Home
Congo Church Seeks to Navigate Troubled Waters
BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (January 19, 2000) - There is reported progress in the effort to develop new strategies to help the Church of Congo (CEUM) navigate the difficult waters of political unrest and civil strife that have plagued the country the past several years.
Covenant missionary Robert Thornbloom participated in planning sessions involving leadership from both CEUM and the Evangelical Covenant Church, describing the discussions as encouraging. In the accompanying photograph, three pastors lead other local church leaders to greet visiting Covenanters. 
The past few months have been difficult for Congolese church leaders and their congregations, Thornbloom noted, including the southern part of Ubangi where fighting has continued. An interim plan was needed to help the church deal with various problems until stability fully returns. Such a plan was drafted by Jim Gustafson, executive director of World Mission for the Evangelical Covenant Church, and communicated to the Congo church leadership during the several days of discussions.
"I think the (Congo) church understands how it will relate to the Covenant during this interim period, and they're relieved and enthusiastic about how they'll move into the new millennium," Thornbloom said following his 11-day visit. "The groundwork has been enthusiastically accepted by the church," he said. "The transition from dependency to interdependency has been clearly communicated and understood by both sides and the church feels really comfortable with the new program."
The meetings followed a five-week trip by CEUM leadership that covered all 28 regions of the CEUM. It was the first time in two years such a trip was possible and, while leadership spent just one day in each region, the insights given were valuable and the sacrifices by leadership to their
people were significant during a difficult period, Thornbloom reported.
The planning meetings came at a good time for the Congolese, whose nation has been ravaged by war. Many have lived in makeshift shelters in the forest and have lost everything they had due to rain, termites, fire and other conditions. Malnutrition among children is increasing. Obtaining supplies has been made more difficult by deteriorating roads, placing an increasing strain on trucks. In some instances, military actions have destroyed important transportation networks, such as the bridge pictured here. A shortage of fuel is also causing problems, Thornbloom noted, although some have managed to use palm oil instead of diesel fuel to keep vehicles operating.
Covenant Church of Congo President Gbuda Luyada reports that in the eastern region of the CEUM, many still lack decent clothing. Sometimes there will be only one presentable shirt to be shared between husband and wife, which is worn by the person who is leaving the home. Others have no clothing. Thornbloom observed that some individuals did not attend meetings in the Eastern region because they had nothing to wear - some of the pastors attempted to send shirts and other clothing to those who had need so that they could attend as well.
For pastors, the moral and spiritual concerns are many. The population still has a great fear of the war and many are asking how needs such as food, clothing and shelter will be met. A lack of bibles and songbooks in Lingala are also a concern. Although some are available at the port of Kinshasa, high storage costs and taxes make them more difficult to obtain.
Another issue for the church in Africa is a financial one. "The war has left the church financially bankrupt," Thornbloom said. "The economy and infrastructure of the country is completely destroyed, even the monetary system has changed many times. The government has outlawed use of foreign exchange - now it needs to go through the central banking system."
Thornbloom doesn't expect an overnight turnaround for the people of the CEUM, but he left the meetings feeling uplifted by the consensus of the leaders and Gustafson. Now comes the difficult work of stabilizing a community that has been decimated by war.
"What it comes down to is that the Covenant Church in Congo is living a day-to-day, hand-to mouth existence," Thornbloom said. "The hope is, as 2000 begins and people are returning to their homes and villages, that the church will be able to provide hope and encouragement. The mobility of the clergy to come close to their church family is the highest priority," Thornbloom continued. "The living conditions will not change much until peace and stability arrive, but the feeling of family and commitment to each other will be a giant step out of the depression and despair, which has been prevalent for the past several years."
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
