TruthBook Religious News Blog

April 14, 2008

By Leslie Casimir

Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Since the 1980s, more than 25 churches with African roots have sprouted in southwest Houston and the surrounding suburbs, said Elias Bongmba, professor of religious studies at Rice University.

Through word-of-mouth and the Internet, the churches have spread to places like Missouri City and Sugar Land.

The parishes have caught the eye of religious scholars who believe that Houston now has the nation's most active hub of African-initiated churches.

The parishes, primarily charismatic and Pentecostal in style, are an extension of the city's African population — namely the Nigerians, who comprise a large share of Africa's local demographics. The 2006 census population survey estimated more than 62,000 Africans and West Indians live in the city, a marked increase from 49,000 in 2000, according to research by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C.

Spiritual healing

Known as African-initiated churches, the institutions grew out of the rejection of Western missionaries who began setting up congregations on the continent in the 1800s. But white pastors devalued African converts' culture, viewing their strong beliefs in spiritual healing as superstitious, said Harvey Sindima, professor of religion at Colgate University.

...some Africans embraced Jesus Christ but rejected the white missionaries' colonial doctrine. And so they created their own churches that spoke to their cultural, spiritual and linguistic heritage.

"After Africans would go to church, they still would feel that something was missing," said Aidonmiyi, who lives in Missouri City.

The growth of these churches intensified during the independence movements of the 1900s. African immigration in the 1970s added a new twist: They brought their churches with them.

Some of the major religious groups in Nigeria that have a large Houston following are the Eternal Sacred Order of Cherubim and Seraphim, which was founded in 1925. Also, there is the Redeemed Christian Church of God, formed in 1952. On its Web site, the Redeemed church lists 13 places to worship in Houston.

Their charismatic brand of Pentecostalism, rooted in the belief that prayer and fasting go hand-in-hand with physical healing, can be intense to a newcomer. Believers at Mount of Christ Healing, for example, can spend hours prostrating, standing, singing and dancing.

During the Lent season, members — who are part of the Lagos-based Cherubim and Seraphim order — took part in a fast that lasted 40 days. Some members refrained from eating food for the entire day, breaking fast in the evenings with fruit and juice.

Barefoot congregants, resplendent in white robes and headdresses, held daily prayer services at the church, with some members opting to sleep overnight for more reflection.

Value of visions

With the aid of modern medical care, members believe that any physical ailment can be cured with prayer and fasting. They also revere dreams and visions.

In 2005, for example, when Houstonians were urged to flee from Hurricane Rita, a church member told the congregation that he had a vision that Houston would be spared, Iseyemi said. So instead of evacuating, the congregation spent the day praying and eating at church, he said.

"People thought we all were all crazy that day," Iseyemi said. "But it was God directing us — we were blessed."

Labels: Africans, charismatics, Houston, Leslie Casimir, Pentecostal, prayer, religion, visionary