DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Population: 56,097,226
Surface area: 2,3 million sq.km
Capital: Kinshasa
GNI per capita: 100 US$
Classification: Least developed country
Languages: French, Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili and other
Religions: Christian 96%; African traditional 2%; Muslim 1%; other 1%
Christianity: Catholics 31,800,000; Protestants 12,352,300; Kimbanguists
8,500,000; Anglicans 440,000; Orthodox 13,000; Independent 4,312,000
At the Berlin Conference of 1884, King Leopold II of Belgium claimed the Congo as his personal property. His ruthless exploitation of the territory caused untold suffering to the people. In 1908 Congo became a Belgian colony, which it remained until independence in 1960. The country was coveted by the international powers, because of its natural wealth, especially minerals, and its strategic importance. Mobutu, who seized power in 1965, established a dictatorial regime, exploited the country and served the interests of the West. He was finally overthrown in 1997. From 1998 until 2003 the DRC was in the grip of civil war, in which neighbouring countries Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi intervened, supporting rebel factions, while Angola and Zimbabwe took the side of the government. According to a UN report, several million people were killed, many were displaced, and all parties committed large-scale plundering of natural resources. With the help of South Africa, an inter-Congolese dialogue was conducted, and in 2003 a coalition government was formed. The Catholic Church is the largest church. The Protestants and the Anglicans are organized in the Church of Christ in Congo, which is composed of 62 churches called “Communities”. The DRC is the home of the Kimbanguist Church, one of the largest African Instituted Churches. There are many other independent churches, and a small indigenous Orthodox Church under the Patriarchate of Alexandria. The Catholic Church and the Church of Christ in Congo played a key role in the inter-Congolese dialogue, and several of their clergy were given high positions in the coalition government. The great majority of the people live in dire poverty and struggle daily for survival.
Church of Christ in Congo – Anglican Community of Congo
Church Family: Anglican
Membership: 500,000
Dioceses: 7
Bishops: 7
Parishes: 307
Priests: 409
Member of: WCC (1961/1998) – ACC – CAPA
The first missionary work of the Anglican Church in Congo started with a Ugandan evangelist who settled in Boga in 1896, in the sub-region of Ituri. After his death in 1933 the church spread through the sub-region of North Kivu. After the independence of Congo in 1960 the Anglican Church experienced a time of great expansion. The first diocese was created in 1972, as part of the Province of Uganda, Rwanda and Boga-Zaïre. The new province was inaugurated in 1992 with the name: Province of the Anglican Church of Congo. It now has seven dioceses. As a member of the Church of Christ in Congo it is known as the Anglican Community. The provincial synod held in 2003 in Bukavu decided the transfer of the headquarters of the province from Bunia to Kinshasa. The new diocese of Kinshasa was inaugurated on 20 December 2003.
The Anglican Church of Congo teaches and confesses the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation. It accepts as norms of the faith the scriptures, the three Catholic Creeds and the Book of Common Prayer. The first priority of the church is evangelization, especially in the western part of the country,
e.g. Kinshasa, Lower Congo, Bandundu and also in neighbouring Congo Brazzaville. It is intended to create two new dioceses in the near future, Aru and Kasai. The church is also planning to establish an Anglican Centre in Kinshasa, and to install communication equipment in several dioceses. Other activities are the training of managerial staff and lay people through seminars, Bible schools, etc. Development, health care, and the promotion of peace and reconciliation are among the priorities of the church.
The province of the Anglican Church of Congo is facing many difficulties. Concentrated in the eastern part of the country, it has suffered particularly from the war situation in the Great Lakes region. The many years of violence and mismanagement of the political leaders have impoverished its members. Funds are lacking to pay the clergy and to purchase land and houses which are needed as the church is growing.
