Festus Chembeni
Festus Chembeni | |
|---|---|
| Died | Stegi, Swaziland |
| NSA member | South & West Africa 1956 - 1958 |
Festus Chembeni was the first Mozambican Bahá’í and served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa.
Biography[edit]
Chembeni was from Mozambique and served as the pastor of a church in Lourenco Marques. He was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith in 1954 when pioneers Charlotte and John Pinto commissioned him to translate the pamphlet The Martyr Prophet of a World Faith by William Sears into the local language Ronga and he declared on January 29, 1955, becoming the first Bahá’í of Mozambique.[1]
Chembeni briefly continued to serve as a pastor after declaring but resigned his position as he felt it was hypocritical considering his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. He introduced his wife, Catarina, and his niece and her husband, Rudolfo Duna, to the Pinto's and they also declared after a short time and they were able to form a Local Spiritual Assembly of Lourenco Marques on April 21, 1955.[1] He was arrested on April 25 with his Bahá’í literature being confiscated and he was questioned for eight days before being released.[1]
In 1956 Chembeni was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa when it was formed travelling to Johannesburg in South Africa to attend the first National Convention. In September 1956 he was briefly arrested and questioned about the Faith again while returning to Mozambique from an Assembly meeting in Johannesburg and he experienced harassment due to his religion and moved to Swaziland in late 1956 as a result.[2]
Chembeni settled in Stegi in Swaziland and in 1957 he was appointed to Swaziland's Area Teaching Committee and National Translations Committee.[3] He was also appointed as a member of the National Teaching Committee for Angola and Mozambique serving as an 'extension' member from Swaziland.[2] He remained in Stegi for the rest of his life and passed away there.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa (2003) , compiled by Edith Johnson and Lowell Johnson, p 106
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa (2003) , compiled by Edith Johnson and Lowell Johnson, p 107
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa (2003) , compiled by Edith Johnson and Lowell Johnson, p 424
