Isaiah Shembe and the Nazareth Baptist Church: South Africa’s prophet of Ekuphakameni

Every January, thousands of worshippers in white robes walk up a mountain in KwaZulu-Natal. They are members of the Nazareth Baptist Church, founded by the prophet Isaiah Shembe more than a century ago. Their pilgrimage to Mount Nhlangakazi is one of the most striking religious gatherings in southern Africa.

Early life and Ekuphakameni

Isaiah Shembe was born around 1865 in what is now the Free State. He grew up working on farms and reported visions and spiritual experiences from a young age. Shembe was baptised in an African Baptist church. He began preaching and healing, and around 1910 he founded his own church, the Nazareth Baptist Church, known in Zulu as ibandla lamaNazaretha.

He established a holy village called Ekuphakameni, “the elevated place”, near Inanda, north of Durban. It became the centre of the church and a place of pilgrimage.

Nhlangakazi, Zulu culture and hymns

Shembe also established annual pilgrimages to Mount Nhlangakazi, which he considered holy. The January pilgrimage remains central to the church’s life. The church combined Christian teaching with Zulu customs. Worship included traditional dance, drums and dress. Members observe a Saturday Sabbath and follow dietary rules. Shembe composed many hymns in isiZulu, collected in the church’s hymnbook. They are considered important works of Zulu religious poetry.

Death, divisions and significance

Isaiah Shembe died in 1935. Leadership passed to his son, Johannes Galilee Shembe, and later to other family members. After leadership disputes, the church split into different groups, each claiming the Shembe heritage. All remain significant. The Nazareth Baptist Church is one of the largest African independent churches in South Africa, with millions of members. Scholars see Shembe as one of the most important African religious leaders of the twentieth century, showing how Christianity could be expressed through African culture.

Dress, dance and healing

Members wear white robes for worship, and men perform sacred dances in traditional Zulu attire on special occasions. These dances, accompanied by drums and hymns, are central to the church’s festivals. Shembe was known as a healer, and many early followers joined after seeking healing. Prayer and holy water remain important in the church. Shembe built a church where Zulu dance and Christian worship belonged together. A century later, his followers still climb his mountain every January to prove it.