Missionaries from within : the contribution of indigenous clergy to evangelisation in Southern Africa

Abstract

This paper reviews the works devoted to the four-century-long history of indigenous clergy in Southern Africa during the past twenty-five years. The author proposes a periodisation which refers to the political history of the region as well as to the qualitative and quantitative transformation of the indigenous clergy. The first period in the history of the indigenous clergy in Southern Africa coincides with that of the first evangelisation in South-East Africa, from the middle of the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century, under the Portuguese padroãdo. During the second period, which covers the 19th century, the European missionaries systematically recruited and trained catechists and lay ministers. The bulk of missionary work lay on their shoulders. The third period, which covers the first half of the 20th century, is that of the growth and spread of indigenous clergy. It is characterised by the multiplication of seminaries. The fourth period, which may be described as that of power sharing, is still in force. In the minority for a long time, the indigenous clergy has become a major force in Christianity in the region.