twenty years old. Not only does this render his research somewhat outdated (William Branham Ministries is now deeply entrenched across the continent), but the lack of related research since then is a sad indication of how little has been done by serious theologians in East Africa to address harmful groups of this nature.

May God help us to build on the work of such scholars and equip East African believers with the tools and training they need to effectively refute those who follow false prophets—and share the true Gospel with them in love.

Weekly Round-Up

Here's the latest for this week's round-up:

1) Michael Mubangizi, "Fire in the name of God" and "Cult leaders were caught having sex, which was forbidden" in the Weekly Observer newspaper, and "Kanungu massacre: Why govt must rein in cults" in the New Vision newspaper (both papers come from Uganda). I wrote of the anniversary of the Kanungu tragedy last week, but newspapers are continuing to report on the this tragic end to the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God. These are three more informative articles.

2) Josephine Maseruka, "Born-again churches reject federation" in the New Vision newspaper (Uganda). Here we see some courageous Ugandan pastors standing up against false teaching in the formation of a new "born again" united federation. Unity must never come at the expense of truth!

3) David Gibson, "Is One Man's Faith Another's Superstition?" in the Wall Street Journal newspaper. This one is an opinion piece reflecting on Pope Benedict's time in Angola. Yet again we see the danger of witchcraft and syncretism in Africa.

4) "The New Apostolic Church of East Africa soon to become independent" in the New Apostolic Church International News. The success in Africa of the New Apostolic Church, a Swiss-based cult, has been so dramatic that they are restructuring. Chief Apostle Wilhelm Leber, the international church leader, will be conducting a service in Kampala, Uganda today.

ACFAR on the Radio

By God’s grace, we’re continuing to spread the word about the Africa Center for Apologetics Research on the radio!

Today we’re scheduled to appear on “Live with Jeff & Lee” on KKMS in metro Minneapolis (6:00 pm Eastern, 3:00 pm Pacific)

And here are two upcoming shows to check out:

Saturday, March 28th: “The Pastor’s Study” with Pastor Tom Brock on KKMS in metro Minneapolis (12:30 pm Eastern, 9:30 pm Pacific)

Monday, March 30th: “Total Impact” with Kurt Goff on KSOS in Las Vegas (5:00 pm Eastern, 2:00 pm Pacific)

If you’re in the area, please tune in! If not, you can stream the shows over the Internet live. And if you’d like to talk to Paul Carden and me tonight or this Saturday, be sure to call. In the meantime, pray for us!

A Few Thoughts While Staying Busy

This past Lord’s Day I had the privilege of worshiping with a church that’s considering supporting our ministry in Africa. While our family always enjoys fellowship with our home congregation, we’ve come to appreciate the opportunities that God brings to meet other church families. Why?

First, I meet many Christians who love and serve our Savior. I’m reminded of the diversity of the body of Christ when I worship at other churches. People from different social and ethnic groups come together to worship our Savior. What a glorious sight!

Second, I meet brothers and sisters in Christ who are dedicated to the Word of God. It’s refreshing to stand in the midst of other congregations as they read the Scriptures and submit to the Bible as it’s proclaimed from the pulpit.

Third, I meet other believers who care deeply about African Christians and their need for biblical discernment. Rarely have I left a church discouraged after telling them about our ministry. Many of our most dedicated prayer partners have joined us through the time we’ve spent in their churches.

Raising awareness and support is a challenge, but when I reflect on the blessings the Lord gives in the process, I can only thank Him for the opportunities He brings. I’m not the same man I was when I first decided to become a missionary. I pray that, by God’s grace, His refining process will continue!

Weekly Round-Up

Here's the latest for this week's round-up:

1) Steven Candia, "Kibwetere arrest warrant still on," Josephine Maseruka, "Pastors call for probe over sodomy," and Frederick Kiwanuka, "Luweero cult members arrested" in the New Vision newspaper (Uganda). I wrote of the anniversary of the Kanungu tragedy earlier this week, but many newspapers included several articles related to the cult that tragically ended nine years ago. Here are three from one of the main national papers in Uganda.

