DR CONGO

Congo Partnership Council groups the following members:

Mennonite Church of Congo (President Adolphe Komuesa); Evangelical Mennonite Church of Congo (President Benjamin Mubenga); Mennonite Brethren Church of Congo (President Damien Pelendé); Mennonite Church Canada Witness (Hippolyto Tshimanga); Mennonite Mission Network/MC USA (Steve Wiebe-Johnson); Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (Rod Hollinger-Janzen).

 

Photo: Left to Right: Congo Partnership Council--Benjamin Mubenga, Daniel Geiser, Kalunga Komuesa, Rod Hollinger-Janzen, Damien Pelende, Phil Lindell Detweiler (guest), Siaka Traore (guest), Arnold Harder (guest), Hippolyto Tshimanga.  

 

 

 

The last several years, Mennonite Central Committee has been represented by Suzanne or Tim Lind; Mennonite World Conference by Tim Lind; Francophone Network by Daniel Geiser; and Hope for Congo by Brad and/or Stan Graber.  Current President of the Congo PC is Adolphe Komuesa; Vice President is Damien Pelendé; and Secretary is Benjamin Mubenga.

 

 

 

 

The Congo Partnership Council began in the fall of 2004.Since then, much of the focus has been on building trust and understanding among the various members.  As part of that effort, a decision was made early on that each Congolese Mennonite leader would take the time to visit the other two leaders in their headquarters locations.  In parallel fashion, Mennonite World Conference’s “Congo Inter-Mennonite Forum” brought together both lay leaders and pastors from the 3 Congolese Mennonite denominations for sustained discussion over a 3 year period.  All of this has resulted in considerable energy in each of the churches for collaboration with the others. 

 

One fruit of such collaboration is the current “Peace Seminar” program.  The program was conceived and planned by Congolese leaders Komuesa, Mubenga and Pelendé.  It calls for 50 key leaders of each denomination to come together for three days of training in peace theology and conflict transformation.  Seminars took place in Mbuji Mayi in April, Tshikapa in June, and Kikwit in July. 

 

 

Rev. Kabeya Kanda offers the opening prayer at the Peace Seminar in Mbuji Mayi held April 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to view current Congo History Gathering project

 

 

 "The Mennonite Song"

 

 

The Evangelical Mennonite Band leads worship at the Dipumba Plaine congregation on the north edge of the city of Mbuji Mayi in DR Congo.  These are the words to their song.

 

"Let's unite, in unity in strength; let's seek peace and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Remember when Jesus' disciples remained after his departure; they were of one mind in thinking and vision, and the church expanded.

 

 May we also be of one mind and one vision; let's love each other in order to combat hatred and division in the church; truly, let's love each other. For we Mennonites are pacifists, we are Anabaptists, and we are non violent. There are sheep in the church, buy why are others not there?

 

Let us understand that where there are quarrels, people will disappear from the church. But we are a village built on the mountain top, may our light illuminate all those who are in darkness. When people leave the world and enter into the church, they are looking for peace. If a person doesn't find peace there, where will that person go? So, we Mennonites, let us do all we can to keep our peace." 

  It is a beautiful message, the application of the gospel of peace to the life of the church, a spiritual calling and challenge for every congregation everywhere.

 

    Jesus Film Outreach:

An evangelistic team led by Mennonite Church of Congo Vice President Birakara brought preaching teams and the Jesus film to Mennonite congregations and their neighborhoods throughout 2010.

 

 

During 4 trips made across the year, 20 communities were given opportunity to view the film and respond to its message. It is estimated that over 7,000 persons viewed the film. 122 persons received baptism after respoinding to Christ in faith.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pray that people who hear the message and see the film will respond positively to the Word of Life. Praise God that Mennonite Church of Congo is continuing to fund this ministry regularly out of their budget as AIMM reduces its financial participation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girls Technical High School

 Lycee Miodi is a technical high school for girls at Nyanga DR Congo.

 

The AIMM Women's Auxiliary, under the leadership of Martini Janz (former missionary to Congo 1951 - 1969) continues to support the girl's school at Nyanga. Many AIMM supporters give toward this project, including the Barkman Concrete in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada which for the past several years has given an annual amount of $5,000 Canadian dollars toward the school.

 

 

 

Each girl graduate receives a new sewing machine as a reward for work well done. The project also has given funds in order to work on a new fence around the school building, and to help with some repair and repainting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lycee Miodi's new classroom building

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mennonite Church of Congo Sawmill Project

 

 

Arnold Harder assists sawmill crew in assembling the newly purchased sawmill in the Lubilu Forest about 50 kilometers from Tshikapa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mennonite Church of Congo, under the leadership of Pastor Komuesa work to bring sawed lumber from the forest to Tshikapa by way of the Kasai River. This is done on locally made barges with outboard motors AIMM supporters helped to purchase.  Transporting the lumber on the river helps cut down considerably on the high cost of overland transportation and makes the lumber a more profitable venture for the church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Centennial Welcome Center in Tshikapa

 

Mennonite Church of Congo is looking to the future while celbrating the past. President Adolphe Komuesa has led the church in the decision to build a Centennial Welcome Center in Tshikapa as a "pillar" to celebrate this century of Mennonite witness. He says, "This is a symbol which will crown 100 years of evangelism. In African Culture, when we think of this kind of an event, we need a visible symbol that will express its importance." The Conference Center will at last provide this large denomination (over 100,000 members) with an adequate meeting place for its frequent national gatherings.

 

 

Tshikapa, a city of one million people, currently has no conference center. The Centennial Welcome Center includes dormitory rooms, a dining hall and a large assembly hall, and is being built on church-owned land right across from the city's airport. It can provide a wholesome rest stop for weary travelers, as well as a place which churches and other groups can rent to hold their gatherings. So, besides responding to the meeting needs of Mennonite Church of Congo, it can also help to move the church toward greater financial autonomy.

 

 

The church has been gathering together locally available materials for construction such as lumber, rock, sand, gravel and bricks. Pastor Komuesa estimates that value of the materials already gathered to be around $30,000. He states, "the local churches are strongly committed to this project."

 

 

The Welcome Center project has already begun with the construction of a seven room dormitory block. Next to be built is the large Assembly Hall. Pastor Komuesa is circulating in congregations, speaking to them about a suggested per-member contribution of around 60 cents for this project. Contributions have already begun to come in. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Centennial Celebration will take place during the last week of July 16 to 26, 2012.

 

Would you consider partnering with AIMM and the Mennonite Church of Congo to celebrate what God has done in "raising up a people for Himself" in Congo?