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Church of Christ in Congo – Baptist Community of Congo
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Communauté baptiste du Congo, CBCO)
Church Family: Baptist
Membership: 376,558
Districts: 32
Local churches: 792
Pastors: 850
Member of: WCC (1985) – AACC – BWA – AABF
The Livingstone Inland Mission started working in Lower Congo in 1878. The work was taken over by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society in 1884 which, together with seven other mission societies, created in 1902 the Missionary Conference, forerunner of the Protestant Council of Congo in 1928. The Baptist Church of Congo was formed in 1946. It went through several name changes and mergers, was a founding member of the Church of Christ in Congo and adopted in 2004 a new constitution under the name Baptist Community of Congo. The foundation of the teaching of the church is the word of God as revealed in the holy scriptures, which is freely studied in the light of the faith, the Baptist and evangelical tradition, Christian conscience and modern science. The church opens its doors to each person on the basis of the faith in Jesus Christ, without imposing any confession of faith, regardless of race, region, country and ethnic group. It assembles the faithful in evangelism, social activities, worship and in the mission of Jesus Christ so that together they contribute to the furtherance of the kingdom of God on earth and in the country and constitute through the gospel, the source of eternal life and of progress of the individual and the society. The CBCO seeks to consolidate the unity of its action through the respect of the diversity of the people and ethnic groups which form the community, the principle of autonomy and decentralization, better communication between the local churches and regional alternation in leadership.
The community has departments for evangelism, church life and mission, for education, medical services, women and development. It has a convention with the state for the running of 608 primary and 453 secondary schools. It operates nine hospitals, 96 health-care centres and two training schools for nurses. It is actively involved with other churches in Congo, in particular with member communities of the Church of Christ, in several institutions such as the Protestant University of Congo, the Evangelical Centre for Christian Literature, and more recently the Protestant University of Kimpese in Lower Congo. Looking to the future, the CBCO intends to dedicate itself to the primary needs of the population. The community would like to encourage means to increase and improve food production for survival, strengthen cooperation with the state in primary health care programmes in rural areas and reinforce the Christian management programme.
Church of Christ in Congo – Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Communauté des Disciples du Christ au Congo, CDCC)
Church Family: Disciples
Membership: 650,000
Congregations: 552
Pastors: 193
Catechists: 1,000
Member of: WCC (1965) – AACC – DECC Periodical: Bulletin d’Information des Disciples (monthly, in French, Lingala,
Lomongo)
The Community of Disciples of Christ is the fruit of the work of the American Disciples Overseas Mission, which began in 1899 in the region of the equator of the then Belgian Congo. The church became autonomous in 1964. It has its headquarters in Mbandaka, in the Province of the Equator. The Disciples of Christ in Congo, like all other Disciples of Christ in the world, confess Jesus Christ as Lord, believe in the Holy Trinity, in the supreme authority of the Bible as the foundation of faith, baptism by immersion, the holy communion, the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. The church makes a serious effort to preserve African culture and arts in the liturgical celebrations. It witnesses to the unity of the church as the body of Christ, or the unity of all Christians irrespective of race, gender and confession, to the task of restoring the unity of the church on the basis of the New Testament, the task of preaching the gospel and of making Disciples all the Congolese provinces and neighbouring countries.
The highest authority of the community is the general assembly. The CDCC has departments for evangelism, education, health care and development. It runs 186 primary and 59 secondary schools, three nursery schools, six hospitals, 28 operational health centres and a centre for the training of nurses. In the area of community development the CDCC has a social centre for women, a school for agriculture, a coffee plantation, a bookshop and printing house, and a religious radio programme. It is a founding member of the Protestant University of Congo in Kinshasa and has its own institute for theological training which is being upgraded to Masters degree level. The church is actively working towards financial self-reliance at the local level. It is involved in the struggle against HIV/AIDS and in promoting peace, democracy and the respect of human rights.
