Keywords: South Africa, "Mission of the Apostolic Faith of South Africa", Pentecostals

The study of the largest and most influential churches in South Africa allows us to understand the role of the church in the socio-political life of this state, the consistency of its position with the line of the government. Let's look at the main trends in the development of the Mission of the Apostolic Faith of South Africa , the oldest and largest Pentecostal church in South Africa. We will see how the position of the Church has changed depending on the internal political situation, as well as how the Mission's leadership responds to the challenges of our time.

The changes that took place on the religious map of the world in the 20th century show that Christianity is holding a leading position, and the center of Christianity is shifting to Latin America, Africa and Asia.¹ The new geography of the spread of religion also defines its new forms, including such trends as neo-Protestantism, the charismatic movement*, as well as the Pentecostal movement, a Protestant branch of Christianity that originated in the early twentieth century.

According to various estimates, Christianity in South Africa, with a population of 49.9 million, professes from 73% to 82% of the country's inhabitants. Protestants make up about 85% of all Christians. 10% of Protestants ^are Pentecostal2. On the African continent, the largest number of Protestants, as a percentage of the population, lives in South Africa (36.6 million in 2010). The number of Protestants in South Africa is second only to Nigeria (59.7 million, or 37.7% of the population) ³.

The Mission of the Apostolic Faith of South Africa (MAV) is the oldest and largest Pentecostal church in South Africa. The history of its development is closely intertwined with the transformation of the historical and socio-economic country context.

In the last South African parliamentary elections in May 2014, the African National Congress (ANC) lost 15 seats (from 264 to 249 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly).

What factors contributed to the decline in popularity of the party that ended the apartheid regime? Among other things, attention is drawn to the fact that in the run-up to the elections, some churches urged their parishioners to vote against the ANC. The churches justified their position on the high level of corruption in the party leadership. Bishop Desmond Tutu has officially stated that although he always voted for the "Mandela party" in the past,the current ANC has lost his trust and will not receive his vote. ⁴

In this way, churches in South Africa that once withdrew from political life and focused on social issues are once again returning to the political arena.

FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH

The South African Apostolic Faith Mission was founded in 1908 by D. Lake and T. Hezmalchach, Pentecostals from Los Angeles. Although the church was originally an inter-racial church, within a year steps were taken to consolidate the racial divide that existed in South African society at the time. In 1909, D. Lake decided that it was necessary to baptize separately representatives of the white, colored, black and Indian populations.⁵ In 1919, a decision was made to form a" parent "white church (parent church) and three "daughter" churches (daughter churches) - for the colored, black and Indian population, and the members of the" daughter " churches were not full members of the MAV.

In 1948, the National Party came to power and proclaimed a policy of apartheid - separate development. The Mission's support for the Government's course was based, among other things, on contacts with the country's leadership. So, in 1955, the Vice-president of the International Air Transport Association, G. Wessels became a senator for the National Party. It is then that the Mission is referred to as the "fourth Afrikaner Church." During the apartheid regime, the church grew stronger, developed a bureaucratic apparatus, and significantly increased the number of its adherents. ⁶

The political course of G. Wessels was not supported by all members of the IAU. If the ideas of apartheid were not questioned in the "parent" Belaya tserkva, discontent was growing in the "daughter" churches. The MAV's focus on the apartheid government provoked the radicalization of black pastors, as well as a split among the Afrikaner white population, descendants of colonists with Dutch, German and French roots. In 1958, a group of Afrikaners left the MAV and formed the "Pentecostal Protestant Church" ^.7

Changes in the internal policy of the state led to reforms within the church, which marked the beginning of the modern stage in the history of the MAV. Thus, in 1991, racist "daughter" churches that had existed for more than 80 years were liquidated. In 1996, all parishioners were united into a single inter-racial church8. With the beginning of a new era in the history of the South African state, there is a need to reconsider the church paradigm and develop a new approach to strengthen the position of the MAV in the changed conditions.

CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME

The church leadership was looking for answers to the following basic questions.

* Charismatic movement (from Greek. The gift of grace is a Protestant movement whose adherents believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit (miracles, prophecies).

