religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural ...
with roots in the
Catholic Apostolic Church
The Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC), also known as the Irvingian Church, is a Christian denomination and Protestant sect which originated in Scotland around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States.Old Apostolic Church. It is part of a branch in Christianity called
Irvingism
The Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC), also known as the Irvingian Church, is a Christian denomination and Protestant sect which originated in Scotland around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States.Protestantism
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Old Apostolic Church of South Africa v Non-White Old Apostolic Church of Africa 1975 (2) SA 684 (C) at 687 with membership throughout South Africa.
History
The Reformed Old Apostolic Church was founded in 1972 by Robert Lombard, a former Helper
Apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
of the Old Apostolic Church of Africa.http://ebasic.easily.co.uk/030046/04C059/19%20Life%20of%20Apostle%20Lombard.pdf {{Bare URL PDF, date=March 2022
Pre-ROAC History
Robert Lombard was ordained as an Apostle in the Old Apostolic Church in 1958 by Apostle William Campbell, to assist in the coloured congregations of the Cape church. Lombard was the first coloured, and the second non-white Helper Apostle of the Old Apostolic Church.
Schism from the Old Apostolic Church
In 1971, Lombard an Apostle of the Apostolic Church of Africa: Western Cape (photo-album) Lombard then had a revelation where
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
told him that he would be healed if he led his people to freedom. The Apostolate under the leadership of Apostle HH Ninow refused to accept Lombard's interpretation of the revelation.
In January 1972, Robert Lombard and two Overseers (Adolf Neethling and Gamba) were relieved of their duties by leading Apostle of the OAC, Apostle HH Ninow. This led to the formation of the Non-White Old Apostolic Church. Lombard appointed Adolf Neethling to succeed him in January 1972, and died in June that same year.
In a court case in 1975, the Non-White Old Apostolic Church was forced to change its name to Reformed Old Apostolic Church. The reason stated was that the name "Non-White Old Apostolic Church" confused the public into thinking that the church was a branch of the Old Apostolic Church.
Demographics for the ROAC is not available.
Theology
Jesus
The ROAC believed that after the resurrection, Jesus went to heaven, descended back in the form of the holy spirit and resides a new body. The congregation forming the body of Christ. Apostles of the ROAC are appointed by Christ through visions, dreams and prophecy.
The Dead
Part of ROAC doctrine is the teaching that the dead who did not have an opportunity to meet Christ during their lifetime can be given an opportunity.
The ROAC practises
baptism for the dead
Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism today commonly refers to the religious practice of baptizing a person on behalf of one who is dead—a living person receiving the rite on behalf of a deceased person.
Baptism for the de ...
. During sealing of the Holy Spirit services departed souls who did not get a chance to ascend to heaven can get to opportunity to do so. The congregation acts as the body of Christ though whom they enter the kingdom of God.
Sources
*Martin, Harry. I Tell You the Truth. (Eyewitness accounts and Testimonies by a member of the ROAC)
*Old Apostolic Church of Africa: Western Cape (photo-album)
*Old Apostolic Church of South Africa v Non-White Old Apostolic Church of Africa 1975 (2) SA 684 (C) at 687