The birth of a super pastor: watch the mutation taking place.

On my visit to Europe I was introduced to a man who now holds an executive position in an international company. I shall call him Martin.

“When I was a young boy, my father died. My mother, wanting to do the best for me, sent me to Kwasizabantu mission in Kwa-Zulu-Natal, to be raised by Pastor Erlo Stegen.”

Then Martin told me his heartbreaking story:

Arriving at Kwasizabantu mission thousands of kilometers away from home; and traumatized by the death of his father and the loss of his mother, grief overwhelmed him. Silenced by unreasonably harsh punishment and beaten into submission, he became an unnoticed, silent witness of life at the mission. The beatings were bad; the punishment he feared most of all however, were these words, spoken by Erlo Stegen: “If you don’t behave, I will send you to the Sangoma’s!”

There were two Sangomas in residence at the Kwasizabantu mission, a mother and her daughter. They were in charge of everything. Pastor Erlo Stegen would consult with them on every matter. They even dictate his sermons to him! He treated them with the honor reserved for the makoti, or first wife. When Erlo Stegen returned from a trip abroad, he first visited the sangomas, even when his wife was dying of cancer. On leaving the compound, he would first pay the sangomas a visit. This is a Zulu custom reserved for the one in charge. The German Lutheran community had reasons to believe that the cancer and the horrendous pain that Erlo Stegen’s wife suffered at the end of her life had been caused by deliberate poisoning.

Martin was living at the compound when a young black man had been killed by a blow to the head. Martin knew who had been told to cover it up before the police arrived, in order to make the homicide look like an accident. Although the police knew that this was a homicide, not enough evidence was found to convict anyone. During the apartheid era, Kwasizabantu Mission was affiliated with the K.S.B. – the far right political party. In spite of this, a never ending stream of oversees pastors kept coming, eager to experience what this place had to offer.

As a young man, Martin worked at the mission’s cheese curl factory. He enjoyed the freedom that this job brought with it. He remembered driving the forklift and working in general where he was needed. It was at this time that he fell in love with one of the young women who was also working at the mission. After some time, carefully observing the missions regulations in which a young man ought to court a young woman, he decided to get married. According to the missions set of laws, Martin had to ask Erlo Stegen for her hand in marriage. To his dismay, Erlo Stegen refused to marry them, stating no grounds. Heartbroken, Martin retuned to Europe. Many years have passed since; sadly Martin is still not married. – Ingrid Woermann. (See: The Silent Cry by Ingrid Woermann, page 103)

Kwasizabantu Mission: ERLO STEGEN, THE KING AND HIS CULT.

A brief study of the origin of the multiracial religious community Kwasizabantu in Kwazulu- Natal, South Africa and its spread to Europe with the socio-psychological consequences experienced by its followers. - By Albert Pilon

Introduction

In the year 2000 a constant stream of rumors started, that put Kwasizabantu and its leader, Erlo Stegen, in a bad light. A commission of the South African Evangelical Alliance led by Rev. Moss Nltha2 declared that Kwasizabantu was beginning to look like a sect, because they see themselves as an exclusive way to God. He based his decision on the testimonies of 20 ex-members who appeared before the commission. After that newspaper columns appeared full of alleged deception, power abuse, secret funds, forced divorces, rape cases, corporal punishment, a case of manslaughter and connections with the secret service during the time of Apartheid. Up to 1999 reputed theologians, from various countries visited Kwasizabantu more than once, and generally wrote positively about Kwasizabantu. In the academic world different journal articles appeared that identified themselves with Kwasizabantu. Dr. K.E. Koch and Dr. P. Beyerhaus, German theologians, had close connections with Kwasizabantu.

Who is Erlo Stegen?

Erlo Stegen3 was born in 1935 and grew up in South Africa as a farmer’s son. His forefathers were the descendants of German immigrants. They came from Northern Germany and took to heart the work, ‘Gottes Rufer in der Heide’: by Louis Harms4. He was the founder of the Hermannsburger missionary society that had pioneered the work among the Zulus in Natal. As a result of his work Evangelical Lutheran Churches were started for both Zulus and whites. Stegen grew up in a white Evangelical Lutheran church and was under the influence of Rev. Anton Engelbrecht, who was the minister in Lilienthal from 1945 to1951.

Engelbrecht was an intelligent man with charisma, who later broke with church authority and established an own independent congregation.5 Stegen was under his influence for 23 years, first as a member of the congregation, thereafter as student at his Bible school and finally as his assistant evangelist. The forming of Stegen’s character, his religious development and his concept of missions were undeniably determined by Engelbrecht.

What is Kwasizabantu?