Table

Religious composition of the South African population, 2001 and 2007

Source: Census results / / National statistics. 2001 -http://www.statssa.gov.za/timeseriesdata/pxweb2006/...; http://www.answers.com/topic/religion-in-south-africa#ixzz379dVqpONReligious Intelligence. #8, 2007

Loss of faith. One of the main tasks of the Pentecostal and MAV churches, in particular , is to spread the influence of the church and attract as many new adherents as possible. Pastor of the MAV Parish in Johannesburg, who participated in the X study. Dikou * in 2013, noted :"... we want to develop a good theological base. This is our dream. You are aware that Christianity is moving south, to Latin America, and then to Africa, especially in the southern African region. The African population is highly spiritual. We have strategic advantages in this regard. We understand the worldview of Africans... " ⁹.

One of the potential problems facing many churches today is people's loss of interest in religion. From November 2011 to January 2012, the Win-Gallup International Religion and Atheism Index conducted an international study of the level of religiosity in different countries. It found that the number of people in South Africa who identify as religious declined by 19% , from 83% in 2005 to 64% in 2012. This gave South Africa the 5th place in the ranking. For comparison, Vietnam ranked 4th in terms of falling levels of religiosity, where the level of religiosity decreased by 23%; in Switzerland and France, the figure was 21%. According to the survey, 28% of South Africans do not consider themselves religious, and 4% are convinced atheists. Although these results are not fully consistent with the results of the population census given below (Table), the church leadership is beginning to understand the need to build a new strategy for spreading the faith.

Islamization. Although Christianity remains the dominant religion in South Africa, the number of Christians has declined in both absolute numbers and percentage terms, according to the 2001 census and the 2007 survey, while the number of Muslims has increased by more than a quarter in this period. It is noteworthy that in the 2011 census (and censuses are held every 10 years in the country), the question of religious affiliation was not included.

According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 40.7 million people lived in South Africa in 2010. Christians (81.2% of the population), Muslims - 860 thousand (1.7%) ¹⁰. The figures are not comparable. However, in his report "Pentecostal response to Islamization", published in 2013 on the organization's official website, I. Burger, President of the International Association of Pentecostals, recognizes that Islamic values pose a threat to the spread of Christian ideas. The report notes that the popularity of Islam in Western Christian countries is growing, while in traditionally Muslim countries adherents of other religions face a number of problems. In such circumstances, I. Burger notes, it is necessary to develop a new approach, actively involving local churches in this process, as well as using modern technical means.¹¹

The success of charismatic churches and the role of strong leaders. In addition to Islam, Pentecostal influence is also threatened by new charismatic megachurches, led by strong personalities who can attract the flock. The pastor of the MAV Parish in Johannesburg, referring to the differences between Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, notes the following: "The main difference between Pentecostal and Charismatic churches is that charismatics do not have an organizational structure. Charismatic churches are built around one person and have a horizontal structure, while Pentecostal churches have a complex hierarchy." At the same time, the pastor notes, the worldview and rules of prayer for Pentecostals and Charismatics do not differ. Pastor MAW in Pretoria says that in South Africa, the difference between Pentecostals, Charismatics and evangelicals is not as clear as in other countries.

He points out that churches borrow elements from each other, and in the media, in particular on television, the presence of organizations that combine charismatic and Pentecostal elements is most noticeable.¹²

The pastor also acknowledges that the new realities that took hold with the establishment of the interracial Church in 1996 have changed the main target audience of the church: "Since the merger of the father and daughter churches, there has been tension over the fact that the African population has favored one strong leader who stands above the community, while white parishioners have favored a more equal approach." ¹³ In other words, for further growth

* In a field study by the Dutch researcher H. Dikou interviewed pastors from various Pentecostal churches in Johannesburg and Pretoria. His monograph does not specify the names of pastors who agreed to give interviews.

** Megachurches - Protestant churches that gather more than two thousand parishioners in one building.

For the MAV membership, a new approach is needed both in the leadership of the church and in working with parishioners, the active use of charismatic elements.