2) Joyce Namutebi and Catherine Bekunda, "Govt officials involved in witchcraft, says Kivejinja" in the New Vision newspaper (Uganda). Uganda's internal affairs minister has accused some senior government officials of practicing witchcraft. I have mentioned the need to take witchcraft seriously before, but this report is an important reminder of the challenge it remains in Africa.

3) "Irony in the Big apology" on GetReligion.org and "HBO’s Mormon Temple Ceremony Scene" on the Mormon Coffee blog. If you haven't heard about the recent controversy surrounding the HBO series Big Love portraying portions of the temple endowment ceremony, then be sure to read more and even watch the clip online. It was surprisingly accurate.

Viral Video: The International Adventist Challenge

Paul Carden, the Executive Director of the Centers for Apologetics Research (our parent ministry), spoke at the annual Former Adventist Fellowship Weekend earlier this month. His message was a timely one: "The Apostolic Imperative and the International Adventist Challenge." Thankfully, his message has been made available online. Please watch as Paul explains the serious challenge that Seventh-day Adventism presents globally.

Remembering the "African Jonestown"

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Can cults be dangerous?

You won’t have to convince Ugandans. Their recent history is enough to persuade them of the serious harm cults can bring.

Nine years ago this week, on March 17, 2000, a tragedy took place that has come to be known as the Kanungu Massacre—or the “African Jonestown.” Hundreds of men, women, and children perished in a southern Uganda town after being locked into a church building which was then set ablaze. The media called it a “mass suicide,” but the facts point to something quite different.

Swiss scholar Jean-François Mayer explains that the group first “emerged around [Roman Catholic] visionaries who shared their messages and were able to attract a following which even included a few priests.” Credonia Mwerinde and other local visionaries reported that the Virgin Mary told them the end of the world was fast approaching and that only those who had properly purified themselves would be prepared for Christ’s return. Joseph Kibweteere joined Mwerinde and other Catholics in spreading this end-time message, and in 1989 the two and several others founded the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God (MRTCG).

The MRTCG grew as its doomsday message found a ready audience. Most scholars agree that political instability, corrupt Catholic leadership, and an AIDS epidemic led many Ugandans to believe in the need for moral renewal in the midst of global collapse. The cult eventually located its headquarters in what is now the Kanungu district, where Mwerinde’s father gave them a large area of land before he died.

Those who joined were required to surrender all of their earthly possessions and live a strict lifestyle of devotion to God. By submitting to the absolute leadership of Kibweteere, Mwerinde, and others they would escape the wrath to come. Sex was forbidden among married couples, and their children were moved to live elsewhere. At times, even speaking was forbidden. Living in the highly controlled compound separated them from the rest of society and made them dependent on the group.

The MRTCG leadership predicted that Jesus would return by the year 2000; questions and disaffection arose when January arrived and the prophecy failed. Leaders quickly set March 17th as the new date. Unknown to their followers, Kibweteere, Mwerinde, and their accomplices started planning the end of their movement before it could unravel completely. Much of the group’s property and livestock was sold off for next to nothing. A communal feast was held on March 15. And one leader was spotted purchasing sulfuric acid, which would intensify a fire.

At the appointed hour the faithful gathered in the church to welcome their day of deliverance, perhaps not noticing that the doors and windows had been boarded up. In the midst of their singing and prayers, a loud explosion was heard, and fire ripped through the church.

Escape was impossible. No one survived.

In the days that followed, Uganda police investigating MRTCG properties discovered hundreds more of the cult’s victims in mass burial sites at four locations across the country. The death toll from the cult continued to rise until excavations were called off. The final official number of those dead reached 770, though other estimates range as high as 900 to 1,000, and the actual count will likely never be known. The cult’s leaders have never been apprehended.

Nine years ago, Uganda experienced an unspeakable tragedy at the hands of a cult. Since then, Christian leaders have demanded accountability and sought to raise awareness of the dangers such groups pose to the church and society, even as cults multiply and the government entertains proposals to impose tighter restrictions on all religious organizations. We have been asked to help the Body of Christ in Uganda to warn and train believers so they can recognize and resist deception—in hopes that many can be spared not only the devastation that cults can cause in this life, but the infinitely greater loss of eternal separation from God in the next.

Please pray with us that soon we can establish ACFAR in Kampala to equip African Christians for the vital task of discernment, defending the faith, and cult evangelism.