The World's Biggest Gathering - How to Get There and What to Do When There

Traffic north of Pretoria on South Africa's Great North Road, the N1, is normally very light, but twice a year the traffic becomes bumper to bumper for several days. The miracle of Zion City Moria is about to be re-enacted as millions of the LORD's worshipers prepare for the annual Christmas gathering. This happens twice a year, at Easter, and over Christmas. It is the world's largest gathering of people in one place for any purpose. Estimates of the number of people assembling vary from two million to six million. The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) claims to have fifteen million members, of whom about half live in South Africa. The official census figures put it somewhat lower, at a little over four million, but the development banks all know that the census figures are gross under-estimates. It has members in every country in Africa and in most countries of the Middle East.

The headquarters of the ZCC are at Zion City Moria, a site about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Polokwane, the capital of the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is approximately 380 kilometers (235 miles) north-east of Johannesburg. The members of the church are very zealous and make every effort to attend. Every mode of transport is used. Some come on foot, some by donkey cart, bicycle, car, taxi, pickup truck, bus, train, aircraft. Spoornet (one of the successors to South African Railways) runs dozens of 20-coach high speed passenger trains from Johannesburg and Pretoria to Polokwane. The church hires thousands of 100-passenger buses to transport people from all over South Africa to Zion City Moria. Once there, they are used to transport visitors from Polokwane railroad station and Polokwane International Airport to Zion City Moria. The N1 motorway and the R101 alternative route from Johannesburg carry a continuous stream of traffic for days before the start of the event.

South Africa always has perfect weather over Easter and Christmas and it will be no different this year. The buildings at Moria cater for only a very small fraction of the participants, most being exposed to the weather. The LORD God would never allow His worshipers to suffer in bad weather. They spend three days in the open worshiping the LORD continuously. If that is not a miracle, then what is?

The African people put all their heart, soul and strength into their worship. They love to dance as they sing the LORD's praises. The Zulu's, in particular, stamp the ground with their feet as they dance, making the earth tremble. Angels come down from heaven to watch in amazement, tears in their eyes.

The ZCC is an African indigenous church. It was not established by evangelists from abroad but by God revealing Himself to humble people of African origin. Its Africanness is appreciated by its members who feel at home in the presence of God, Who has established a church with a unique African atmosphere. The growth of this church and its activites have been phenomenal and this can only auger well for the future of Africa. It has been criticized by some of the leaders of the historical denominations and the Pentecostal churches. Some do not believe that it is a Christian church. Whatever its shortcomings, if it has any, it is not beyond the LORD's ability to "purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Africans are a humble people and "God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble." It is by grace that we are saved.

If you are the kind that enjoys to worship the LORD God Almighty in song and dance with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, then "Moria" is the place to be over Christmas. If you are coming from America, Europe, or the Far East, note that the major airlines from these areas do not fly into Polokwane International Airport. You will be well-advised to fly to Johannesburg and to get a connection to Polokwane from there.

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