For The Record

Submit birth, marriage and obituary records online.

Personal Ads

Meet new friends today!

Advertising

Put your message in front of 33,000 readers.

PDF documents on this site require the free Adobe Reader:

Get Adobe Reader

2007-03-06 issue:

MC USA delegation sees Congo growth

Mennonite conference started 117 mission outposts in the past 30 years.

by Anna Groff

Print Article

The seed planted by Mennonite missionaries in Congo grew. Now—under the leadership of Congolese Mennonites—it continues to grow. Pastor Damien Kakhenda, coordinator for missions of Congo Mennonite Church, says missionaries started eight mission stations, but since then Congolese Mennonites have established 117 mission outposts in the past 30 years.
“Now it’s our history,” Kakhenda says.

The resilience of the Mennonites in Congo touched members of the Mennonite Church USA delegation last month (see editorial).

“The Mennonite church in Congo is alive and well,” says Jim Schrag, executive director of Mennonite Church USA and member of the delegation. “Though they face hardships, their worship is beautiful and engaging; their singing reflects marvelous harmonies, and their prayers are earnest.”

The delegation was sent by Mennonite Church USA to develop church-to-church relationships with two Mennonite groups: Congo Evangelical Mennonite Church and Congo Mennonite Church. CEM and CMCO grew out of the work of Congo Inland Mission, now called Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission.

Schrag says Mennonite Church USA will need to learn a new way of relating as partners: we need to discover our needs for which Congolese can offer counsel and their spiritual gifts. This delegation opened a new chapter for Mennonite Church USA’s priority of nurturing global relationships, Schrag says.

The delegation of 13 split into three groups after several days in Kinshasa to visit the Mennonite communities in Tshikapa, Kitkwit and Mbuji Mayi—more rural areas.
Schrag, with three others, visited Tshikapa, headquarters of CMCO, Feb. 6-12. The main income for Tshikapa is diamond mining, and several church members are involved in the business through a South African company.

However, any kind of employment in Tshikapa, and in Congo, is rare. Only 2 percent of the men in Tshikapa are employed, says Komuesa Kalunga Adolphe, president of CMCO.
Since most men are on the road looking for a job, women stay home, care for the fields and participate in church life.

“It’s circumstance, not a lack of interest [from men],” Komuesa says.
Lambertine Mumbanda, president of the CMCO women’s groups, says 70 to 90 percent of church members are women. These women evangelize just like the men do, she says. They also have meetings, seminars, visit sick women and more.

While visiting churches, members of the delegation had exchanges with congregations after the worship services. Congolese church leaders explained the delegation’s purpose: to explore possibilities for a church-to-church relationship. Congolese church members asked questions about missionaries who left Congo and how the church in the global North can financially support the church in the global South.

Schrag affirmed the growth and work of the church in Congo and explained that this is the beginning of a church-to-church relationship. He added that the two groups need each other, and visits will continue, although specifics are unknown.

For several debriefing sessions at the end of the two-week visit, church leaders from CMCO and CEM met with members of the delegation in Kinshasa. The group agreed that visits like this will continue, and Congolese should visit the United States.

The church-to-church group also agreed that systematic, joint planning for the relationship should continue; both groups must talk openly about their churches’ strengths and weaknesses; top-level decisions must positively affect the churches, and dependency should not be a result on either side.—Anna Groff

Reader Comments

Add Comments