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The church buildings are primitive, but crowded with worshippers. Suffering is widespread, but the singing is celebratory. The testimonies of members ring with perseverance and gratitude. The visitor can conclude only one thing: The Mennonites of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) are living a profound kingdom paradox: In the soil of adversity, Christ grows a thriving, vibrant church.
The growth can be quantified statistically. Congo is home to more Mennonites than any other country outside North America. The three conferences claim a combined membership of almost 190,000 baptized believers and an annual increase of 3%-5%. The Mennonite Conference (CMCo) has around 80,000 members, the Mennonite Brethren (CEFMC) 71,000 and the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (CEM) 35,000-40,000.
The suffering is more difficult to quantify, but pervasive. Unlike in many other parts of the world, the source of the suffering is not religious persecution. Christians make up an estimated 70% of the population. Family-owned businesses in Kinshasa bear names such as "Grace of God Pharmacy" and "The Wonders of Our Lord Hardware Store". Rather than being at odds with their environment, the Mennonites of Congo suffer because they are part of it. "We live in a developing country, and the church shares the problems," says Leonard Lumeya, a CEFMC lawyer in Kinshasa.
Yet the Congo's ongoing economic and political crisis has also contributed to the growth of the church. "My only explanation for the growth is that because of all the trouble, the only place people have to go, to hide, is to God," says Masolo Manunga, general secretary of the CEFMC. "This period of crisis is very good for evangelizing."
It also helps that evangelism is a priority--as is community. The communal orientation of African life (expressed by a commitment to the extended biological family) is enhanced by the Mennonite emphasis on interdependence within the church. Sharing has become a necessity. Leonard Lumeya's congregation is typical: Of the 300 adults, maybe 70 have jobs. Of those, 50 haven't been paid for several months. Of the 20 who draw a salary, most are obligated to care for extended family who have no means of support.
Clement Bende-Bende earns a good living as a buyer and seller of industrial diamonds. But he and his wife have also assumed primary financial responsibility for a "family" of around 25 people, including their own seven children and the families of two of Clement's brothers who have died. They also contribute financially to the needs of other extended family and still give to support the work of the church.
"Most of our members are teachers and peasant farmers," says Fimbo Ganvunze, general secretary of CMCo. "Teachers haven't been paid in months, so people make only enough to eat. They can't support the church. They come to pray, and they need to give, but they have nothing."
The extent of the need and the persistence of workers is most clearly seen in the institutional life of the church:
* A 32-bed CEFMC medical centre in Kikwit operates with one microscope, a 100-watt bulb in its operating room and a pharmacy comprised mostly of empty shelves. The staff, most of whom have not been paid for several months, see as many as 350 patients a month. In the maternity ward, it is not uncommon for two newborns to share one bed.
* A CMCo primary school in Kikwit tries to teach 100 students in dilapidated buildings without sufficient books and supplies. Church-operated Bible institutes and secondary schools tell a similar story. In many cases, Congolese parents are too poor to pay educational expenses, and the conferences have insufficient money for scholarships.
* Church buildings are important. A few meetinghouses in the Kinshasa and Kikwit regions have wooden benches and permanent tin roofs. Far more make do with bamboo-pole "pews" and thatched roofs if they have roofs at all. In the past, members were able to build the walls, pour the cement floors and provide furnishings while North Americans funded permanent roofs. Now that is not possible.
"We hope the change in our country will change our social situation," Fimbo Ganvunze says. "Unfortunately, the changes aren't happening as quickly as people hoped. We are even regressing. Those who had possibilities now have none."
The Mennonites of Congo are working to help themselves. Churches approach their ministries holistically--development is on par with evangelism and Bible training as a legitimate spiritual concern. The CEFMC, for instance, has a ministry organization (DESADEC) devoted to starting and supporting church-related development projects, particularly in agriculture. In addition, Mennonite women are organized in most congregations to encourage literacy and run income-generating projects such as making soap, raising chickens and salting fish.
The older generation of leaders recalls the days when a lot of church structures were supported with North American missionaries and money. However, a new generation of leaders is pushing for solutions from within the churches themselves, such as training pastors not only in theology but also in development, nutrition and agriculture. This would not only enable pastors to support themselves, but also help them develop economic resources within their congregations. The Kikwit Bible Institute has recently added courses on human rights, agriculture and leadership to its curriculum.
A question asked in one form or another by many Congolese Mennonites is: Where are their affluent brothers and sisters in North America during this time of crisis? "We're making an effort to solve our problems here," says Leonard Lumeya. "Minor problems, we can handle. When we have major problems, we want to report those problems to (Mennonites in) North America and Europe."