Church of Christ in Congo – Evangelical Community of Congo
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Communauté évangélique au Congo, CEC)
Church Family: Reformed
Membership: 83,746
Congregations: 87
Pastors: 114
Member of: WCC (1961) – AACC – WARC – ARCA
Periodical: Ninsame Miayenge (monthly, in Kikongo and French)
The Evangelical Community of Congo is the fruit of the work of the Swedish Missionary Alliance (now the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden) which was founded in 1878 as the result of a revival movement. The church became autonomous in 1961 and is a member community of the Church of Christ in Congo. It is concentrated in Lower Congo and has its headquarters in Luozi. Most of the work of the Evangelical Community is in rural areas but urban evangelism has made some very significant progress, e.g. in the city of Kinshasa where today 30 of the 87 congregations of the CEC are located. The church runs 157 primary and secondary schools, five hospitals and several dispensaries. Eight doctors and some sixty medical assistants care for more than 40,000 patients each year. The state has entrusted one hospital and two health centres to the CEC for a period of five years. The church works in close cooperation with the state. It is taking full charge of its prophetic mission, through its social commitment, the care for the
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earth through reafforestation, denunciation of social abuses and the promotion of virtues to make the society more human.
The church pursues the objective of holistic evangelization, in the framework of integrated and integral development. Besides evangelism its main concern is to be actively involved in education, health care, gender equality and the promotion of human dignity. The CEC maintains excellent relationships with the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden.
Church of Christ in Congo – Mennonite Community in Congo
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Communauté Mennonite au Congo, CMC)
Church Family: Free Church
Membership: 86,600
Congregations: 721
Pastors: 187
Member of: WCC (1973) – AACC – MWC
Before the formation of the Congo Inland Mission in 1912, the Mission Board of the Mennonite Church and the Amish Mennonite Conference (both in the USA) had sent missionaries to the Congo. In 1911 the United Mennonite Board of Missions was organized and incorporated as the Congo Inland Mission a year later. Missionaries of the Swedish Baptist Mission joined the Congo Inland Mission in 1914. The name was changed to Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, Inc. in 1970. American Mennonite missions have been at work principally in three provinces: Bandundu, Western Kasai and Eastern Kasai. The Evangelical Mennonite Church of the Congo was established in 1960. When it joined with other Protestant churches to form the Church of Christ in Congo it took the name Mennonite Community Congo. Its headquarters are in Tshikapa in the Western Kasai, about 500 km from Kinshasa.
At the time of the struggle for independence from colonial rule, Mennonite missionaries had to leave the country. Some returned, but during the troubled period of the early 1990s all left and the Mennonite Community in Congo lost all external support. The church has grown in number and inner strength. Its members are essentially among the poor population living in remote rural areas. Communication is extremely difficult. The Mennonite Community is trying to assist the people through schools, agricultural projects and some medical work. For the formation of its pastors and evangelists it operates two Bible schools and a theological school.
Church of Christ in Congo – Presbyterian Community of Congo
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Communauté Presbytérienne du Congo, CPC)
Church Family: Reformed
Membership: 2,500,000
Synods: 12
Presbyteries: 43
Congregations: 926
Pastors: 672
Member of: WCC (1972) – AACC – WARC – ARCA
Periodical: Bikaye (quarterly, in Tshiluba)
The Presbyterian Community of Congo was founded by the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (now Global Ministries of the PC USA), which started work in Luebo, in the central part of Congo (Kasai region) in 1891.The church became fully autonomous as the Presbyterian Community of Congo, member of the Church of Christ in Congo.Concentrated in the two Kasai provinces (East and West), the CPC has spread to other parts of the country, e.g. Shaba in the southeast where it started an evangelism project in 1988. The CPC took on a role as mediator in conflicts that severely affected its communities in East Kasai and Shaba during clashes in 1992–94. In 1996 the church leadership intervened with efforts for reconciliation and successfully negotiated with officials solutions to these conflicts.
The church is actively involved in evangelism, education, health care, women’s ministries and community development. In West Kasai it runs 150 primary and 52 secondary schools, most of which are in the rural areas, and a teacher training college, the only one in the region. In East Kasai its 200 schools were confiscated by the authorities. The department for Christian education coordinates efforts for church leadership development, laity training, Sunday school programmes, youth ministries, religion in schools, literacy programmes and church choir promotion. The CPC carries out its health ministries and pastoral care for the sick in six hospitals. The evangelism department is responsible for establishing new churches and assisting weak presbyteries, and oversees several regional evangelization projects. Community development activities take place in both rural and urban areas. The project for development in East Kasai is a comprehensive effort focusing on agricultural production, training, water resources and community action. The CPC has a printing press, a bookstore and a radio ministry. The department for women and families, while keeping evangelization as a primary goal, is providing training opportunities for women in health, nutrition and development. Women form the majority of the church members. About 25 percent of the pastors are women.
