REPORT of the missionary trip to CONGO, summer 2023

 

Introduction

A pleasant trip in which everything was well arranged by the Congolese team. Expenses remained well within limits. We were well received everywhere and the expectations of the participants in our meetings were high. In various places we see the outbreak of a spiritual revival. About 1,500 people participated in our activities, including almost 500 pastors. We have met with many prominent leaders, such as synod chairmen and many regional leaders, a dean of a university (Kinshasa), a mayor who fully supports our work (Kenge) and a general (located in Kikwit).

 

The program of our journey

The first four days were devoted to teaching at the International School for Evangelism and Church Growth, with an academic-level curriculum. The students (75 final year students) are mainly officiating ministers. The final day was the day of the graduation ceremony. This was followed by conferences on Church Growth and courses for small group leaders in Kenge (35,000 inhabitants), Kikwit (over a million inhabitants), Bulungu (85,000 inhabitants) and Mukedi (30,000 inhabitants). In the last two places, many people from surrounding areas participated, up to a distance of 180 kilometers.

 

Follow up groups

The major emphasis during this trip was on encouraging evangelism combined with follow up groups by local churches. Approximately 825 people participated in these training sessions (largely the same as those who participated in the Church Growth conferences). It is our expectation that more than 200 of these groups have started. We have distributed more than 1,800 follow up booklets, most of them free of charge due to the great poverty in the cities of Bulungu and Mukedi and region).

 

Church Growth

The conferences on Church Growth, mainly aimed at pastors, attracted 1065 participants, including 495 pastors. We heard wonderful testimonies about the effects of previous conferences, which resulted in spectacular growth and the founding of new churches through evangelism. The responses from participants everywhere were extremely positive. We distributed 600 books 'Survol de la Croissance de l'Eglise'.

 

New areas of work and evangelization project Luozi

We have made far-reaching agreements to start work in the 'other Congo' (the People's Republic of Congo). We made arrangements for work in Luanda with a Congolese pastor living in Portugal. An important general invited us to start work in the east of the country, in the cities of Goma and Bukavu. We have never done anything in those (dangerous) areas. We had telephone contact with friends from Mbuji-Mayi (eastern Kasai), partly because the rector of the university of that city plans to invite us for public lectures.

In Luozi, Rev. François Mufokoto seen the start of quite a number of follow up small groups.  In that area, the old popular belief is gaining ground again, due to a fanatical politician who would like to close the churches there. There is some violence against Christians. There are now thirty functioning follow up groups, and we see this as a counterattack on enforced animism.

 

Evangelism

An action by our team in 2019 has resulted in the creation of a new church in the northern new building area of ​​Kikwit (12 kilometers from Luswa's house). That community counts now 250 people (young and old). Rev. Pascal had invited me to preach in this church. He invited as well many people from that area.  That Sunday, 65 people indicated that they wanted to follow Christ. He has now set up eight follow up groups, and hopes to start new groups in the surrounding villages as well.

 

In the near future we would like to support some people who are doing wonderful pioneering work in various remote areas of the Kwilu province, where entire regions and tribes are still animist, but very interested in the Gospel. There is also a retired director of a secondary school, Mr. Samson Yongo, who conducts anthropological research on the Pende tribe (800,000 people, with many more culturally related to them). There are indications in their ancient songs and habits that point to the belief in one God and possibly even to ancient connections with the faith of Israel, such as references to Moses. Samson uses this insight fruitfully in his evangelistic work. The Pende are relatively unchristianized.

 

Pygmies

In September we want to send a team of seven men to the pygmies. That will be the first time that our director, Rev. Luswa, will not come along. The journey is too difficult for him, partly because he does not walk well due to previous accidents in the jungle. Rev. Richard Mayoko and Rev. Jean Kibungula will lead this team. The latter is the regional president of the Assemblies of God, with more than a quarter of a million members in the province of Kwilu. Two pastors from Idiofa are being trained for this trip, and we hope to appoint local leaders, evangelists and contacts in the Maï-Ndombe rain forest.

 

New workers

We have found some people who, after a short training, can be deployed as trainers and speakers for follow up courses, including Rev. Pascal. We are putting together a team of speakers for our Church Growth conferences as well.

 

Bibles

The last City Bibles (New Testaments in Lingala and French) that we had in stock have been distributed during this trip. There is a more than crying need for Bibles. We must be extremely careful with the distribution, otherwise great disorder will arise, because everyone wants a Bible. If we announce a free Bible distribution, we see immediately a mob of thousands. During this trip a shipment of 20,000 City Bibles was released by the customs (after a delay of 3 months).

 

Conclusion

If finances are available, we could help more than 100,000 people to find Christ in the Kwilu province (nearly 2,5 million inhabitants). Non-believers are eager to hear the Gospel.  Among the forest dwellers (pygmies and bantus) in the Maï-Ndombe we see wide open doors as well. Besides that, there are dozens of cities urgently asking us for conferences, Bibles, literature and training. We need to reprint some of our books, especially the follow up booklet.  Spiritual revivals seem to have started in several places (especially Bulungu and Mukedi). The fields are white for harvest.

 

Abram Krol

August 12th, 2023