Leaders in Congo know that they are no longer a mission church, and they are aware of North American fears about creating dependency in overseas churches, but the question lingers. "We feel abandoned," says Kiwoma A. Galunga, a 77-year-old CEFMC pastor.
The affluence of North American Mennonites is not lost on Congolese believers. Neither is the apparent generosity with which the Catholic church supports its ministries in Congo. "People here are told Mennonites around the world are wealthy," Fimbo says. "To be Mennonite here is to be poor."
While many older leaders tend to envision paternal assistance, a new generation is more interested in forging a partnership connection with their North American brothers and sisters. Pakisa Tshimika, quarter-time regional secretary for MBM/S in Africa, says too many leaders want to perpetuate traditional but unsustainable structures instead of seeking new, creative ways to empower the church. "It seems to me that with a little effort of the will, the (CEFMC) could raise more than the funds that MBM/S provides them now--with the exception of social ministries," he says.
Rather than receiving financial support for pastors, the new generation wants technical assistance with development projects that can enable the church to generate its own funding. That may involve money from North America, but what is needed even more, they say, is personnel with expertise who can also provide a sense of solidarity with the church in Congo. "That's what brotherhood is, to have contact with human beings," says Leonard Lumeya. "How can you have brothers who don't see each other? . . . The North American churches must be involved in the lives of their brothers and sisters in the Congo. It is not an option but a Christian obligation. It is a matter of obedience rather than of choice."
Tshimika agrees: "The conference needs people who can help it think through issues facing its members: war, corruption, leadership, breakdown in family values, AIDS, marriage and divorce, remarriage and infidelity. It also needs technicians in ministries such as health, youth ministry, urban evangelism in a highly Christianized nation and Muslim ministry."
Despite the obstacles and challenges, most Mennonite leaders in Congo are optimistic about the future of the church, regardless of the accomplishments or failures of a new government. "I think the church will grow," says Papa Kiwoma. "God will not let it fall."
Glossary
(The acronyms reflect the French names for these Congolese entities.)
CEFMC : The Mennonite Brethren Conference of Congo
CEM : The Evangelical Mennonite Conference of Congo
CMCo : The Mennonite Conference of Congo
CIM : The International Missiology Centre, begun by CEFMC leader Nzash Lumeya to train Congolese for global mission outreach
CONIM : The National Inter-Mennonite Committee
DESADEC : The development ministry of the CEFMC
ECC : The umbrella organization for all Protestant churches of Congo, including Mennonite Central Committee
FEM : A Mennonite student association
GAM : An organization of Mennonite businesspersons in Congo which generates financial support for church-related ministries
RDC : Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire and referred to simply as "Congo" in these articles
Six mornings a week, Kahouma Kazangiye rises at 5 o'clock. She prepares a light breakfast for her family, then walks eight miles from her home in the Kazamba district of Kikwit to work in the fields. Her husband, Denison, a nurse at the local Catholic hospital, is on the job by 7:30 a.m. His salary amounts to 10 cents a month, but he and other workers haven't been paid in more than a year-and-a-half. Off at midafternoon, Denison rides his Yamaha to the fields, where he will toil until dusk. These fields of manioc, peanuts and corn offer the only real means of support for the Kazangiyes and their six children. Kahouma leaves the fields around 3:00 p.m. and walks home to cook a simple meal of manioc root and leaves; occasionally she adds meat, usually salted fish. It is dark by the time the family sits down to eat. A lantern provides the only light; Kikwit has been without electricity for many months.
"Life has been difficult," Denison admits. "Because we farm, we can survive." He and his family are among the fortunate, he adds. "Life is more difficult for others." Just how difficult, the visitor can only imagine. "We live by miracles," is a frequently heard assessment among Mennonite believers.
For the people of Congo, Africa's third largest nation in area and fourth largest in population, the past several years have been a season of suffering. Potentially one of the continent's wealthiest nations, Congo is instead one of the world's poorest--a result of political corruption, fiscal mismanagement, revolution, social unrest and disease.
A new government, a new name and a new flag signal hope for a better future in Congo. Laurent Kabila, whose army drove former President Mobutu Sese Seko from the country last May, has promised democratic reforms, economic development and an end to corruption. But in a land reeling from more than 30 years of despotic rule, hope itself is corrupted. "Those in power now, we don't know them," Denison says, echoing a common sentiment. "They have promised change, but we don't see changes yet. We are observing them, but we are skeptical. They give us the impression that they are doing things like in the past."
The Kabila government inherits a nation left bankrupt by a former leader whose primary interest was to enrich himself. Mobutu's excesses are legendary. Chartering a supersonic transport plane to deliver a son's birthday cake from New York City is a more typical than extreme example.
