Congo's Clock

Typical Kinshasa street scene

Sometimes it feels like the clock stopped back in 1990 and nothing has really changed since. That was my first impression of Congo DRC this week during three days in its capital city, Kinshasa. The rundown, 1960’s-look of the Ndjili International Airport, the thousands of people lining the main boulevard into town, the slum-like dwellings everywhere except in the central city, the unreliable and inconsistent power and water service, the potholes and, of course, the policemen still using their authority to extort a “gift” from you in order to feed their families.

But after several days of interviews with a number of national church and mission leaders, I now know how much has changed.  And except for a few nice avenues being built by the Chinese, most of it is not good. From the days of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to the present, Congo has had a penchant for attracting strife, conflict and corruption. During the eight years my family and I lived here, the theme was president Mobutu’s incredible ability to line his pockets while keeping the rest of the country from enjoying its vast wealth. Unfortunately, Mobutu’s legacy lives on today in a myriad of mini dictators who use the “Wild West” nature of this country to personally profit from its mineral and natural resources.

On top of that, reports are rampant about the resurgence of the occult. The practice of “traditional medicine” has been around for centuries, of course, but leader after leader reports how much it is growing in the pop culture, especially among youth. Then there’s the new breed of missionary showing up everywhere with aggressive evangelistic methods--spreading the gospel of Islam! With ample funding from the Gulf States, these expats from neighboring northern countries are building mosques everywhere as well as hospitals, schools and universities with free tuition for all.

Meeting with Rev Nyamuke, national director of evangelism 

This has brought a new level of sober reflection from church leaders I have met with. “We cannot compete with Muslims’ economic tactics,” says Rev Nyamuke, vice president of the Eglise du Christ au Congo and national director of evangelism. “Instead, we must collaborate as never before to prevent the loss of impact and influence of the many Christian churches all over this land.” Leading the way, Nyamuke has helped author a comprehensive plan with five key strategies designed to unite all Protestant churches in evangelistic outreach endeavors while simultaneously strengthening Christian families and the 18,000 church-sponsored schools. Having interacted with a lot of church leaders in this country every since 1982, I have to say I’m impressed with this humble man and his strategic plan for breathing new life into the Church.  As I continue for another week in both Lubumbashi and Bunia evaluating the ministry service of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), I will definitely be thinking about how a strategic application of appropriate air service could become a key part of making this plan a success.

My good friend and former assistant in the MAF Kinshasa office, Bob Fish, used to say about Congo, “It’s all a game—and you lose!” Sadly, much of that commentary still seems to be true in this country. But with quality leaders like Nyamuke modeling both humility and vision, I believe God’s people here still have the opportunity to be true winners.