Desyncretising the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa: A consideration of Rev. Nicholas Bhengu’s contribution in the northern Free State district

Abstract

Background: Recognising the historiographical lacuna concerning indigenous agents in Pentecostal missions, the article foregrounds Bhengu’s influence on key African Pentecostal leaders and situates his work within broader currents of interdenominational evangelical Pentecostalism.
Objectives: This article critically examines the contribution of Reverend Nicholas Hepworth Bhengu’s influence in desyncretising the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) of South Africa, which took the form of evangelicalisation of its black constituency.
Method: The article utilises literature review, secondary analysis of interview data and narrative methods to answer the question: What is Rev. Bhengu’s influence in the AFM and by what means did he achieve such influence?
Results: The article finds that Rev. Nicholas Bhengu had a formative impact on AFM ministers such as Richard Ngidi, Shadrack Mofokeng, Masusu Mofokeng, and Molefi Malete, who became critical role-players in desyncretising the AFM, especially the black section in the northern Free State District.
Conclusion: The article argues that Bhengu’s legacy significantly contributed to the evangelical Pentecostal identity of the AFM.
Contribution: This article contributes to an understanding of Rev. Nicholas Bhengu’s interdenominational legacy by situating his influence in the context of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in relation to phasing out vestiges of African traditional customs and associated beliefs, as well as inculcating evangelical praxis within the African sector of this church.