| ZEMA is a new name with a new emphasis in the work of an old mission. In the very early 1900's,
Edgar Mahon, a Salvation Army leader, left the Salvation Army to work as an independent missionary.
In the very beginning, Mahon had contact with a missionary from the Christian Catholic Church (CCC) of Zion,
Illinois by the name of Daniel Bryant. Bryant asked Mahon to oversee his work when he was recalled to Zion.
Some of Bryant's people came under Mahon's work but most went their own way and became the amaZioni of today.
Over the years, the work of the Mahon Mission developed about 150 Churches which operated independently,
one of which was the Mahon Evangelical Church. In the 1990's, the missionaries were no longer needed
in the Mahon Evangelical Church so it was decided to put emphasis on reaching the amaZioni, who had been
neglected over the years. The first efforts were started in 1984 when a conference of amaZioni leaders was
called at the Mahon mission station Etembeni, in the Orange Free State of South Africa. The work of ZEMA
developed towards its present day structure as Etembeni was given over to the Mahon Church and the work
of the missionaries changed to Bible teaching, reaching out from two new campuses. Sunbury in Natal was
acquired first then Sondela in Transkei. Today the CCC in Zion is the Christ Community Church. They and
numerous other churches now support ZEMA as their arm to reach the amaZioni. |
| This word means the "people of Zion" in the Zulu language. From the work of early literature
distribution from Zion, Illinois, and the work of Daniel Bryant between 1903-1908, has come a group
of over 15 million people throughout southern Africa who still trace their roots to the Zion teaching
of Bryant. The Zion teaching emphasized salvation, healing and holy living. But as the people grew, many
congregations syncretized their cultural beliefs with Biblical teachings and often ended up far from the truth.
Thus the need to reach them today. Over the years, many people and missions have seen their need and
tried to reach out to them, usually trying to win them out of their Zion churches and into some other group.
The amaZioni have been very closed to this kind of contact. Also, they have picked up some practices, such
as their wearing of robes, that have made them seem somewhat odd to people in general. ZEMA has two unique
keys to reach these people. First ZEMA is historically from the Zion city churches and second they are
trying to teach and win them within the amaZioni setting rather than trying to pull them out of these churches.
Just as we have seen the churches in Zion, Illinois grow to a sound biblical base, so too we are seeing many
amaZioni leaders come to Christ and lead their congregations in a truly Biblical path. Today's amaZioni seem
hungry for contact and teaching and the few ZEMA missionaries cannot keep up with the requests for teaching. |