"Mobutu ruled Zaire like a king," says Bruce Campbell-Janz. He and his wife Ann are Mennonite Central Committee's country representatives in Congo. "He saw everything in this country as his personal property. To his mind, anything he gave back to the people was a gesture of his magnanimity." Mobutu didn't give back much. Though he is grudgingly credited with helping to create a sense of national unity among the country's 200-plus ethnic groups, he is held personally responsible for 80% of Congo's foreign debt. What Mobutu didn't waste in lavish living, he is presumed to have stashed in secret foreign accounts. Only the most optimistic of Congolese hold much hope that any of his pirated fortune will be returned to the people.
When the exiled Mobutu died last August of cancer, few took note. "I would not have killed the man," said one Mennonite church worker, "but I did not mourn his death."
Though his motivation was likely self-serving, Mobutu's final favour to the people was to vacate the country with minimal resistance as Kabila's forces closed in on Kinshasa, the capital city. But Congo's Christians accept the relatively bloodless transition as a gift of God. Prayer groups met throughout Kinshasa, asking God to "confuse" Mobutu's forces so they would not fight back. Several Mennonite homes were looted and burned, and a Mennonite hospital in Tshikapa was trashed, but leaders are not aware of any deaths or serious injuries among Mennonites. "God gave us a miracle," says one Mennonite pastor.
Not only is Congo bankrupt, but it lacks the infrastructure to recover without massive foreign assistance. Even basic transportation is an enormous challenge. For instance, the highway between Kinshasa and Kikwit, a 300-mile primary artery to and from the interior, once took only a few hours to drive. Today the trip takes three-to-four days. The road is passable only because citizens take it upon themselves to maintain the worst of it with shovels and sand. The result is more than mere inconvenience. While many Congolese are lucky to have one meal a day, food rots in the fertile interior because too few trucks can get through to transport the harvest to market.
Congolese survive mostly on subsistence farming. In the interior, families like the Kazangiyes have fields to grow foods such as manioc, a staple that provides bulk but not a lot of nutrition. In cities such as Kinshasa, people grow pigweed, corn and spinach in open lots designated as neighbourhood gardens. Some grow enough to sell to neighbours or local markets. Meat, particularly chicken and fish, is available, but it's a luxury for most--the average Congolese consumes less than four pounds of meat a year. A more common source of protein is nuts, particularly peanuts, which can be grown at home or purchased in markets.
Like food production, much of Congo's predominantly "informal" economy is rooted in subsistence business enterprises. For instance, drivers in Kinshasa can buy gasoline from corporate-owned stations, but far more prevalent are family "stations" that peddle fuel in plastic pint and quart bottles along city streets.
The struggle for day-to-day survival spills over into church life. Yet, with few exceptions, Congolese believers have proven themselves faithful in the midst of difficulty, vibrant and creative in the face of adversity, and growing numerically in an environment where little else can. It happens one day at a time. As miracles go, the day-to-day variety may be the most amazing of all.
Connie Faber
Two North American-based mission agencies, Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission and Mennonite Brethren Missions/Services, have invested resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the years. Both have seen evangelism, church planting and leadership training as their mandate. AIMM works in partnership with five Mennonite groups, including MBM/S, in six African countries.
Both mission agencies have pioneer Mennonite Brethren missionary couple Aaron and Ernestine Janzen to thank for beginning their first stations in Congo. In 1912, the Janzens arrived in what was then the Belgian Congo as missionaries with Congo Inland Mission, the recently founded forerunner of AIMM. The Janzens and other North American personnel settled in the province of West Kasai. Their ministries in evangelism, church planting, education, agriculture and health gave birth to the Mennonite Conference of Congo (CMCo), which today numbers 80,000 members. The Evangelical Mennonite Conference is also a product of AIMM efforts.
After serving with Congo Inland Mission for about seven years, the Janzens asked to be released in order to open a Mennonite Brethren station. Their request was granted; the Janzens opened a mission centre at Kafumba in Congo's Kwango province. By 1960, 70 Mennonite Brethren missionaries worked in seven centres, operating various schools (including a Bible institute), two hospitals and several dispensaries. Some 6,000 believers had been baptized.
Congo Inland Mission began the process of turning over its work to CMCo in 1960. The effort was well underway when missionaries were forced to evacuate the country later that year as a result of a civil war which broke out after the country achieved independence from Belgium. CMCo was legally recognized by the government in 1965; six years later, all property and decision-making responsibilities were transferred to the national conference. In 1972, the country was renamed the Republic of Zaire, prompting Congo Inland Mission to also change its name; because the agency was working in several African countries by this time, the name Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission was chosen.
