Sylvester Adamu
This study explores the emergence and significance of Ethiopianism—the late 19th-century movement through which African Christians established independent churches—in West and Southern Africa. It aims to explain how indigenous agency, cultural affirmation, and anti-colonial resistance came together in the pursuit of ecclesial autonomy and identity beyond European religious dominance. The research adopts a historical-descriptive approach based on primary and secondary sources, including church founding records, accounts from the colonial period, and analysis of biblical texts (specifically Psalm 68:31). It traces the development of African-initiated churches, compares doctrinal continuity and differences with parent denominations, and places them within the larger context of colonial and nationalist movements. Ethiopianism emerged naturally as Africans, tired of racial barriers and the lack of native leadership in mission churches, asserted ecclesial authority and cultural pride—often expressed through the slogan "Africa for the Africans." These churches maintained mainstream Protestant doctrinal structures while giving worship and governance African cultural meaning. Ethiopianist movements also built interchurch networks, fostered Pan-African consciousness, and supported anti-colonial activism—evident in movements like the Zulu Rebellion (1906) and the Nyasaland Rising (1915). The research recommends that contemporary African Christian communities and theologians need to reclaim Ethiopianism by valuing indigenous theological expressions that celebrate cultural identity. Seminaries and church leadership should incorporate the history and principles of Ethiopianism into curricula and practices to encourage African agency in theology and ministry. Scholars should continue to explore Ethiopianism's connections with political nationalism and Pan-African ideas to deepen understanding of faith-based liberation movements.