Kwasizabantu is a multiracial religious community in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa that came into existence through a supposed revival of the Christian faith. In 1970 Erlo Stegen acquired property nearby Kranskop, located a Zulu and a white area and named it Kwasizabantu (place where people are helped). On this location he built homes, schools and an auditorium with a seating capacity for 8000. He started a number of enterprises, which grew into an important economic factor, creating employment opportunities. At present there are about 1500 residents. Kwasizabantu draws people from all over the world, who want to “examine their spiritual life in the light of the revival”. Regularly there are approximately 50 visitors from Europe staying there.

The beginning of Stegen’s revival 1966

Stegen started his career as an evangelist and for 12 years conducted tent-evangelism among the Zulus, but without success6. To get out of this impasse he tried all sorts of charismatic methods and visited, among others, the Zionists (who are the Zionists7) looking for the key to their success8. When nothing seemed to work he lost all hope. During that period he met daily with a number of Zulus in Maphumulo to pray.

One day they concluded that God was searching for someone who could function as His channel through whom He could communicate with them. Not long after that the “Spirit” descended upon the Zulu woman Masaga (uthole uMoya)9. She became Stegen’s prayer woman (abathandazi), whom he has consulted ever since. By Stegen‘s meeting with this Zulu woman an intertwining of the traditional Zulu religion and the Christian faith took place. An inter-religious experiment that probably continues to this day: a white missionary puts a Zulu woman into a trance and then claims to have direct access to God. He immediately receives answers to all his questions and in this way he is precisely informed as to what God’s will is10. This is the exact reason why everybody must listen to him. Stegen felt that his experience was so important that he called upon people to allow him and his Zulu prophetess to examine their spiritual life11. He made these trance sessions known everywhere with the result that people came from far and wide. Stegen called these trances ‘the breakthrough to the revival’12. Gradually a few more prophetesses joined them. Experiences of heat as if caused by fire, healings, release from bondage, exorcism, the gift of tongues, dreams and visions came forth like a tidal wave13.

Now at Kwasizabantu Zulu prophetesses are called “the praying mammas”. Stegen maintains that they prophecy by the Holy Spirit (ukuprofetha); this should actually be understood as soothsaying (ukubhula) as done by the traditional isangoma14.

After forty years and due to a large turnover of members there are few left who know exactly what the role of Stegen and his Zulu prophetesses played. During the last decades Stegen has purposely kept new members uninformed of these prophetic activities. They reject the existence of these activities, calling these accusations lies and slander. With all this Stegen has come into a dilemma: on one hand he uses the trance sessions for managing his movement, and on the other hand he is financially dependent on Christians who would never approve of these inter-religious experiments.

Regulations for the members as the result of these revelations

As a result of these dreams and visions all sorts of rules and regulations were imposed on the followers, these led to a group behavioral code of conduct, a holy doctrine from which may not be deviated15. A written document of rules for this ‘higher spiritual way’ does not exist. Sin is, in the first place, the transgression of the code of conduct, which would bring the revival to a standstill and plunge the whole movement into ruin. For women the skirt is a religious symbol and jeans are forbidden for men and women alike. The striving for absolute holiness is manifested by the division of boys and girls. A former pupil of the Kwasizabantu school made known that after the school holidays there were inspections to make sure that the girls had not lost their virginity, these inspections were carried out by older Zulu women16. The manner in which a young man ought to court a young woman and the rules for marriage are one of the inviolable fundamental foundations of Kwasizabantu17.

Sexual relations before marriage is not only seen as evil, but engaged couples are forbidden to communicate or to visit in order get to know each other. Whoever objects or diverges from this rule is excommunicated. This applies to the marriage candidates as well as their parents. The leaders see this as a holy doctrine which will protect the movement from corruption. Despite the ‘revival’ racism was still practiced among the white members of Kwasizabantu as late as 1975. Stegen did not want to tolerate this any longer and decided to take measures against this problem. A conference was held on a farm close to Kranskop, where the 11 year old Zulu prophetess Lindiwe was used. While in a trance she made known which children

and adults had to attend. Subsequently Stegen strongly urged these to attend the conference18. To Lindiwe was revealed the sins of racism of the participants, which had to be broken with19. Those attended were allowed to leave after Lindiwe (in trance) received very clear indication that everything was complied with.

As punishment for sins toddlers, children and teenagers were beaten black and blue until they bled. Stegen let the children pray before the beating and afterwards thank God for the punishment inflicted. Some of them still bear the scars till this day and others still suffer from the traumatic consequences of Stegen’s horror20. Many of these victims have turned their back to the faith. The inhuman corporal punishment continued up to the early 1990’s according to the South African Evangelical Alliance in their report in 2000.

To read more see: http://www.ksb-alert.com/KingCultENGLISH.pdf

There has been a huge problem with human trafficking in South Africa. As the witchdoctor needs human body parts to make his medicine, muti murders are not looked upon as crime. This is a crime free area. – John Powiss. Kwasizabantu Schulzendal. S.A.