MBM/S efforts to shift responsibility to CEFMC were not as far along in 1960. The evacuation of missionaries following independence forced CEFMC leaders to assume a level of administrative responsibility for church, educational and medical activities for which they were not prepared, according to historian J.B. Toews. By 1971, CEFMC was legally recognized by the government. Subsequent evacuations caused North American workers to reduce and interrupt their involvement. A major crisis in 1991, for example, prompted MBM/S and most other Protestant agencies to evacuate all workers.
MBM/S is presently subsidizing the salary of dozens of Congolese CEFMC health, development and church workers, rather than supplying long-term North American workers to Congo. Other than people coming for fraternal visits, Pakisa Tshimika, MBM/S regional secretary for Africa, is the only MBM/S employee currently in the country. He serves as a liaison between the agency and the national church. Tshimika works quarter-time for MBM/S. He is also employed in health and development work for CEFMC through its DESADEC organization, and works for a Christian nongovernmental organization based in Belgium.
AIMM has two missionary couples based in Kinshasa working primarily in leadership development. Both may discontinue their work by the end of next summer, and no replacements have been identified at this time.
Because CEFMC is healthy and growing, MBM/S funding will remain relatively stable over the next 10 years. MBM/S funds go toward evangelism, leadership training and social development (see sidebar). Given its worldwide mandate, the MBM/S Board has decided to increase funding for evangelism and church-planting in Asia over the next decade. It also anticipates a shift in program spending--evangelism programs will be decreased by 10% and leadership training programs increased by the same percentage.
According to Garry Prieb, AIMM's executive secretary, CMCo leaders determine how the AIMM subsidy will be spent, taking into account AIMM's historical priorities. A large amount is spent on the Bible institute, with additional money supporting the Theological Education by Extension program, Christian education, literature distribution, leadership training seminars and university scholarships. CMCo leaders also submit a list of special projects (church construction, educational seminars, medical projects and literature) which are funded by AIMM.
AIMM and MBM/S are also using their limited resources for relief work in Congo. "Given the terrible needs in Central Africa, I don't think we'd ever do enough," says MBM/S program director Dave Dyck. Currently, Congo receives more funds for economic development than any other country with which MBM/S works--nearly $140,000 US (including Canadian International Development Agency matching funds) for health and development projects. Dyck anticipates that MBM/S will increase its support of food-for-work programs as well as provide funds for purchasing relief supplies. Even though AIMM has historically funded spiritual ministries, AIMM has recently helped fund several CMCo medical projects.
Given the many members and spiritual health of the Mennonite churches in the country, many consider Congo a success story in Mennonite missions. The current challenge, say mission executives, is to develop a true partnership between North American and African believers. MBM/S and AIMM representatives agree it won't be easy. When Prieb, Dyck and MBM/S board chair Neil Fast visit Congo in January, 1998 to consult with local leaders, they will come as equal partners, Dyck says. But he realizes national conference leaders may leave the discussions with a different feeling. He wonders, "Do they feel that we consult with them or does it feel heavy-handed?"
Says Tshimika: "I look forward to the day when true partnership will not depend on how much money we gave or received from each other. That requires new ways of thinking. . . . I do believe that we are on the right track."
Connie Faber is assistant editor of The Christian Leader.
Planting seeds for a future harvest
Robert Nakasila Mbeo was trained in an agricultural college on a scholarship from the CEFMC. He now oversees agricultural projects outside the small village of Matende, 70 kilometres east of Kikwit. These include:
* A five-acre field of a new variety of manioc, which will produce food within six months instead of the usual 12 months.
* Recently cleared land where new fields of beans, maize and peanuts will be planted.
* A new corral for 20 head of cattle. The new stock will be "rented" to individuals who will raise replacements for cattle killed by soldiers during the war. Those, in turn, will be rented to others. The hope is to provide more protein for the local diet by helping villagers start their own herds.
* Three newly dug fishponds. Each will be stocked with 300 tilapia fingerlings. The fish will be harvested by hand after the water is drained.
The other Congo
It's the civil war North Americans know almost nothing about. In fact, most North Americans probably don't even realize that the Republic of Congo exists as a separate country from the Democratic Republic of Congo (the former Zaire). The only thing that separates these two nations--and their capital cities, Brazzaville and Kinshasa--is the mighty Congo River. Since June, two ethnic-political forces have been fighting for control of the Republic of Congo. In mid-October, the Cobra militia of former dictator Denis Sassou-Nguesso finally captured Brazzaville from the forces of President Passcal Lissouba. By then, not much of Brazzaville was left to possess.
