AFRICAN DEREKH

AFRICAN DEREKH is a new Christian denomination that is being launched to unite ALL 700 million Sub-Saharan Africa Christians in all 42 countries in one denomination, and therefore take-over and redefine African Christianity. It is an outcome of Spirit Revelation, and brings several big changes to Western Christianity which now rules Sub Saharan Africa. This is a rebirth of Christianity, now called DEREKH, in Sub-Saharan Africa.

1) FROM CHRISTIANITY TO DEREKH

Christianity started in Jerusalem and is primarily Jewish even though scripture says anybody who believes is a Jew by faith. In Jerusalem, this religion was called DEREKH, Hebrew for ‘The Way’, for about 100 years, and it was much later that Greeks took it over and renamed it in Greek as Christianity or ‘Followers of Christ’. Apart from being Hebrew, and the original name of this religion, the word DEREKH is much more precise, and much more correct, scripturally and spiritually, in capturing what this religion is, and what it is about, than the word CHRISTIANITY. DEREKH is The Way of the LORD, The PAVED PATH, dictated by God for us to walk on to earthly success, good health and eternal salvation. The Holy Mikra (Bible in Greek) also calls this religion THE WAY OF THE LORD.

“In the meantime, Saul kept his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord. He went to the High Priest and asked for letters of introduction to the Synagogues in Damascus so that if he should find there any followers of the Way of the LORD, he would be able to arrest them, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2)

“But some of them were stubborn and would not believe, and before the whole group they said evil things about the Way of the LORD.” (Acts 19:9)

See also (Acts 19:23), (Acts 22:4), (Acts 24:14), (Ps 67:1-2), (Ps 27:11), (Prv 22:6)

Greeks deleted all Hebrew vocabulary from DEREKH religion and replaced them with dozens of Greek words, including ‘Christianity’ and ‘Bible’, but this was pure sacrilege. Even if the ‘Followers of Christ’ phrase was correct, we wouldn’t state it in Greek while the religion is Jewish.  Western Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant and Pentecostal) adopted Greek terminology until this day, but AFRICAN DEREKH has rejected Greek heritage and reverted to Hebrew.

Both CHRISTIANITY and DEREKH are currently used as male names of followers of this religion (like Christian Ronaldo, the Portuguese footballer) but only DEREKH is Authentic name of this religion.

Even though DEREKH religion started in Jerusalem in 33 CE, it arrived in Sub Saharan Africa 1,400 years later, when Portuguese explorers arrived on the West African coast in about 1450 CE. DEREKH arrived in neighbouring Ethiopia (the ancient Axum Kingdom which is now part of Ethiopia) in 330 CE but Axumites didn’t have the bravery and resources to conduct evangelisation to their black neighbours in East Africa. It was therefore the Portuguese Roman Catholic Church, which first brought DEREKH to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa starting in 1450 CE.

DEREKH faith arrived in Arab Maghreb (North Africa) before 100 CE and this region was totally Derekh before 100 CE. The reason DEREKH spread fast to this region was that when Jesus lived in Israel, the entire Mediterranean region, including virtually all Arabs, Israel and Greece were under Roman Empire rule. Apart from Jerusalem, other big Derekh centres were Alexandria (Egypt), Antioch (Syria), Constantinople (Turkey) and Rome (Italy).  The Roman Empire was opposed to DEREKH faith, but Derekh still spread throughout the Empire as an illegal religion even within Rome itself. Three Barber Arabs from present day Algeria and Tunisia, were even able to become Popes of the World Catholic Church before Derekh was legalised. These are called ‘African Popes’, but they were not black, and were white Barber Arabs. The word ‘Africa’ was coined by Romans 2,500 years ago to describe a Roman Province in present day Algeria and Tunisia which were occupied by Barbers. Cushitic Barbers are the original inhabitants of North Africa but were later invaded and outnumbered by Arabs. Roman ‘Africa’ did not cover Egypt or Sub-Saharan Africa.

