Enlightened Christian Gathering
| Jesus Nation Church | |
|---|---|
| ECG | |
 | |
| Address | Chibanja, Mzuzu, Malawi |
| Country | Malawi |
| Denomination | Christian non-denominational |
| Website | ecgchurch |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Enlightened Christian Gathering |
| Founder(s) | Shepherd Bushiri |
| Associated people | Mary Bushiri |
Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) is a Christian non-denominational charismatic evangelical church founded by Shepherd Bushiri in Mzuzu, Malawi.[1] The church was established in 2008 and is claimed to lead churches in South Africa, Malawi, Ghana, South Sudan, Zambia and other countries.[1]
The church founder has been interviewed for television by the BBC and received coverage in several news outlets such as Al Jazeera, New African, Nigerian Tribune, and African Leadership magazine.[1]
History
[edit]The church was found in early 2008 and was originally headquartered in Mzuzu, Malawi before moving to Lilongwe due to mass audience in 2021. In February 2022, the church founder announced about changing the church name from "Enlightened Christian Gathering" to "Kingdom Financing Ministries International".[2]
In 2018, The Botswana Gazette reported about shutting down the church in Botswana following the violation of Botswana laws which prohibit the use of miracle money.[3]
Other events
[edit]On 28 December 2018, it was reported that three people died and nine others were injured during a stampede at the ECG Church caused by people trying to avoid a thunderstorm. Bushiri's spokesman Maynard Manyowa told the media, "The ECG Church is not his [Bushiri's] church; it belongs to South Africa and South Africans."[4] Manyowa added that the deaths were "not his [Bushiri's] problem, but a problem that the church must deal with."
The church is claimed to have attracted over 100,000 viewers via Bushiri's personally owned television station, social media and in-person attendees.[5]
The biggest gatherings are held on New Year's Eve at FNB Stadium, South Africa, with over 95,000 attendees in both 2016 and 2017. The FNB Stadium is the largest stadium in Africa.[6]
In 2023, the church was robbed at gun point in Mpumalanga.[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "BBC features Malawi-born Prophet Bushiri on his church's rapid growth". Malawi Nyasa Times. 2018-03-05. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "ECG changes its name". Malawi24 News. 21 February 2022. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Botswana Gazette". African Studies Companion Online. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ News24.com. "BUSHIRI DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM CHURCH". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ ARIEM, EM (March 2015). "bushiris-prophetic-channel-starts-broadcasting-live-services/". Archived from the original on 2021-09-27. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ Malawi: Prophet Bushiri Smashes Record in SA With 100k Congregants for Normal Service - allAfrica.com
- ^ Mthethwa, Cebelihle. "Shepherd Bushiri's church robbed at gunpoint in Mpumalanga". News24. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
- ^ Nair, Nivashni. "Armed robbers pounce on Bushiri's Mpumalanga church". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2024-03-22.