Faith in Kinshasa: Pentecostalism, Kimbanguism & Spiritual Life
Kinshasa is one of the world's most devoutly Christian cities — Pentecostal megachurches, the indigenous Kimbanguist church, and a syncretic spiritual culture make religion the defining force of city life
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Pentecostal Megachurches
Kinshasa's evangelical churches include congregations in the tens of thousands – pastors such as Prophet Nzambe Malamu hold services that combine healing, prophecy and entertainment for huge crowds
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Kimbanguist Church
The Kimbanguist Church - founded by Simon Kimbangu in 1921 in opposition to Belgian colonialism - is an indigenous African Christian church with millions of members and its spiritual center in N'Kamba
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Sunday morning river baptism
Mass baptisms in the Congo River on Sunday mornings are a Kinshasa spectacle — congregants in white robes wade into the river as pastors immerse the new convert
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Nzambe Malamu Healing Services
Healing services—where pastors pray over the sick, cast out demons, and perform miraculous cures—attract thousands of attendees; the theater and true faith are inseparably combined
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Catholic Cathedral Notre-Dame
The colonial Catholic cathedral in Kinshasa – built during the Belgian era – represents the established church coexisting with the growing evangelical congregations in complex relationships
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Simon Kimbangu Colonial Prison
The Belgian colonial government imprisoned Simon Kimbangu in 1921 and kept him in prison until his death in 1951 - his 30-year imprisonment turned him into a martyr and his church into a mass movement