Communauté Mennonite au Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Translate page into: español, Deutsch, français, Bahasa Indonesia, Kiswahili, 한국어, Nederlands, 日本語, 中文, português

Language:

English

Communauté Mennonites au Congo
Location	Democratic Republic of Congo
Date established	1911-Congo Inland Mission begins 1971-CMC became independent
Presiding officer	Adolphe Komuesa Kalunga, president
Church members	109,000
Number of District Congregations	157

History

The Communauté Mennonite au Congo traces its origins to 1911, when the first North American missionaries associated with the Congo Inland Mission arrived in Congo, during the period of Belgian rule. In subsequent years hundreds of missionaries were sent to oversee CIM’s eight mission stations, which were centers for education and health ministries. Congolese catechists and translators were primarily responsible for evangelism and church planting beyond the confines of the mission stations.

Rising dissatisfaction and frustration with the colonial system led to revolution and national independence in 1960. The missionaries, under pressure from authorities and fearing for their safety, left the Congo within a span of two weeks following independence on June 30. Although many in the church felt abandoned, it proved to be a formative period in developing Congolese leadership, as church members assumed new responsibilities. Even after the missionaries returned, Congolese continued to make decisions collaboratively with North American colleagues. The Communauté Mennonite au Congo became fully independent in 1971.

Expansion from the rural areas into the cities followed independence, leading to greater contact with Pentecostal and traditional renewal movements. Throughout these changes church planting and evangelism have remained central.

Resources on AnabaptistWiki

• 100 Ans de Mission Mennonite en République Démocratique du Congo: Témoignages des Apports Locaux 1912-2012
• Tshidimu, Franck Mukendi. Le Centenaire de la Mission mennonite au Congo-Kinshasa (1912-2012), cas de la 27ème Communauté Mennonite au Congo. Quelle vision?
• The Jesus Tribe: Grace Stories from Congo's Mennonites 1912-2012 (A Project of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission)
• Sélections des archives de la Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM)

External Links

Issues of Congo Missionary Messenger and AIMM Messenger, 1929-2004