MAV'S RESPONSES TO MODERN CHALLENGES

A new apostolic paradigm. In order to respond to the challenges faced by the MAV, its leadership developed a new approach to the management and organization of the church, which in 2000 was spelled out in the Constitution of the MAV - the main charter document of the Mission. This document aims to overcome racial contradictions, prevent parishioners from leaving the church, as was the case in 1909, 1919, 1928, and 1958, as well as consolidate the church in new political and socio-economic realities.

The 2000 Constitution recognizes the right of each priest and congregation to choose "their own philosophy of service", i.e., it establishes the already established order of things, where there is no typical pastor, congregation, or even a typical MAV region. At the same time, the concept of leadership is reinterpreted, and the vague concept of "world-anointed leaders", independent of external control, is introduced. The words "leader " or" leadership " appear in the names of the main organizational structures. The Executive Council was renamed the National Leaders Forum, and the Regional Councils were renamed the Regional Leaders Forums. Senior congregation pastors are now called congregation leaders.

The change in the structure of the church is reflected in the names of some church bodies. Thus, the largest representative body, the Workers ' Council, which met once a year, is now called the General Business Assembly, which meets three times a year. A significant part of the Work Council's powers is delegated to the Forum of National Leaders, and the church's affairs are handled on an ongoing basis by national officials with a wide range of powers (President, Vice-President, General Secretary).¹⁴.

Many elements of the new approach were borrowed from the Assemblies of God in Australia, where a "New Apostolic Paradigm"was developed. This paradigm, which combines elements of mega-churches, Presbyterianism, and classical Pentecostalism, has resonated in influential circles of the MAV, since the demands for decentralization have long been voiced among local clergy. According to the apostolic paradigm, true leaders are not appointed or elected within the church, but are singled out by God himself. Such leaders should be recognized for their abilities, not through democratic electoral mechanisms.¹⁵

Nevertheless, in practice, elections of national leaders have been preserved in the MAV. Electoral processes also apply when regional leaders ' forums are formed on a regional basis. At the same time, it is allowed to hold elections when creating forums not on a geographical basis, but on the basis of a single approach to the conduct of the service, and then the forum is headed by an authoritative leader whose charismatic qualities made it possible to unite a large group of people in a megachurch.

The result of such a decision is contradictions that arise at the Forum of National Leaders, where, on the one hand, the approaches of elected leaders who need to justify their position collide, and on the other, charismatic leaders who are not used to arguing their arguments.

The "New Apostolic Paradigm" also calls into question the activities of pastors who have failed to unite a large number of people around them. After all, priority is given only to natural leaders who can attract crowds. The rest of the pastors-fathers are given only a secondary role.

A number of standing committees established over the years of its existence, such as the committee on Doctrine, Ethics and Liturgy, have found themselves in a precarious position due to the fact that, according to the doctrine, "anointed leaders" who are trusted by a large number of parishioners are able to make more effective decisions on these issues.¹⁶

In fact, not everyone in the MAV was ready to accept the new apostolic approach, which distanced the MAV from democratic practices. The draft of its constitution was first presented in 1999 at the Working Council**, where the provisions of the "New Apostolic Paradigm"were widely discussed. Many priests, such as the well-known political figure F. Chicane, considered this document a departure from the collegial practices of the church. At the same time, the emphasis on decentralization, as well as on the autonomy of local churches, was welcomed.

Thus, the MAV has adopted a new approach in the management, distribution of powers, and administration of the liturgy.

Social and political activities. The MAV focuses on social issues that concern broad segments of the population. The MAV website contains a statement of the church's position on topical issues,such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and surrogacy. The Mission explains its position on these issues solely on the basis of references to the Bible. MAV actively develops various educational programs, including grants for training, its own courses that allow you to get a craft profession, as well as trainings for parish leaders.

While social activities have always been an integral part of the International Orthodox Church, the church has long kept its distance from politics and has not actively participated in the country's political life, although it has spoken out on a number of political issues. Recently, MAV criticizes the authorities more sharply.

