Balokole

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The Balokole (Luganda: "the saved ones" or "the chosen") is a African evangelical Christian revival movement, started by Simeon Nsibambi and John E. Church in the 1930s, that has profoundly impacted Protestant churches across East Africa for over a century.[1][2][3] The movement emerged from the broader East African Revival that began in 1929 on a hill called Gahini in then Belgian Ruanda-Urundi.[4][5]

Origins and development

The Balokole movement originated from the East African Revival Movement that began in 1929 in Gahini, Rwanda, and quickly spread to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the eastern mountains of Belgian Congo.[4] The revival was characterized by its emphasis on personal salvation and commitment to Christian discipleship, offering individuals "the challenge of a deeper experience of salvation in Christ and a more radical commitment to Christian discipleship."[1][5]

The movement gained particular prominence within the Anglican Church of Uganda through partnerships between local leaders and missionary workers.[6] By the mid-1930s, East African revivalists proclaimed their message of salvation throughout colonial East Africa, seeking to revive the mission churches of the region.[7][8]

Despite its theological roots in the Western revival movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Balokole evolved as an indigenous African movement. The term Balokole can be translated as "the saved ones" or "the chosen".[9][8][10]

The Balokole movement criticized established hierarchies within the Church of Uganda and questioned prevailing amorality or double standards. The Balokole formed egalitarian brotherhoods, followed puritanical rules, publicly confessed their sins and professed their experience of conversion, which they understood as a radical break with their former sinful selves and a receiving of new life from God.[11] They stressed the importance of the Lordship of Christ over all areas of life.[12] Dr Joe E. Church required those missionaries who did not agree with his revival theory to resign from their assignment. In 1949 at least eight missionaries were asked to resign due to disagreements with his leadership.[8][13]

Characteristics and beliefs

The Balokole movement was distinguished by its criticism of established hierarchies within the Church of Uganda and its questioning of prevailing amorality and double standards within religious institutions.[14] Members formed egalitarian brotherhoods and followed puritanical rules, publicly confessing sins and emphasizing personal transformation.[14][15]

The movement emphasized the concept of being "saved" or "chosen," with participants understanding themselves as having experienced a profound spiritual transformation. This evangelical revival was arguably the most famous and influential African spiritual renewal movement of the twentieth century.[6] The Balokole worked alongside established churches while avoiding schism, although they initially faced resistance from some church authorities.[14][15]

Impact and legacy

The Balokole Revival addressed what was perceived as a spiritual malaise within East African Christianity. By 1947, when Uganda's first indigenous bishop was appointed, the movement had become instrumental in confronting spiritual challenges within the church.[16] The movement's influence extended far beyond Uganda, with its reverberations continuing to impact Christianity across East Africa and beyond.[17][18]

The Balokole movement's emphasis on personal salvation, public confession, and moral renewal fundamentally changed the landscape of Protestant Christianity in East Africa. It demonstrated the capacity for indigenous African Christianity to generate its own revival movements while working within established denominational structures.[1][8]

The Balokole in Uganda are not only of the East African Revival Movement but also the Pentecostal born again Christians who have their Sunday or daily prayers from Pentecostal churches which are headed by Pastors, who at times are called 'Bishops'. The born again Christians of the East Africa Revival Movement rooted from the early Church Of Uganda Protestants who were termed as 'sleepy' christians. The East African Revival Movement Born Again Christians are today referred to as the 'Abalokole Abazukuffu' meaning 'Awake Born Agains'. They still do carry on their regular services from the anglican church but do fellowship from designated areas where there is normally an elder in the faith.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Tukutendereza Yesu: The Balokole Revival in Uganda". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  2. ^ Theroux, Paul (2002). Dark Star Safari. Penguin. p. 226. ISBN 9780140281118. His father, Semyoni... abandoned political belief and started a religious revival called the Balokole Movement.
  3. ^ "The East African revival: The treasure of Ankole region". New Vision. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  4. ^ a b Ward, Kevin (2008). "The East African Revival of the Twentieth Century: the Search for an Evangelical African Christianity". Studies in Church History. 44. Cambridge University Press: 365–387. doi:10.1017/S0424208400003727. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  5. ^ a b "Birth of the Balokole in Uganda". Monitor. 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  6. ^ a b "Church, John Edward (1899-1989)". Boston University History of Missiology. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  7. ^ "Living Salvation in the East African Revival in Uganda". Boydell and Brewer. 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  8. ^ a b c d Moon, Daewon (2022-08-19), "The Balokole Revival and African Christian Spirituality", African Initiative and Inspiration in the East African Revival, Brill, pp. 95–124, doi:10.1163/9789004520462_005, ISBN 978-90-04-52046-2, retrieved 2025-07-15
  9. ^ Moon, Daewon (2019). "Dissertation". Boston University Libraries. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  10. ^ Moon, Daewon (2019). "African initiative and inspiration in the East African Revival, 1930-1950". Boston University. hdl:2144/37032.
  11. ^ Behrend, Heike (2000). Alice Lakwena and the Holy Spirits: War in Northern Uganda, 1986-97. Boydell & Brewer.
  12. ^ Church, John Edward (1981). Amazon.com: Quest for the Highest: A Diary of the East African Revival (9780853643289): Joseph E. Church: Books. Paternoster Press. ISBN 0853643288.
  13. ^ UDY, BENJAMIN (2013). Ecstatic Spirituality in Kigezi, Ruanda and Western Tanganyika c.1933 – 1940: Censorship, Control and the Ruanda Mission (Masters thesis). Durham University.
  14. ^ a b c "East African Revival". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  15. ^ a b Winter, Mark (1983). "The Balokole and the Protestant Ethic: A Critique". Journal of Religion in Africa. 14 (1): 58–73. doi:10.2307/1594934. ISSN 0022-4200. JSTOR 1594934.
  16. ^ "A History of Christianity in Uganda". Dictionary of African Christian Biography. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  17. ^ "The Overlooked Revival: The East African Revival Was a Mighty Move of God". New Wineskins Missions Network. 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  18. ^ "Don't suffocate evangelism". Monitor. 2024-10-23. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
  19. ^ "Looking for a Balokole church: Don't bother with signposts, just listen for sound!". Monitor. 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2025-07-15.
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