Charles Edwards (Rastafari)


The Most Rt. Hon. King Emmanuel Charles Edwards, called "King Emmanuel" by his followers, is the Rastafari founder, leader, President, God and King of the "Ethiopia Africa Black International Congress, True Church of Divine Salvation ". High Priest Emmanuel is regarded to have established the biblical Churchical Order of Melchizedek as King-Priest which governs this Congress functioning as Church and State. On March 1, 1958, the E.A.B.I.C was formed, now headquartered in Bull Bay, Jamaica. This group of Rastafari soon became known as Bobo Shanti, adopting their name from the Ashanti tribe in Ghana, West Africa. King Emmanuel teaches that the black diaspora scattered across the Earth and predominantly in the west are the true Israelites and his followers acknowledge him to be the reincarnation of Christ in this dispensation to return all slave descendants to their original homeland Ethiopia-Africa. For this reason this Congress was formed and Church developed agitating for the "Freedom, Redemption and International Repatriation" of his people. Prince Emmanuel, now King Emmanuel fought relentlessly for the rights of his people and soon became to be publicly respected to bare the titles as 'The Black Christ in flesh', 'Black Moses' and Melchizedek of the Bible. He is held by that group of Rastafari to be a member of the Holy Trinity. The Bobo Shanti's culture of the Holy Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy One of Creation. King Emmanuel teaches that 'God dwelleth in flesh' and the celestial trinity of God manifested in flesh upon Earth is fulfilled in the capacity of Prophet, Priest and King. The "triune" positions of the Bobo Shanti trinity are as follows; God the Prophet as Rt. Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey, God the Priest as King Emmanuel Charles Edwards and God the King as His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I.