Together with the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa the CPC operates several institutes for ministerial training. The Reformed Theological College of Kasai has become a Presbyterian University with two faculties: theology and law. The CPC is a founding member of the Protestant University of Congo in Kinshasa. The headquarters of the CPC are in Kananga.
Church of Christ in Congo – Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Communauté presbytérienne de Kinshasa, CPK)
Church Family: Reformed
Membership: 67,436
Congregations: 186
Pastors: 143
Member of: WCC (1996) – AACC – WARC – ARCA
Periodical: Identité (bimonthly, in French)
The Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa was formed by groups of Christians coming from the centre of the country, the Kasai region where the Presbyterian Community in Congo is concentrated, which grew out of the work of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission in that area since the 19th century. Because of the distances and the difficulties of communication it became necessary to have an autonomous church in Kinshasa, the capital of the country. But since at that time there were not yet autonomous churches in Congo and Kinshasa, and Léopoldville was the mission field of two Baptist missionary societies, an invitation from these missions was required. With the creation of new quarters in Léopoldville and the extension of the city towards the east the two missions called
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on the American Presbyterian Mission which, in 1954, accepted to establish the Presbyterian Mission of Léopoldville (PML). The work began officially in 1955. Christians from other denominations living in the capital were welcome to join the Presbyterian mission if they wished. In January 1960 the PML decided to found an autonomous church under the name Church of Christ in Congo – Presbyterian Section of Léopoldville. The church was officially registered in May 1960, i.e. before the independence of the country. Of all the churches in the DRC the PCK was the first to be recognized before independence. The PCK uses the symbol of the apostles as the confession of its faith. It recognizes two sacraments: baptism and holy communion.
The PCK maintains strong fraternal relations with the Presbyterian Community of Congo, especially in the area of leadership training. The two churches jointly own the Sheppard and Lapsley Presbyterian University of Congo which is based in Kananga in Western Kasai. The two are founding members of the Church of Christ in Congo. When the latter was created in 1970 the name of the denomination became Church of Christ in Congo – Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa. The PCK works in four provinces: Kinshasa, Bandundu, Lower Congo and Equator. It has started a mission among the Pygmies which covers about 200 villages. The PCK runs also 60 primary and 44 secondary schools. It has a pastoral institute and an institute of advanced theology, an institute of medical technology and a professional construction school. Since 1984 the PCK has joined the programme “Health for All by the Year 2000” and runs six health centres, two small maternity wards, two hospital centres and three clinics.
The ecclesiastical structure of the PCK is Presbyterian: consistories, presbyteries, synods and general assembly. In all the decision–making bodies clergy (men and women) and elders (men and women) are represented. The laity is organized in three federations: women, men and youth.
Church of Christ in Congo – Protestant Baptist Church in Africa / Episcopal Baptist Community in Africa
(Eglise du Christ au Congo – Eglise protestante baptiste en Afrique / Communauté épiscopale baptiste en Afrique, EPROBA/CEBA)
Church Family: Baptist
Membership: 67,325
Congregations: 520
Pastors: 520
Vicars : 135
Member of: WCC (1973) – AACC
Periodical: Feuille épiscopale (in French, Swahili and Kiluba)
The church was founded in 1956 by Bishop Kabwe-ka-Leza and 45 other members of the Garenganze Evangelical Mission. It took the name Protestant Baptist Church in Africa in 1964. In 1976, with the “zairerization” imposed by former president Mobutu, the church, like all the other Protestant churches in Zaïre, became a member community of the Church of Christ in Congo, and was called Episcopal Baptist Community in Africa. After the democratization of the country in 1990 the church combined the two names, putting the previous one first (PBCA/EBCA). The acronym commonly used in French reads EPROBA/CEBA. The church confesses the Christian faith in the triune God and in Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose again, for the remission of sins, according to the Apostles’ Creed.