2) WORLD DEREKH

World DEREKH faith is divided into three main groups below; –

• Western Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant and Pentecostal churches, private preachers)
• Eastern Christianity (Greek orthodox, Russian Orthodox etc)
• Oriental Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox Alexandria, Syrian Orthodox etc)

The division of DEREKH into these categories took place in ancient times, especially following the theological disagreements that emerged out of the Chalcedon World Ecumenical Council of 451 CE that was attended by world bishops to iron out core matters of faith. The dispute here was about the identity or celestial rank of Isho Hamashiach (Jesus Christ in Greek). These disagreements fragmented the one Derekh Catholic Church which had existed until then. A much bigger schism happened in 1054 CE when Greek and Roman branches of the World Catholic Church parted ways mostly over archbishop seniority issues. The Church of Rome retained the Greek name of the original united World Church of CATHOLIC (universal) as Greeks adopted the title ORTHODOX (Traditional). The Russian church was also born out of this power crisis, and called itself ORTHODOX as well.

3) WESTERN DEREKH

Western DEREKH is the biggest branch of DEREKH faith in the world because it covers Western Europe, North America, South America, Sub Saharan Africa, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand) and even some pockets in Asia (Philippines, India) and Arabia (Lebanon). The Roman Catholic church is still the biggest Derekh denomination with about half of all DEREKHS worldwide, but is losing ground in Sub Saharan Africa. Over 30 American Pentecostal churches have invaded Sub Saharan Africa in the last 50 years, and have taken away lots of people from the Roman church. It is estimated that the Roman church had about 90% of all Derekhs in Sub Saharan Africa in year 1900 CE, but by 2024, its share had fallen to below 40%.

Western DEREKH was created by fragmentation from the Roman Catholic church starting with the protest of Martin Luther of Germany in 1517 CE that eventually created the Lutheran church in 1530 CE. Britain followed suit by seceding from Rome and establishing the Church of England in 1543 CE. When these two churches were formed, they took over all Roman Catholic believers and converted them to what they called ‘Protestant’ Christianity.  They also took over all Roman Catholic church buildings and made them theirs. From 1550 CE, Europeans started immigrating to the ‘New World” of America, and North America created their own denominations there. In 2024, the USA was estimated to have over 120 denominations, and over 30 of these have established branches in Sub Saharan Africa.

North America came up with private churches, which are social-economic rather than spiritual, and operate on business principles. Indeed, registration of religion in USA is the same as registering a business enterprise. The USA is estimated to have over 100,000 private churches, called ministries, that are owned by individual entrepreneurs or families and employ pastors. They have now coined the terminology of “Mega Churches” which conduct their Sunday worship service in sports stadiums with 10,000 or more believers or through television. This is however a misuse of the name of God and sacred spiritual heritage and can amount to sacrilege. Religion is not only spiritual, but is also social and demands assembly and social interaction.

Western Europe has however not copied this decadence and desecration of DEREKH religion, and private churches are mostly not acceptable in Europe.

4) EASTERN AND ORIENTAL DEREKH

Eastern and Oriental DEREKH comprise the following very ancient Knesiya (churches); –

• Greek Orthodox
• Syrian Orthodox
• Alexandria Coptic Orthodox
• Ethiopian Orthodox
• Russian Orthodox

The distinction of Western and Eastern Derekh started with the schism of 1054 CE which was about Eastern churches refusing to accept the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, now called Pope. This was mainly because the Church of Rome was born by the Eastern Church, especially the Greek Church and that is why it still teaches Greek DEREKH, called Christianity, even today. Eastern churches accept the Western Church ‘Two Natures’ of Isho doctrine arising out of the Chalcedon Conference of 451 CE, while Oriental Knesiyas like Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and Ethiopian Orthodox reject Chalcedon and stick with earlier Ephesus Doctrine of 331 CE of ‘One Divine Nature’ of Isho. The differences are however academic rather than religious

Virtually all Eastern and Oriental churches have branches in Western Europe and North America as well. AFRICAN DEREKH will equally establish AFRICAN DEREKH to black communities in North and South America, Britain, France and elsewhere.