About a mile or so across the river, the sounds of exploding mortar shells could be heard almost daily in Kinshasa. In early October, more than a dozen shells from Brazzaville fell in Kinshasa, killing 25 people, including 16 children. After Kabila ordered retaliatory shells fired into Brazzaville, Kinshasa was not attacked again, but the incident was a vivid reminder of the precarious nature of daily existence in this part of the world.
It also brought to mind the suffering of the many Brazzaville citizens who crossed the Congo River to find refuge in a camp established in Kinkole, outside Kinshasa. Built to accommodate 1,500-2,000 people, it had more than 30,000 by early October. The United Nations and the International Red Cross provided minimally adequate food and medical assistance, and Mennonites in Kinshasa, facing economic challenges of their own, were moved to help. Nzash Lumeya of the CEFMC, with assistance from Tshimika, has spearheaded efforts to coordinate prayer services, recruit volunteers and gather contributions of food, medicine, money and clothing. Lumeya also hosts a radio program of Christian witness and encouragement that is beamed into the camp.
The Mennonites of the Democratic Republic of Congo form three conferences: The Mennonite Conference of Congo (CMCo) has 80,000 members in 900 congregations in 57 districts. CMCo churches are found in the Western Kasai, Eastern Kasai, Bandundu and Kinshasa regions.
The Mennonite Brethren Conference of Congo (CEFMC) has 71,000 members in 400 congregations; Sunday attendance exceeds 100,000. The conference is divided into three regions, including the Kwilu and Kwango areas of the original Bandundu region, and the city of Kinshasa. Its headquarters are in Kikwit. CEFMC is a member of the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB).
The Evangelical Mennonite Conference of Congo (CEM) has 40,000 members and is geographically isolated from the other two. During the civil war of 1960, Mennonite refugees from Western Kasai found asylum in the Bakawanga area of Eastern Kasai and later formed the CEM. Since 1962, CEM has been formally independent from the parent body, AIMM. CEM now also works in the Western Kasai, Shaba, Upper Zaire and Kinshasa regions.
The three groups are far more similar than different--particularly on doctrinal issues. "There isn't really a difference," says Kumakamba Roussel, who works with all three groups as interim executive director of the National Inter-Mennonite Committee (CONIM). The groups share a common anabaptist theology and an approach to mission that integrates evangelism and social ministries. Congolese Mennonites, for instance, responded quickly in recent years to the needs of refugees who poured into the country when civil wars broke out in Angola, Rwanda and, most recently, the Republic of Congo. Churches have resulted from their humanitarian witness.
All three conferences see peace and reconciliation as an integral part of their witness. "We're known as partisans of nonviolence," says Muaku Kinana Sosay, a CEFMC leader in Kinshasa. Although CEM is currently embroiled in a bitter leadership division, the other two Mennonite conferences have not had serious conflicts. "In some (non-Mennonite) churches, there are even fist fights," Muaku says, "but we have our own way to solve conflicts. It's a culture of peace that we can preach to others."
Kumakamba Roussel says each of the three groups has individual strengths and challenges. CMCo and CEFMC have existed longer and inherited more resources when their mission partners pulled out in the 1970s. As a result, they have stronger medical and education programs. Economically, CEM may be the strongest; the Baluba people, who comprise most of the membership, are known as successful entrepreneurs, and CEM members tend to share more with the church. CMCo is the most geographically spread out--which is both a strength (for evangelism) and a weakness (for identity). CEFMC has more highly educated personnel and a better organized conference infrastructure.
With so many common ties, will the three groups ever become one? "The wish has been expressed," says Kumakamba Roussel, "but he notes that it could create more conflicts about power and leadership positions. Other practical issues (history, traditions and separate legal identities) also work against merger. The goal for the foreseeable future is increasing communication and cooperation.
Shared needs and opportunities are bringing Congo Mennonites together in a growing partnership. The National Inter-Mennonite Committee (CONIM) was created in 1987 to facilitate cooperation. Through CONIM, the three national conferences and a fourth partner, Mennonite Central Committee, have sponsored numerous seminars and consultations on Mennonite/Anabaptist theology.
Increasingly, CONIM is also taking a leadership role in coordinating projects. The most ambitious is the Great Lakes Project, a new church planting thrust in the Bukavu area along the eastern border of Congo. The project is an outgrowth of efforts by Mennonites in Congo to respond to the needs of refugees from Rwanda over the past two years. Because Bukavu is geographically removed from traditional Mennonite centres, and because the initial relief effort was shared, conference leaders decided to cooperate in the formation of congregations, too. AIMM, MBM/S and GAM (a lay organization for businesspersons in Congo) have joined CONIM as partners. To this point, the project entails a couple working on-site and a budget of $13,500.