First of all, this criticism is caused by the high level of corruption in the government. But all its decisions are also condemned - even minor ones, if, in the opinion of the church, they contradict the word of God. For example, in November 2013, the pastor of the MAV parish in Pretoria, T. Swift, published an open letter, where he demanded that the leadership of the ANC in the pro-

* The Assembly of God is a worldwide Pentecostal church with headquarters in the United States. As of 2010, the number of adherents of the "Assembly of God" in different countries was about 65 million.

** The main representative body of the IAB, renamed the General Business Assembly in 2000. author's note).

The Gauteng delegation explained the inappropriate behavior of local ANC leaders during the rally: the rally interfered with the Sunday service, and, according to T. Swift, any attempts by the pastor to negotiate with ANC leaders about this were met with hostility.¹⁷

It is noteworthy that critical statements were not only voiced by pastors on the ground, but also posted on the Internet as official statements of the MAV.

In April 2013, the Mission issued a strong protest against the legalization of pornographic channels. The official statement emphasizes that "instead of cooperating with the church in the moral revival of the nation, the government is adopting a destructive agenda aimed at destroying the family." ¹⁸ At the end of 2013, the President of the MAV, I. Burger, in an open letter supported the decision of the Minister of Finance of South Africa to introduce stricter controls on public spending.¹⁹

A statement issued on April 4, 2014, states that spending more than $23 million on the development of the presidential residence in rural Nkandla is unacceptably high, especially when such a large number of people in the country are "barely making ends meet."²⁰. The Mission's management expressed deep disappointment that none of the officials assigned to study the report had sounded the alarm. In this MAV statement, criticism and accusations of corruption are directly addressed to the President. Public defender T. Madonsele made public the content of the Nkandla report21.

Just two days later, on April 6, the Mission issued another political statement related to the events of ... 2012.! Then, during the largest strike in South Africa, which engulfed mining enterprises in 6 out of ten provinces, 34 miners were killed by police at the Marikana mine, near Rustenburg. The statement, in particular, noted that the assistance provided was not enough, and called on state structures to support the injured ²².

It is noteworthy that these statements were published on the eve of the May parliamentary elections, which undoubtedly contributed to the downgrade of the ANC's rating. Earlier, the Mission commented on events in the country much less actively.

The religious factor is already playing a role in the country's political arena. In May 2014, on the eve of the parliamentary elections, the South African press widely discussed the election campaign of the President of the country and the head of the ANC, J. R. R. Tolkien.Zuma, who has previously been criticized for populist slogans when he declared that the ANC will be in power "until the coming of Christ" ²³ and those who vote for the opposition are "friends of the devil".

On April 13, 2014, Zuma attended the 33rd Presbyterian Synod in Giyani, Limpopo Province, and informed the congregation that those who voted against the current government would be cursed. "If you don't respect those who are in power, if you don't respect the authorities, you are condemning yourself to a curse," Zuma said....Like it or not, God has united the state and the church. And God tells you that the church should pray for the current government ... " ²⁴

This visit is just one of many examples of how the ruling party uses the religious factor to its advantage. Since Protestantism recognizes the Bible as a source of law, and the principle of Protestant megachurches is to unite a large number of parishioners around charismatic, eloquent preachers, such a party strategy significantly affects the election campaign.

In the last parliamentary elections, the religious factor was also actively used by the opposition forces. Although religious organizations do not play as big a role today as the South African Council of Churches did during the struggle against apartheid, nevertheless, during the pre - election period of 2014, there was an increase in the activity of churches of various directions-evangelical, charismatic, and Zionist. All of them actively discussed issues such as poverty, unemployment, corruption, workers ' rights, land redistribution, education, racial inequality, and the widening gap between rich and poor. The ruling party, the ANC, was responsible for the existence of problems in these areas.²⁵

For example, the Black Consciousness Movement theologian B. Pityana publicly supported the "vote no" campaign when voters were called to vote against the ANC in protest.²⁶ On Easter Saturday, April 19, Bishop D. Tutu and acting Bishop T. Makgoba, together with Jewish and Muslim leaders, organized a rally in front of the Parliament building ²⁷ under the slogan "Witness Trial", at the end of which the president was handed a statement. In it, Makgoba called for a return to the Nelson Mandela type of rule.²⁸