5) AFRICAN DEREKH

AFRICAN DEREKH is the Africanised version of the First Church, DEREKH JERUSALEM, of 33 CE. Africanisation means dressing DEREKH religion in African culture instead of Greek, Roman, European or American culture.

AFRICAN DEREKH rejects both Ephesus and Chalcedon as sacrilege, because they introduce matters which are not part of DEREKH faith. The nature and rank of Isho is beyond our responsibility as believers. Europeans are engaging themselves in meaningless academics.

What Africans don’t seem to understand, however, is that religion carries a very big part of national culture as well. This is why Greek Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox have churches in locations where Greeks or Ethiopians have immigrated to.  This is why also Western Christianity represents cultural colonialism for Sub Saharan Africa.  Western cultural colonialism is continuing because there is no African initiative to challenge it. DEREKH religion is about walking on the Paved Path, the Way of the LORD, not about the denomination you are in, so religious colonialism must not be tolerated in the name of God.

Religion is very simple, at the intellectual level, and all people can therefore manage themselves as far as religion is concerned if we can shed greed.  What AFRICAN DEREKH sets out to do, therefore, is to create a United Church, like the Roman Catholic Church, that is impersonal and global so that it unites ALL Africans instead of dividing them. Everybody will then attend Holy Mass at his nearest Synagogue without being constrained by fake labels of foreign denominations.

6) POPULARITY OF DEREKH

According to American global research company, Pew Research, conducted in 2020, DEREKH faith is still the biggest religion of the world, with 31.2 % of all human beings, followed by Islam with 24.1 % of all human beings. About 17% of people in the world do not belong to any religion, and most of these are in Europe and America and were previously Derekhs but have given up religion. The big Asian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism are about stagnant. Looking at the trend of the last 50 years, however, Pew Research says, DEREKH faith is losing ground while Islam is gaining ground. The number of people joining Derekh faith is reported to be smaller than population increase meaning that the percentage of Derekhs worldwide is falling while the percentage of Muslims is rising. 

Sub-Sahara Africa now has about 42 countries with a total population of about 1.1 billion people in 2024, about 68% of whom are estimated to be Derekhs.

7) MONARCHIC GOVERNANCE

Part of the reason DEREKH faith is losing ground worldwide is its monarchic governance style, whereby it operates like a government, with hierarchies of pastors, bishops, archbishops, popes and patriarchs. This model could have been justifiable in the past, when religions were defined by territories and a religion had monopoly of all people in its area. There was no competition, because in the past, every tribe or community had their own religion.

With open borders, freedom of worship, and religious cohabitation, religions are competing for believers. On the part of DEREKH faith, especially in Sub Saharan Africa, much competition seems to be between DEREKH denominations themselves and thousands of private preachers. They move DEREKHS from one denomination to another, or from one private preacher to another, but they don’t attract people from other religions. DEREKH has five times more preachers than Islam in Sub Saharan Africa but is still losing ground because of the way it operates. It is ‘top heavy” with thousands of bishops and pastors, while Islam is very lean but very effective.

We can say therefore that WESTERN DEREKH has very powerful political and administrative institutions, but very weak religious institutions. Western DEREKH in Africa is very good in self-elevation antics, flamboyance, social services like building schools and hospitals, but is very poor in its core mission which is religion and spirituality.

8) HIGH COST OF RUNNING DEREKH

Another matter which is differentiating DEREKH faith from Islam in Sub Saharan Africa is the very high cost of running DEREKH religion. DEREKH operates like a government, with so many preachers living in comfort and luxury. The fragmentation of DEREKH into dozens of denominations and tens of thousands of private preachers is creating ungodly extravagancy by tripling clerical staff, building three times the number of churches Africa genuinely needs etc. African DEREKHS are, on average paying possibly 5 to 10 times more tithe and offering to their churches than Moslems pay to their mosques simply to maintain this big army of preachers in luxury and comfort.

The word of God is that we cannot serve both God and Money (Mt 6:24) and current reality in Western DEREKH is therefore irreligious. To serve and save AFRICAN DEREKH, we need to bring DEREKH down to the people, to very low budgets, and to one denomination to reduce costs and defend our cultural identity. Religion is part of national culture. In this AFRICAN DEREKH religious philosophy, all African Derekhs will be Priests with a frontline duty to invite and entice people to join DEREKH, and even offering personal financial assistance to them to join us.

