When the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s East-Central Africa Division (ECD) came up with the vision, some time ago, of the ECD Homecoming 2024, it was an exciting moment. Church leaders and members throughout the division and Africans in the diaspora were widely invited to join the “Call to Unite and Evangelize.”
What church leaders and members from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) did not know is that they would have to deal with the reality of many members who now have no access to their home. No one could have prepared for the eventuality of the millions of internally displaced Congolese in eastern Congo, an area that has had multiple armed conflicts since Rwanda’s genocide in 1994.
As of April 2024, the DRC had 7.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs), mostly located in eastern Congo, with more than 80 percent fleeing from armed conflicts. Most of them are part of almost 20 million people from the three most affected provinces in eastern Congo: Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. Among the IDPs are many Adventist brothers and sisters.
According to various sources on the ground, the situation gets worse and worse each passing day. Kasereka Muthavaly, dean of the theology department at Adventist University of Lukanga in the North Kivu province, reported, “There is a disaster that is developing; we don’t know exactly what will happen tomorrow.” Even worse, this is one of the forgotten armed conflicts in the world, as the conflicts in that region do not have as much media coverage as others in various countries.
Eastern Congo is known for its agricultural and business population. However, with more than two million refugees who fled to the DRC from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, since then armed conflicts have never stopped. According to Global Conflict Tracker, “Since 1996, conflict in eastern Congo has led to approximately six million deaths.” Some sources put this number at more than eight million. Eastern Congo is an area that 20 million people call home. This is where Homecoming was supposed to happen for hundreds of thousands of Adventists.
The majority of people in eastern Congo live in rural areas because of their agricultural activities. “The current situation in the North Kivu province is beyond comprehension,” said Joseph Sindany, a member of a local Adventist church in Butembo, the second largest city of the North Kivu province. Rebels create chaos in rural areas so that they can harvest the produce and commercial products such as cacao, which they sell to support their criminal activities. The production of agricultural produce has significantly decreased, which makes everything more expensive.
There are massive migrations from rural areas to the cities. Cities such as Butembo, Beni, and Goma (in the North Kivu province) are full of IDPs because the cities are considered safer than most neighboring towns and villages. Among the IDPs in Butembo, there are also pygmies, well known for their life in the deepest forests of the DRC. No one in the current generation has ever seen pygmies flee to the cities before, since in the past they have been known to be comfortable and safe with their jungle life.
According to Muthavaly, the faith of many church members is challenged. “If God is so good and so powerful, why can’t He stop these massacres?” they ask. These are not unusual questions when people go through calamities and catastrophic situations like this anywhere in the world. Mental health challenges are expectedly common. Many pastors have fled and now live in the cities. They cannot continue to shepherd their flock in the rural areas. According to North East Congo Union Mission (NECUM) secretary Kahindo Kyusa, “It is difficult to provide spiritual guidance to church members in red zones due to unending conflicts and closure of our churches.”
Traveling from one village or town to another has become a deadly risk in many parts of eastern Congo. For the same reason, the NECUM president had to move to neighboring Rwanda, where he has been living for a long time. He has no choice but to lead at a distance.
Due to the current situation, many Adventist churches are closed. Some Adventist schools operate on and off as well. Many church members are among the IDPs. “It is not easy to visit and preach to the IDPs because entering IDP camps means everyone expects to receive help from the pastors,” Kyusa said.
Basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter are daily challenges. Poverty is felt everywhere, and the cost of everyday necessities rises constantly. Most income-generating activities have been disrupted for years. As a result, tithes and offerings have significantly decreased. All this is tremendously affecting God’s work in eastern Congo in general.
Despite these challenges, some local Adventist churches have organized and currently continue to support IDPs. For instance, in Butembo, church members regularly contribute used clothes and shoes, as well as meals, to distribute in various IDP camps in the city. Sometimes, when local Adventist churches are able to provide hot meals, they invite IDPs to go to church for free meals and to attend church services. This help is given to all IDPs no matter the religious affiliation of the people in need.
According to the statistical data from NECUM, which covers the epicenter of most of the armed conflicts in eastern Congo, God’s work in three conferences was terribly affected during the Homecoming 2024. The North Kivu Field planned 300 evangelistic sites; only 95 were operational. Instead of the goal of 9,300 baptisms, only 972 were baptized. In Central Kivu Field, leaders planned for 670 sites; only 243 were operational. Instead of the target of 7,533 baptisms, they had half (3,325). In the Kibali Ituri Mission, in the north of the NECUM territory, 177 sites were planned and 124 were operational. This resulted in 5,777 baptisms instead of the 6,055 projected.
A comparison of the three regional conferences reveals a clear impact of armed conflict on church growth. “While we thank God for the newly baptized members and the ongoing work in that union mission area, we must also acknowledge and pray for the people of eastern Congo,” stated Kyusa. For over three decades, eastern Congo has endured ongoing conflict, with each year bringing intensified challenges. Many Adventists in the region hold a strong hope for Jesus’ imminent return, yet they continue to face hardships and uncertainties. Prayers and practical support remain essential for them to navigate each day.
The original article was published on the Adventist Review website.
