ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the evolution of the Kimbanguist movement; it is the growth and development of this indigenous religious school system which will be its major focus. Most of these indigenous religious movements failed after experiencing an initial period of acclaim and expansion. While the nationalisation of the Kimbanguist school system caused the Churches great concern, as it did for the Catholics and Protestants, it appeared, nevertheless, to have also had some highly beneficial effects. The government included within the nationalisation the Catholic Junior Seminaries, traditionally used, among other things, to provide a mechanism for screening prospective candidates for the priesthood. The bond between formal education and religion has persevered in Zaire since its first exposure, and that exposure, too, occurred simultaneously. Education, even in the face of contemporary Zaire, where failure seems endemic for its people as well as its politics, remains one of the most cherished popular desires.
