The Origin and history of the Oruuano Church in Namibia

Title: The Origin and history of the Oruuano Church in Namibia
Author: Ehrenfried Kandovazu
Original title: Oruuano rua Pita vi?
Translation from Otjiherero: Johanna Kahatjipara
Publisher: Klaus Hess Publishers
Göttingen, Germany / Windhoek, Namibia 2009
ISBN 9783785807613 / ISBMN 978-3-7858-0761-3 (Europe)
ISBN 9783933117410 / ISBN 978-3-933117-41-0 (Namibia)
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 87 pages, several b/w photos

About: The Origin and history of the Oruuano Church in Namibia

The Origin and history of the Oruuano Church in Namibia introduces to the reasons for the Oruuano Church emerging out of the Rhenish Mission Church in 1955 and sheds light on the background of the Ovaherero people and their seeking of their own identity through the establishment of an independent church from the then Rhenish Mission Church of Barmen. It is an unique recording by Ehrenfried Kandovazu (1929-2006) who was a Herero-born insider of the very history and culture that was unfolding.

The first chapter gives a historical background of the Ovaherero i.e., their cultural and spiritual belief. It also sheds light on the causes of the war between the Ovaherero and the Germans. The second chapter discusses the influence of the politics of Markus Garvey on Ovaherero way back in 1922 as well as the role played by the fortune tellers and the return of the Ovaherero to their traditional practice. These culminated in a division among the Ovaherero even though they managed to establish the Oruuano Church which was partly a fulfilment of the desire for their own identity.

The third chapter explains the meaning of the name Oruuano, how the new church flourished and recruited members. It further sheds light on prophets elsewhere and in Namibia and their positive and negative influences on the new church. The fourth chapter provides information on the deterioration of the Oruuano Church, the causes of the deterioration, the role played by Chief Hosea Kutako and his assistant Clemens Kapuuo. Further it discusses how other churches emerged out of the Oruuano due to confusion brought by some of the prophets.

The fifth chapter talks about the Rhenish Mission Church Reverends, how they tried to meet with the Ovaherero headmen with the view of moving closer to the members of the new church. The sixth chapter reveals how the Rhenish Mission Church became an independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in the then South West Africa after almost 125 years and 2 years after the establishment of the Oruuano Church. Ehrenfried Kandovazu puts critical questions to the Rhenish Mission, to himself as a worker of the Rhenish Mission and to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Content: The Origin and history of the Oruuano Church in Namibia

Foreword by Johanna Kahatjipara
Acknowledgements
Introduction by Johanna Kahatjipara
Foreword
Introduction
The Ovaherero and their encounter with the Gospel
Oruuano starts to flourish
The Oruuano Church starts to function
Practices in the Oruuano Church
The responsibility of the Rhenish Mission towards the Oruuano Church
Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church to the Oruuano Church
About the Author
Additional pictures