Another emerging area of CONIM involvement is the leadership rift that has erupted in CEM--two independently selected leadership councils are vying for control of church affairs. CONIM, trusted by both sides, has become the primary vehicle to mediate the conflict.
CONIM is not without its own internal challenges. The greatest concern is funding. CONIM's $12,000 operating budget is evenly divided among the four partners, but only MCC has met its full obligation in recent years. The three conferences have not given anything this year, a fact that reflects economic realities to some degree but also raises questions about the seriousness of the conferences' commitment to CONIM's mission.
Peacemaker in the justice system
Leonard Lumeya is a lawyer by profession and a peacemaker by conviction. Professionally, he specializes in domestic conflicts and estates. By conviction, he focusses on protecting the rights of women, which are legally provided for in Congo but generally overlooked. "I feel it's a Christian vocation to help people fight for their rights," says Lumeya, who has been practising law in Kinshasa for 13 years. He often does so at reduced fees in order to serve those in need. He attributes that attitude to his education in Mennonite schools.
The son of a CEFMC pastor, Lumeya chose a different occupation than his father, but he feels they do a lot of the same work--converting people and then encouraging them to behave like good Christians. Unlike their counterparts in North America, lawyers in Congo are generally not rich. "Third-world lawyers reflect the economy of their country," he says with a smile.
Located in the capital city, Lumeya has found himself drawn to human rights issues, both during and after Mobutu's regime. He was a member of a political party that pressured Mobutu to recognize basic human rights. He also headed an association that monitored press coverage of human rights and other justice issues. Lumeya feels it is too early to tell whether Kabila will follow through on promises to protect human rights, but because Kabila benefitted personally from the work of human rights organizations--and may even owe his life to them--the new president seems more supportive.
Lumeya's interest in peace and justice spills over into his church involvement. As a lay leader in his congregation and as moderator of the CEFMC regional assembly in Kinshasa, Lumeya is called upon to mediate occasional conflicts within the congregations. He also handles the legal affairs of the conference. Lumeya's personal ambition is to be trained in peacemaking and someday launch a peace centre in Congo that would work not only locally and nationally, but also globally.
Leading with sincerity and warmth
Killing a dog is not the most severe atrocity ever committed in Congo, but the guilt it provoked was enough to bring Masolo Manunga to Christ. The dog did not die in vain. Masolo's conversion set him on a path of faithful and effective service as a teacher and pastor. Today, he is the general secretary of the Mennonite Brethren Conference in Congo.
"An evangelist came to our village and preached on John 3:16," Masolo recalls. "I tried to figure out how God could love someone like me who had purposely killed a dog. Killing a dog brought me to Jesus."
The same tender conscience characterizes Mosolo's leadership style today. More than for fiery oratory or an aggressive personality, he is known and respected for his sincerity and quiet warmth.
Masolo was teaching in Kinshasa when he sensed a call to the pastorate. It was a tough choice. Teaching provided a livelihood for him and his family; being a pastor probably wouldn't. "I felt inner pressure to quit teaching and give my life to serving God," Masolo says. He yielded to the pressure--with no regrets. "I've been happy in service," he says. During his 11 years (1973-84) as a pastor and area leader in Kinshasa, the number of congregations grew from 7 to 24. Masolo, who now lives in Kikwit, was elected general secretary in 1991. In that role, he coordinates the activities of the conference and serves as liaison and legal representative with the government.
MCC: From pipeline to facilitator
Mennonite Central Committee has seen its role in the Democratic Republic of Congo change in the years since the first volunteers arrived in 1960. In the aftermath of the civil war, MCC provided relief supplies and hands-on assistance to a newly independent nation. In many ways, the conditions of the country these days aren't much better than they were then. But MCC has chosen to be less of a pipeline for foreign resources and more of a facilitator of local action. Rather than material goods, MCC prefers to offer moral support--and advice, when asked--to a variety of church-related organizations and projects.
"We try to communicate solidarity by being physically present," says Bruce Campbell-Janz. He and his wife, Ann, MCC's country representatives in Congo, are the only North Americans currently serving on the team. MCC had as many as 17 adults on the team in the late 1980s. The number has dwindled primarily because of the changing nature of the work and partly because of the political instability of the region.
Aside from funding its office, one of MCC's highest funding priorities is the National Inter-Mennonite Committee (CONIM), but the lack of financial support from the three partner conferences may force MCC to rethink its funding strategy.