The EPROBA/CEBA has eight departments. The first one, evangelism and church life, is in charge of evangelization, healing and deliverance through prayer, edification, biblical instruction, observance of the teaching (doctrine, liturgy) and rules (discipline, conflict resolution) of the church. The department of community development is responsible for communication and information, diaconal and social services, and peace, justice and integrity of creation (including the struggle against HIV/AIDS). Other departments deal with finances, medical service, and education (32 primary and nine secondary subsidized schools, 48 primary and 40 secondary private schools); this department also looks after a Christian lay centre for young people (vocational training, language courses, etc). The Federation of Protestant and Religious Women is an important department promoting the intellectual and spiritual fulfillment of the women, their participation in the church and in society, and the development of cooperation and partnership with Christian women’s organizations of other churches, in the DRC and abroad. The federation carries responsibility for several social centres and services (e.g. orphanage, sewing, literacy, ecumenical solidarity, guest-house, agricultural project, etc.). Youth United in Christ, the youth department, has activities in the areas of voluntary work, camps, sport, moral and spiritual care for boys and girls, organization of unemployed youth, etc. The Faculty of Protestant Theology of Lubumbashi is responsible for the formation of pastors and other church workers.
The ecclesiastical structure of the EPROBA/CEBA is episcopal. It has three levels: the bishop who is the president and legal representative and the assistant bishops, general vicars and vicars, pastors and their assistants. These episcopal ministries are open to any man or woman who has a divine calling, has completed the required biblical and theological formation and is accepted by the Committee for Pastoral Ministry and the governing bodies of the church. The administration of the church, the departments, services and personnel resources are coordinated by the general secretary. In all there are over 3500 employed church workers and close to 2000 volunteers.
The EPROBA/CEBA is historically concentrated in the south-eastern part of the DRC (Katanga, Kasai, Kivu). It is present in other parts of the country (Kinshasa) and in Zambia. It has a partnership with the French Reformed Church in Stockholm (Sweden) and the Evangelical Church in Werheim (Germany).
Church of Christ Light of the Holy Spirit
(Eglise du Christ Lumière du Saint Esprit)
Church Family: African Instituted Church
Membership: 1,398,129
Congregations: 350
Bishops: 5
Pastors: 450
Member of: WCC (1973) – AACC – OAIC
Periodical: Le Messager apostolique (in French)
The Church of Christ Light of the Holy Spirit was founded in 1931. It is an independent Christian community of Protestant orientation, fruit of the Holy Spirit movement in the DRC. The church is based on the word of God as contained in the Bible, which is the basis of its teaching: the belief in the Holy Trinity of one God, Creator of the whole universe, of Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, Lord and Saviour who died on the cross, risen from the dead and redeemer, and the Holy Spirit, guide and giver of strength; obedience to the ten commandments of God, the fourth of which consecrates Sunday as the day of the Lord set
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apart for the adoration and glorification of God the creator father; the belief in the baptism of the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands; and monogamous marriage blessed by the church.
In the life of the church, Tuesdays and Fridays are the days of prayer and intercession for the faithful of each congregation, and Wednesday is the day for Bible study and prayer meetings. The parish meeting takes place once a month, the bishops meet once a year and the general assembly every two years.
The objectives of the church are to evangelize the population in the light of the Bible and by the power of the Holy Spirit, to establish congregations and build churches, to organize educational, medical, social and other activities aiming at the spiritual, moral and physical development of the whole human person. As an integral part of the cultural and religious life of the society, the church organizes various encounters for women and young people, children’s holiday camps, evangelism campaigns, literacy courses, and Sunday schools for the little ones. The church promotes also rural development projects, and maintains cordial relations with other Christian communities in the DRC. Future plans include the extension of its activities in Africa and in the world, the struggle against HIV/AIDS, the acquisition of a Light radio/TV station, and the establishment of a Light university and vocational schools for the training of the leaders of the church.
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