Western Africa, Harris' home

Harris was from Liberia, brought up Methodist. While in prison for participating in a rebellion, he received a vision that he was to prepare the way of Jesus Christ, and to abandon European clothing in favor of simple African dress. Released from prison, in 1914 he began his journey as a traveling preacher through the Ivory Coast and into what is now Ghana. Accompanied by women who sang and danced, he preached that God and Christ had come to conquer and to replace the traditional spirits. Jesus was returning and people should prepare through conversion, obedience to the ten commandments, and burning tribal fetishes or religious objects. The people were allowed to continue their practice of polygamy. Harris baptized many converts; where possible he instructed them to go to the churches of the missionaries. Harris also organized believers into new Christian communities. The "Harrisist Churches" contributed greatly to Christian growth and are an example of African Independent Churches.