MCC plans to focus its future involvement on three key agendas: women's concerns, rural areas, and communication between conference leaders and members.
Students bear a "situation of misery"
If there is a way out of Congo's economic and political morass, it will be paved by education--at least, that's the conviction of many Congolese Mennonites. It is one reason numerous Mennonite congregations operate their own primary and secondary schools. The CEFMC, for example, sponsors 124 primary and secondary schools, involving more than 17,000 students.
But education is not an easy path to take these days. Supporting so many schools is an economic burden for the conferences. Teachers are seldom paid, and teaching supplies are scarce. In Kikwit, classes were cancelled because of teachers striking for wages--not higher wages, just wages.
It doesn't get any easier for students moving on to universities--which often occurs when students are in their mid-20s and have families of their own to support. Even when parents and extended family manage to scrape together tuition, most students arrive on campus with little or no money for books, supplies or living expenses. Many live in crowded and primitive dormitory rooms. Eating is a luxury. Some have to get up as early as 4:00 a.m. just to get a seat in overcrowded classrooms.
University life is a "situation of misery", says Noel Kuka, a CEFMC member who is studying counselling at a teacher's college in Kinshasa. Kuka is the institution's student body president and a leader in FEM, an inter-Mennonite student organization formed to provide spiritual and academic encouragement. "In other countries, students can work to support themselves," Kuka says. "Here, it's nearly impossible, given the unemployment." One goal of FEM is to start small businesses that could employ students, but it is a difficult goal to achieve because even basic enterprises like gardening require at least some capital for land and tools. Mennonite students wish the conferences would offer scholarships in areas other than theology--especially when the church desperately needs people trained in development-related fields.
Difficult living conditions make universities tinderboxes waiting to ignite. "There's a lot of violence on campus because people are suffering," Kuka says. FEM works to promote nonviolence and conflict resolution. When a soldier shot and killed a student early in fall and other students threatened retaliation, FEM members contacted the local military to help work out a peaceful solution.
The adversity students endure today would be more tolerable if they had a reasonable expectation of getting a job once they graduate--but they don't. Still they persist, placing their faith in a God who has provided for them to this point. "The world is difficult," says Kuka. "It's humans who must change the world. . . . We have no other place to go. But what is difficult is that we don't have the material means to change the world in a way we would like to."
Congo women expand their role
"The work God gives to the church is not just for men, but also for women." Mama Kadi says. As director of the CEFMC Women's Work program, Kadi spearheads what have been traditional women-to-women ministries in Congo: evangelism, Bible study and development projects such as literacy, nutrition and the production of domestic goods and dyed cloth.
As an evangelist and a teacher of theology, she also represents the future of Mennonite women in Congo: full partners with men in leadership, preaching and teaching. "God wasn't stupid when He created Adam and Eve," Kadi says with a mischievous smile. "He gave us all work to do."
The Women's Work program is organized in both the CEFMC and CMCo at congregational, district and regional levels. Literacy is a high priority. "Illiteracy is higher among women," Kadi says, "but the work of women in building the church is greater than men."
A more recent involvement is to encourage microcredit enterprises that can generate funds to support families, empower women and help support other Women's Work projects. By necessity, women are having to find ways to raise money for their own programs.
A related goal of Women's Work is to find and distribute appropriate technology to assist women in their enterprises. They need items such as mills to grind cassava, presses to make palm oil and deshellers for processing peanuts. Women's Work is also seeking scholarship money to train women in rural areas. In the CEFMC, women can train to be pastors, and they perform every pastoral task in the church except baptisms. But they have not yet been given congregations by conference leadership. Ironically, women say male leaders in the CEFMC are ready to change, but are waiting for their North American counterparts to take the lead. (Currently, the North American Conference of Mennonite Brethren does not allow women to be senior pastors.)
The church isn't the only place the role of women is changing. In the home, wives are by necessity becoming breadwinners because husbands are often without salaries. The change isn't easy for some men, but it has prompted many couples to rethink their relationship. "Wives are really partners now," says Mama Kadi. "Men are respecting their wives more, not treating them as inferior."
In the Congolese context, modelling a "partnership marriage" has a positive impact outside the home, too. In many families, the husband dictates all family decisions. In some tribal cultures, a woman doesn't even have the right to speak in public. Mennonite couples who model mutual love and sharing attract attention. It's a way Christian families witness in their neighbourhoods.
Worship: When there's nothing to give but yourself
The long, block building is only half-full when the morning service begins at Kikwit #2, the largest CMCo congregation in the city. Once the singing starts, though, it doesn't take long for the building to fill.