9) INTEGRITY IN DEREKH MINISTRY

Western DEREKH religion has become big business, no longer a religion. Preachers of Western DEREKH faith are becoming billionaires. But DEREKH offering to God has to be made to a genuine impersonal denomination, not to a private church. African DEREKHs must understand that they have a spiritual duty NOT to support people who open private churches simply because they have Holy Spirit power to heal.

Gullible Africans are not coming to genuine DEREKH faith by BELIEVING and HEEDING scripture. Instead, they have turned to paying tithe and a long list of contributions that DEREKH priests now demand. While tithe has to be paid to sustain the DEREKH Knesiya (church) we all need to know that God is not primarily looking for money from us. He is looking for FAITH and HEEDING scripture, not big offering. Scripture says; –

“The LORD, your God is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty, and He is to be feared. He does not show partiality, and does not accept bribes.” (Deu 10:17)

We cannot bribe God by big offerings; we simply have to heed Him. African DEREKHs need to understand also that they are priests of God as well, and that they have a duty to defend the integrity of the religion by not using services of conmen and private preachers. In today’s highly integrated world where different races, tribes, and religions are existing in one physical space, religion can only be sustained by personal commitment and brotherhood of the believers, and this is what we must pursue. This brotherhood has to be voluntary and involve all Africans, across tribal and Berlin Conference borders, standing only on our Emonah (faith) and our Elevated Spirituality

We cannot achieve God’s purpose in sending his only Son to reconcile Himself with us if we fragment into hundreds of independent churches and thousands of private preachers. Sub Saharan Africa must venerate God Almighty, and respect Isho Harmashiach, Lord and Saviour, by forming one Knesiya that has servants of various Holy Spirit gifts (1 Cor 12:4-11,) because we are all parts of the same body (1 Cor 12:25-30). We must keep reminded also, that whatever spirit gift we have, we received it for free (Mat 10:8), (1 Cor 4:7).

The Knesiya also serves to supervise and monitor its Shamashim, or preachers, so that they don’t digress in their teachings or use African witchcraft in Derekh Deliverance services to create fame for themselves. Private preachers can be dangerous, and many have been very dangerous as murderers, witches, adulterers, and conmen. It is astonishing that African governments are tolerating them.

10) EQUALITY BEFORE GOD

All DEREKH believers have the same rank, and the same spiritual power, before God. God Almighty has His chosen people whom he favours, but these favourites or anointed people are not necessary in priestly or church leadership positions. Scripture says;

“Go through the whole world and preach the gospel to all mankind. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Believers will be given power to perform miracles” (Mk 16:15-18)

We see here that Isho Ha-Mashiach (Jesus Christ in Greek) does not make any distinction between bishops and lay believers. All have the same blessings, and the same authority; they receive the power of the Holy Spirit to cure other people and perform miracles.

“Then God said, ‘And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small. So, God created human beings making them to be like Himself.” (Gen 1:26-27)

God is spirit, so if humans were created to be like God, they are spirits as well, and the physical body is just a dress that they wear while on earth. This human status of being spirit is consistent with the spirit power given by Isho Ha-Mashiach to ALL believers.

This equality before God and Isho Ha-Mashiach is the basis of the key tenet of DEREKH faith of THE PRIESTHHOD OF THE BELIEVERS.  Each baptised and practicing DEREKH is a priest.

11) PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS

All believers will join DEREKH religion through Tevilah (Baptism in Greek) with water and the Holy Spirit, and even when they don’t notice the Spirit, they will assume they have the Spirit in them already. DEREKH stands much more on inner faith than on Avodah (liturgical) rites and ceremonies. The Holy Spirit is the builder of the DEREKH Knesiya and he chooses and grants spiritual Gifts/Graces/ Charismas as he pleases, without regard to the priestly rank one holds.  We can say therefore that Ministerial ranks, or ‘Sacraments of Orders’, are worldly manifestations, and social ranks, that do not mean anything at the spiritual level. World DEREKH is currently dominated by very big hierarchy of ministerial and so-called pastoral positions, but this is just historical, not religious. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, and there are different ways of serving the Lord. (1 Cor 12:3-4).