On the same day, at the initiative of Pastor K. Skosan, representing the Way of Life Church, held a demonstration under the slogan "Welcome to Hell Townships of South Africa" ²⁹. The organizers wanted to draw attention to the situation of residents of urban slum suburbs - townships. Despite the small scale of the demonstration, it was supported by the newly formed opposition party "Economic Freedom Fighters", led by D. Malema, a former active member of the ANC, who was expelled from the party. One of the leaders and ideologists of this party, A. Mangxitam, said on his official Facebook page on Good Friday shortly before the elections: "We remember Jesus as a communist who came to the temple and started a war against the exploiters!"*

The main leader of the Church of Zion, Bishop B. Lekganyane, called on millions of parishioners to vote against the ANC during the Sunday service and give preference to "smart and educated" leaders who "do not confuse public financial resources with their own." It is noteworthy that in 1992 N. Mandela delivered the Easter message at this church, and in 2012 J. Zuma attended the service as a guest of honor.

* In this case, reference is made to the role that churches played in the struggle against apartheid, along with other organizations.

Thus, there is an obvious tendency for churches to become more and more involved in the political life of the country. As in the apartheid era, there are groups of churches that support the government, but there are also those that advocate the coming to power of a new force. It is currently unclear which opposition group is supported by the churches that have become more active in the election campaign. Over time, the opposition may have new political leaders.

International activities. MAV's missionary work extends far beyond the borders of South Africa. In the first 50 years of its existence, the Mission established branches on the African continent. Independent churches of the MAV, scattered in different countries, are part of the"International Mission of the Apostolic Faith".

Today, the International Mission is represented not only in Africa, but also in Asia, Europe, North and South America. The mission provides contacts and exchanges between churches in different countries. On the African continent, it operates in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. In Asia, there are MAV churches in Fiji, Pakistan, and Australia; in Europe, there are churches in Belgium, Ireland, Russia, and the United Kingdom; and in the United States, the MAV Church is located in Dallas. Attempts are being made to establish an IAW in Brazil.

As you can see, the "International Mission of the Apostolic Faith" is represented on all continents. At the same time, the MAV is managed from South Africa, where its headquarters are located. It is here that issues related to various cooperation projects, as well as the training of pastors and leaders are resolved. It can be assumed that the concentration of a number of powers in the hands of headquarters gives the MAA the potential to exert some influence on the development of the situation in the countries where the Mission is represented.

There is no doubt that the main trends in the development of the MAV are in line with the trends in the socio-political development of South Africa. At the current stage, it is difficult to talk about forming a clear position of the Mission on political and economic issues. But unlike the MAW of the apartheid period, when its leadership called only to pray for the existing regime, the modern church is increasingly expressing its position on domestic political issues. In the future, it is possible to form a clearer political agenda. Solving social problems remains a priority area of the IAP.

¹ See: Gorokhov A. S. Kuda perevodaetsya tsentr rosta globalnogo christianstva [Where the growth center of global Christianity moves]. 2012, N 12, pp. 44-48. (Gorokhov A. S. 2012. Kuda peremeshchaetsya tsentr rosta globalnogo khistianstva // Aziya i Afrika segodnya. N 12) (in Russian)

² Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa // Pew forum on Religion and Public Life 04.2010 - http:www.pewforum.org/files/ 2010/04/sub-saharan-africa-chapter-1.pdf

^{Andreeva L. A.} 3 Christianity in Tropical Africa / / Asia and Africa Today. 2013, N 3, с. 38 - 40. (Andreeva L.A. 2013. Khristianstvo v Tropicheskoi Afrike // Aziya i Afrika Segodnya. N 3) (in Russian)

⁴ South Africa's Archbishop Tutu says he will not vote ANC // Reuters. 24.04.2014 - http: // news.yahoo.com/south-africas-archbishop-tutu-says-not-vote-anc-070238441.html;_ylt=A0L EVwpi.dZT4CYA gjJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTBybnV2cXQwBHNlYwNzcgRwb.3MDMgRj b2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw

⁵ History // Afm-ags.org - http: // afm-ags.org/history ⁶ Ibidem.

