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Nazareth Baptist Church (amaNazaretha / Shembe)
The Nazareth Baptist Church — known in isiZulu as Ibandla lamaNazaretha ("the Nazarenes") and widely called the Shembe church — is one of South Africa's largest African Initiated Churches. It was founded by the prophet Isaiah Shembe in the early 1910s and is centred in KwaZulu-Natal. It is often described as a Messianic or prophet-led AIC that merges Christianity with Zulu cultural tradition.
Founder
Isaiah Shembe (Isaiah Mdliwamafa Shembe, born c. 1865/1869, died 1935) was raised in a traditional Zulu family and encountered Christianity through the Wesleyan Methodist and then the African Native Baptist Church. Disillusioned with what he saw as the Westernised character of existing churches, and reporting a series of divine revelations, he founded his own church.
Founding and holy sites
Shembe founded the Nazareth Baptist Church around 1910–1911. He established a settlement at Inanda, north of Durban, which became the holy city of Ekuphakameni, and instituted an annual pilgrimage to the holy mountain Nhlangakazi. These sites remain central to the church's religious calendar.
Beliefs and practices
The church reveres Isaiah Shembe as a prophet sent by God to restore the teachings of Moses, the prophets and Jesus. Its vision was to bring together Christian faith and Zulu cultural identity. Members are commonly Sabbath-observers and, as documented in studies of the church, avoid pork, smoking and premarital sex. Worship is known for distinctive sacred song and dance.
Scale and legacy
The Nazareth Baptist Church is one of the largest AICs based in South Africa. After Isaiah Shembe's death in 1935 the church continued under his descendants, and over time leadership disputes produced more than one branch. It remains a major religious and cultural movement, especially among Zulu-speaking South Africans.
Described factually and respectfully from documented sources. Corrections welcome.