Abstract:
The celebration of Easter has become a universal event within the Christian
liturgical calendar and aims to commemorate the passion, death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Messages on the passion, death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ are vigorously proclaimed throughout the holy week,
which usually begins on a holy Thursday ending on a resurrection Sunday (Easter
Sunday). Some Churches will even dramatise the events that led to the death
of Jesus Christ and how He was crucified on the cross. Apparently, the purpose
of these ritual re-enactments is to capture the minds of the congregants on how
their Saviour suffered and eventually died on the cross to bring salvation to
humanity. Invariably, on resurrection Sunday, the services will end with a ritual of
Holy Communion. However, while other Christian denominations commemorate
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter, we have noted that
the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Church celebrates ‘Easter’ with a
difference. For them ‘Easter’ is the time to remember the ‘Fathers of the Faith’,
i.e. the messianic leaders whom God raised to give leadership and guidance to
the church. Every Easter, the Johane Masowe Chishanu yeNyenyedzi Religious
Movement commemorates deliverance from evil spirits, which was made possible through the charismatic leadership of Shonhiwa Masedza (Johane),
founder of the original ‘Church’; Mudyiwa Dzangara (Emanuere), second from
Johane; and Sanders Nhamoyebonde (Sanders/Nyenyedzi), third from Johane.
In the view of the Church adherents, Jesus Christ was sent by God to deliver
people of mhiri yegungwa (overseas), i.e., the whites and the Jews, whilst
Masedza, Mudyiwa and Nhamoyebonde were sent by God to deliver Africans.
It is against this background that this study seeks to delve deeper into this
religious movement’s unique ways of celebrating the memory of their spiritual
leaders during Easter commemorations. Interviews and participant observation
are the key tools used for data collection, since this movement under study has
no written documents.
