The Politics of African Church Separatist Movement in British Central Africa, 1892-1916

The first separatist church in Central Africa was organised by Joseph Booth, soon after the proclamation of the British Central Africa protectorate. One of Booth’s first African followers was Chilembwe (Nyasaland), who broke with his leader shortly after 1897. In 1901 Chilembwe set up the Providence Industrial Mission which in time became the centre of one of the most concerted attempts to expel the European. In 1906 Booth made contacts with Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and became a Watchtower agent in South Africa. In Nyasaland Elliott Kamwana became the leader. Other separatist churches began to emerge about this time. An uprising of one of the churches in 1951 gave the Nyasaland Goverment the opportunity of dealing firmly with this movement. African missions were officially suppressed.