AFRICAN DEREKH main purpose and objective is to bring ALL AFRICANS to the ‘Way of the Lord’ which leads to Earthly Fulfilment and Eternal Salvation. Ordinary believers, not the Bishops and Priests, are the people who bring this about by Heeding the Word of God in their personal lives. The believers are the AFRICAN DEREKH Knesiya (church), and every believer must understand his position clearly. We must put an end to foreign missionaries, and we must all become the missionaries of DEREKH religion in Sub Saharan Africa.

12) ELDER KNESIYA GOVERNANCE

World DEREKH has three main church governance models being EPISCOPAL Governance, CONGREGATIONS governance, and ELDERS governance. Episcopal governance is the most common governance model for Western, Eastern and Oriental DEREKH, worldwide. It has ranks of priests from pastors to Bishops and Popes who virtually own the religion in their areas and make final decisions. This model is however difficult to justify in modern times.

Under the Elders governance model, the Knesiya (church) is led by elected elders.  This model of ‘Elders of the Knesiya’ is standing on the Priesthood of the Believers, but is the more strongly supported by scripture in the Final Covenant (Acts 11:30), (Acts 14:23), (Eph 3:6-10), (1 Pet 2:9), (Eph 2:19-22), (1 Cor 12:12-27), (Acts 15:2), (Acts 20:17), (Tit 1:5), (Jam 1:5-14).

Considering the state of religion in the world today, and the poor character of African people generally, AFRICAN DEREKH is dictating the ELDERS OF THE KNESIYA governance model so that DEREKH is in the hands of the believers and lay congregations, not in the hands of priests and bishops. Pastoral ranks are therefore rejected and abolished. It is simultaneously demanded, from all DEREKH faithful, however, to use this power to serve God, by being ethical, humble, pious, and spiritual. The key word is to come forward to serve, instead of staying on the fence, and letting others handle the religion for you. The Derekhism of just attending Shabbat or Sunday Holy Mass will be inadequate in this regard.

13) DEREKH JERUSALEM

The first church, DEREKH Jerusalem was Jewish, and although we are now all Jews, by faith rather than blood, descendants of Israel, or blood Jews, still have an elevated place even in their absence according to scripture; –

“You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes” (Jn 4:22)

“Then he opened their eyes to understand scriptures and said to them.’ This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later, and in his name, the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” (Lk 24:45-47)

“Have the Jews then any advantage over the gentiles?  Or is there any value in being circumcised? Much indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews.  (Rom 3:1-2)

AFRICAN DEREKH incorporates African culture but is received directly from Jerusalem and is therefore Jewish. It has, accordingly, adopted teachings and practices of the first Knesiya, DEREKH Jerusalem, of 33 CE to 150 CE. It has also rejected and deleted several changes and adulterations, introduced by Greeks, Romans and Europeans over the last 1,800 years.

14) HOLY MIKRA

Mikra is Hebrew for Bible (Greek) and comprise two parts of Old Testament and Final Covenant. Old Testament is called TANAKH in Judaism and has 24 books, but Greeks expanded it to 39 books. Final Covenant (also called New Testament) has 27 books. These books were translated from original Hebrew and Greek to Latin by Romans, and much later to English, German and other European languages.  While the Mikra is the same everywhere, each major denomination has its own version of it, and these versions differ slightly in some areas.

AFRICAN DEREKH intends to make its own version of the Holy Mikra by interpreting directly from original Hebrew texts, and not from English translations. This project will take many years to accomplish and require big financial resources which only a United African Knesiya (church) can raise.

Nobody can understand the Holy Mikra correctly by reading it because the book is spiritual, not intellectual. Proper understanding of the Holy Mikra therefore comes from SPIRIT REVELATION, and only a handful of people have received this revelation. Mikra (Bible) school is valuable but is introductory to the Word of God.

