W.F.P. Burton, Shalumbo and the coming of Pentecostalism to the Belgian Congo
This seminar will show how Pentecostalism in the Belgian Congo [Democratic Republic of the Congo] was pioneered from 1915 onwards by W.F.P. Burton working alongside local agency. Together they furthered its development in south-eastern Katanga and the Kasai provinces. Central to Burton’s contradictory and complex personality was a passionate desire to see the emancipation of humankind from the spiritual powers of darkness, believing only Spirit-empowered local agency would prove effective and enduring.
This paper showcases Burton’s resolute desire to co-labour with local agency, focussing especially on a man Burton viewed as an apostle in the embryonic pentecostal era, the slave trader Shalumbo. Burton’s ambitions might have been circumscribed by his birth into a notable family. Burton, though, lived with a faith which believed in Spirit intervention in church communities, converting lives, bringing physical healing and transforming regions. The paper highlights Shalumbo’s background in the mid-19th century slave trade and both his physical and spiritual journey from slavery to pentecostal pioneer, being cheered on by Burton.
Dr Dave Emmett is Tutor in Theology at Emmanuel Theological College, Chester.
All welcome- this seminar is free to attend, but booking is required.
This page was last updated on 14 March 2025