^{Clark M.} 7 Contemporary Pentecostal Leadership: The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa as Case Study // Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research, 2007 - http://www.pctii.org/cyberj/ cyberjl6/clark.html

⁸ History // Afm-ags.org...

^{Dickow H.} 9 Religion and attitudes towards life in South Africa. Nomos, 2013, p. 40.

¹⁰ Worldwide Muslim Population // Pew forum on Religion and Public Life. 2010 - www.globalreligiousfutures.org/explorer/custom#/ ?subtopic-15&chartType=map&data_type=number&year-2010&religiou s_affiliation=23&countries=Worldwide&age_group=all&pdfMode=false

¹¹ Pentacostal response to islamization // afm-ags.org, 27.08.2013 -http: // afm-ags.org/media/pentecostal-response-islamization

^{Dickow H.} 12 Op. cit., p. 45.

¹³ Ibid., p. 40.

¹⁴ Ibidem.

¹⁵ Ibid.

¹⁶ Ibid.

¹⁷ AFM: Statement by the Apostolic Faith Mission, open letter to the Gauteng ANC leadership // polity.org.za, 19.11.2013 - http: // www.polity.org.za/article/afm-statement-by-the-apostolic-faith-mission-open-letter-to-the-ga uteng-anc-leadership-19112013 - 2013 - 11-19

¹⁸ SA: Statement by the Apostolic Faith Mission, Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa, condemns Independent Communications Authority of South Africa's approval of Top TV's adult channels // polity.org.za, 26.04.2013 - www.polity.org.za/article/sa-statement-by-the-apostolic-faith-mission-condemns-independent -communications-authority-of-south-africas-approval-of-top-tvs-adult-channels-26042013 - 2013 - 04 - 26

¹⁹ The Apostolic Faith Mission of SA Statement on Government Savings // afm-ags.org 25.10.2013 - http:// afm-ags.org/media/apostolic-faith-mission-sa-statement-government-savings

²⁰ The Apostolic Faith Mission of SA Statement on Nkandla Report // afm-ags.org 11.04.2014 - http: // afm-ags.org/media/apostolic-faith-mission-sa-statement-nkandla-report

²¹ Secure in comfort. Report on investigation into allegations of impropriety and unethical conduct relating to the installation and implementation of security measures by the Department of Public Works at and in respect of the private residence of President Jacob Zuma at Nkandla in the KwaZulu-Natal province // cdn.mg.co.za 03.2014 -http://cdn.mg.co.za/content/documents/2014/03/19/finalreport 19marc h2014.pdf

²² The Apostolic Faith Mission of SA Statement on the Platinum Mine Strike // 04.06.2014 - http: // afm-ags.org/media/apostolic-faith-mission-sa-statement-platinum-mine-strike

²³ In the name of the Father: Jacob's law on politics and religion // Daily Maverick. 09.10.2013 - http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ article/2013 - 10 - 08-in-the-name-of-the-father-jacobs-law-on-politics-and-religion/#.U10m0_mSySo

²⁴ South Africa - Free State and ANC fortune // Africa journalism. 18.04.2014 - www.africajournalismtheworld.com/tag/south-africa-elections/page/2

^{Schneider R} 25.C. Jesus, religion, and revolution in the South African elections // ssrc.org 02.06.2014 - http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2014/06/02/ jesus-religion-and-revolution-in-the-south-african-elections

²⁶ Election results a resounding "wake up" call to ANC // Sidikwe. 05.2014 - http: // www.sidikiwe.co.za/

²⁷ Archbishop Thabo Makgoba's address to a 'Procession of Witness', outside Parliament in Cape Town // Archbishop Anglican Church of South Africa. 19.04.2014 - http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/ 2014/04/archbishop-thabo-makgobas-address-to.html

²⁸ Procession of witness to mark 20 years of South Africa's democracy // Anglicannews. 19.04.2014 - http://www.anglicannews.org/news/ 2014/04/procession-of-witness-to-mark-20-years-of-south-africa%E2%80%99s-democracy.as px

²⁹ Pastor leads march through hell // Allafrica. 20.04.2014 -http://allafrica.com/stories/201404210024.html

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