The Trinity as understood in our church, Legion Maria of African Church Mission, is still a developing doctrine, though more or less a settled tenet of Christianity. In Legion Maria, the foundations of our beliefs in the Trinity are drawn from the Bible and the church traditions as laid out by the church fathers. However, there are some beliefs that are uniquely Legion.
Bikra Maria Mama and the Trinity
A gradually developing belief in the Legion Maria of African Church Mission is the deity of Mama Maria.
It is now generally an undeniable fact that every 8 out of 10 members of the faith see Mama Maria not as a saint but as deity--or put more plainly, as God.
No, she isn't seen as a goddess separate from the Godhead. But strictly as part and percel of Godhead, and even as the principal being from whom God the Son and God the Holy Spirit unite to in forming the Trinity.
Mama Maria as is known in Legion Maria therefore is radically different from the Virgin Mary of Christendom. Having her foundational doctrines based on the role played by Mary and then on Mariology as developed in Roman Catholic church, the Mary of Legion Maria has become not just the mother figure of the spirituality of Legion Maria, but the originator and source of the faith, the "Father".
With Mama Maria's rise and rise, the Godhead is shifting from being described as Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the sense of the Father being the masculine principle. Instead the Godhead is being described in terms of the First, Second, and Third Principals or Persons.
In this sense, the First Person being both Masculine and Feminine, the Second Person having Masculine and Feminine Principles, and the Third Person having both Masculine and Feminine Principles.
So Mama Maria, though incarnate as a female person, revealed with observable feminine principles, is believed to have masculine principles, latent in her physical feminine appearance. Similarly, Baba Messiah, incarnate with observable masculine principles, has unseen or latent feminine principles. Likewise for the Spirit, being revealed observably with masculine and feminine principles.
Therefore, the Legion Maria contemporary doctrine of the Trinity positions Mama Maria as the First Person of the Godhead, what is called the Father by Western Christendom and Roman Catholic, but who Legion Maria now calls the Mother, though not this blatantly.
Baba Messiah is the Second Person, the Christ and Logos or the Word, what Western Christendom calls God the Son. Then the third person of the Trinity is still called the Holy Spirit.
So the current, predominant Legion Maria teaching on the Trinity, though not decreed yet by the church, is by practice, The Mother, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Baba Messiah and the Trinity
There is no doubt that the Christ, the Messiah, the Second Person of the Trinity in Legion Maria is Baba Simeo Melkio Messiah.
This of course has been a long settled tenet of the church since 1964 following the Legion Pentecostal Day that occured at John Baru's home in Suna Migori. During the event, Simeo was declared the Christ, Son of God by the Holy Spirit and Mama Maria declared his mother.
So while the position of Mama Maria in the Trinity has been a slowly developing area, the position of Simeo Melkio Messiah was settled long ago.
Of course, there were and still are few members of the church, the minority, who believe him as just the founder and initial leader of the church.
For instance, the departures of Mercelinus Orongo and Gaudencia Aoko from the faith had a lot more to do with their questioning the position of Simeo Melkio Messiah in the church.
Likewise, Okello Oketa differed and parted ways with Simeo Melkio Messiah majorly because of the doctrine of christology. Okello rejected and argued against increased adoration and eventual worship of Baba Messiah, with his warnings captured aptly in books such as Legion Maria gi Kukune.
Nevertheless, these people who left Legion Maria and a few others who are minority members who do not believe the doctrine of the Sonship and Messianism of Simeo Ondeto have their beliefs and practices outweighed and overwhelmed by the majority believers.
Until his last day on earth, Baba Messiah was and to date occupies the Christ Position in the Legion Maria Trinity.
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity
Reflecting on the Holy Spirit as revealed, experienced and believed in Legion Maria, one finds the biggest departure from the Holy Spirit as is seen in Christendom.
Here, the Holy Spirit occurs as waves of different wavelengths or energy of different forms; and not merely as the almost homogeneous wave taught in traditional Christianity.
To break this down, while in traditional Christianity the Holy Spirit is purely the single/one spirit of an abstract God, in Legion Maria it is a mix of different holy spirits, with saints and persons of the Godhead all experienced in their spiritual nature as that spirit.
So whereas the First Person of the Godhead, often seen and experienced in the feminine Mama Maria, and the Second Person of the Godhead, Baba Messiah, can both come, work, and speak through the Holy Spirit, other persons, typically saints and angels also descend, work, act, and speak via the Spirit.
This clearly shows that the Spirit as seen in Legion Maria is not limited to the Godhead, but the Holy Spirit encompasses both the Godhead and all those who have been glorified by the Godhead.
The Trinity is a steadily developing doctrine in Legion Maria. As more members reflect on this practice, it will become more refined and perhaps become an area of clear Apostolic Council decree and teaching.
For now, as we mark this year's Trinity Sunday, let us take time to reflect on our trinitarian ideas, particularly as we practice it in our worship.
Happy Trinity Sunday to all. Baba and Mama bless you all.