15) EMONAH

Greek and Western DEREKH (Christianity) disintegrated into Greek Mythology and Theology so it abandoned Emonah (Hebrew for Faith) as a cornerstone of DEREKH religion. This was sacrilege but was also self-obstruction because Emonah is the door to DEREKH religious life. To become Emonah, it must involve external brave deeds, not just internal certitude about religious truths or the Word of God. We come to Emonah by God’s own grace, or by extended humility and sacrifice. (See our EMONAH page for details)

16) AFRICANISATION

DEREKH religion has to be Africanised by incorporating positive African culture into it. Many Africans think that is impossible because DEREKH religion is Jewish. They don’t realise that Western DEREKH that rules Sub Sahara Africa today, with over 30 separate denominations and over 30,000 private churches, is full of Roman, European and American culture. DEREKH Africa has to incorporate African culture as well. (See our AFRICANISATION page for details)

17) DELIVERANCE AND HEALING

DEREKH religion stands on God’s power, not just on scripture, prayer, singing or sitting in pews inside Synagogues (churches). It is incumbent on AFRICAN DEREKH to demonstrate God’s power through Deliverance, Healing, and Spirit miracles. (See our DELIVERANCE page for details)

18) REJECTING PAGANISM

Apart from setting off on the wrong foot by adopting Greek Christianity and Platonic philosophical thoughts, instead of authentic Jewish scripture, in the third century, Western DEREKH (Christianity) has, in recent times, drifted to plain paganism by desecration of divine heritage of DEREKH religion. Practices like gender equality, ordination of women, and homosexuality are an attack on DEREKH faith and an insult to God and the Ha-Mashiach. The subordinacy of women to men is sacred and unnegotiable.

God is masculine, and is called Father, and men are carrying the image of God (Gen 2:18, 22), (Gen 3:16), (Eph 5:22-24), (Col 3:19). Isho says, ‘whoever has seen me has seen God the Father’ (Jn 14:9), and Isho was, and still is, a man. In the present Western world, political thought is ruling religion, and this is a return to paganism. AFRICA has a strict religious duty (Ps 1:1-3) to distance itself from such ungodly denominations.

19) SYNAGOGUES

AFRICAN DEREKH houses of worship will be called Synagogues or Beit Knesset, not churches. Synagogues will be without chairs and all believers will sit on the floor. Nobody can enter a Synagogue with shoes. There will be strict gender separation inside the Synagogue with men and boys sitting on the right and women and girls sitting on the left. Women must wear head scarfs, loose fitting, full sleeve and full-length dresses extending to their leg ankles to enter a Beit Knesset. They can not come to the Beit Knesset in their periods..

20) AFRICAN DEREKH MISSION

 AFRICAN DEREKH mission is therefore to; –

1. Unite The African Knesiya (church) to end ungodly fragmentation and religious slavery whereby churches in a single town are owned by over 20 different denominations and hundreds of private preachers, so that some believers are having to travel 10 or more km across town to reach a church of their denomination, while DEREKH religion is the same everywhere.
2. Remove meaningless and very costly duplication of DEREKH religion facilities in Africa whereby every denomination and every private preacher has his own church buildings, TV stations, Radio stations, websites, Schools, hospitals etc and yet we all serve under one Shepherd, Isho Hamashiach (Jesus Christ). This is irreligious and contradicts scripture (Eph 4:4).
3. Engineer DEREKH to be a platform for, and a facilitator of, higher level spiritual character, social refinement and Africa’s earthly civilisation and social -economic development.

21) WELCOME

• Welcome to the rebirth of DEREKH faith in Sub Saharan Africa
• Welcome to AFRICAN DEREKH, successor to DEREKH JERUSALEM

SHALOM ALEKHEM (May Godly peace be with you)

AFRICAN DEREKH

June 2025

Silvanus Mutagaywa Ngemera

First Shamashim (servant)

Web:       www.africanderekh.org

E-mail:    derekh@africanderekh.org

               africanorthoderekh@gmail.com

Tel: +255 754 387253, +255 717 097782