A children's choir kicks things off with several full-throated harmonies, hands clapping and bodies swaying. Before the service is over, several choirs of young and older adults will contribute too. Choirs are big among Mennonite congregations in Congo--they are a key way of attracting and involving young people in the life of the church. Those attenders who aren't part of a choir join in lively congregational singing. Some songs are familiar North American hymns translated into local languages; other choruses have a distinctly African sound.
When the offering is taken, everyone goes forward, one row at a time, swaying and clapping in rhythm. Even if they have no money to place in the basket, they still come forward--to give themselves.
At a CEFMC service in the Kimpwanza church in Kikwit, time is set aside for brief testimonies. One woman reports that she was ill, but now is "covered with health". Someone else gives praise for protection from a marauding gang. Another feels she is being tormented by demons and asks for prayer. The congregation eventually goes to prayer, murmuring petitions and praise.
Even the preaching is interactive. Admonitions from the pulpit are affirmed by "Amens!" from the congregation. Today the preacher speaks on unity and love. "Jesus showed love on the cross, so we should also love everyone," he says. "That's why we should help those who are suffering by sharing our food and clothing with them."
Their services communicate love and unity, but Mennonite congregations in Congo struggle with many of the same generational issues as their counterparts in North America. The old guard wants to uphold the traditional ways of doing church established by the missionaries. The younger generation pushes for more expressive worship, more involvement by women in leadership and more consciousness of tribal identities.
Despite their material need and the trauma of social upheaval--or perhaps because of them--Mennonite worship services in Congo communicate a faith that is strong, unified and vibrant. As one pastor put it: "The period of crisis we've been living through has helped us become strong spiritually. . . . It's persecution that helps us to know God better."
MB Missions/Services funds earmarked for Congo in 1997-98 (U.S. funds):
GENERAL BUDGET
Support services (office) $46,870
Evangelism and outreach $22,940
Leadership training $48,325
Social development work $138,722
TOTAL: $256,857
SPECIAL PROJECTS:
Church roofs $13,000
Women's ministries $7,054
Literature work $7,000
Emergency and medical funds $15,000
"Our objective is not to be well-liked, but to support people in their process of growth, whether they like it or not. In the short run, many persons would rather be dependent than alive and growing. So we can't just do whatever people say they want us to do. In the long run, persons appreciate the ones who help them grow, not the ones upon whom they have become dependent."
--A small, handmade poster on the door of the MB Missions/Services office in Kinshasa. (Original source: A rural development handbook published by the Melanesian Council.)
"Thank you for waking me up."
--A common Congolese prayer expressing thanks for daily life.
Cultural issues in Congo that challenge Mennonite church life, as listed by students of the International Missiology Centre in Kinshasa:
* Sorcery
* Tribalism
* Customs (such as polygamy)
* Second-class treatment of women
* Rise of other religions and philosophies, especially Islam
Two North American Mennonites, Mel Loewen and Ernest Dyck, are spearheading plans to create a "Christian Bank of the South"--to provide saving and lending services for individuals as well as for church-related projects. Organizers are in the capitalization stage, seeking investors in North America and Congo. "With three or four similar projects, we won't have to ask for money again," says Leonard Lumeya, a Mennonite lawyer in Kinshasa.
"Kinshasa la belle, Kinshasa la poubelle."
--A French play on words describing the deterioration of the capital city under Mobutu's rule. (Translation: "Kinshasa the beauty, Kinshasa the garbage.")
Hyper-inflation during the 1980s and 1990s wreaked havoc with currency in Zaire/Congo. When the exchange rate reached 500,000 zaires for $1 US, the Mobutu government issued new zaires (NZ) with an initial exchange rate of 3 NZs for $1 US. The inflation rate has finally stabilized, but not until the exchange rate had risen to 120,000 NZs for $1 US. Because Mobutu helped himself to the assets in financial institutions, people generally don't trust banks, and conduct almost all transactions in cash. That's no small accomplishment--it takes a stack of NZs more than a quarter-inch thick to pay for a restaurant breakfast.
One measurement of the potential wealth of the Democratic Republic of Congo is its mineral resources. The RDC produces 78% of the world's diamonds, 73% of its cobalt, 40% of its germanium and 15%-20% of its copper. Also in plentiful supply are gold, iron, tin, chromium, manganese, zinc, cadium and coal.
The RDC is home to the world's second largest rain forest (second only to the Amazon region of South America). Largely because of the RDC's poor transportation infrastructure, the natural resources of the rain forest generally have not been exploited.
Nearly 50% of the country's 49 million people are under 18 years of age.
Don Ratzlaff is editor of The Christian Leader
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