Pray for the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, September 21, 2008

Pray for the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, September 21, 2008

Lectionary Text and Prayers for the DRC:  Matthew 20:1-16

Generous God, we thank you today for your call to work in the vineyard of your world. We are grateful for the mutual relationships that we are able to cultivate and develop with global partners through Global Ministries as we seek to be faithful to that call. We ask you to help us to see those partnerships as you see them. Today, we pray specifically for our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We ask your blessing on the work of the Church of Christ in Congo which brings together more than sixty Protestant denominations for common work in your vineyard. We pray particularly today for the witness of the Community of Disciples of Christ in the Congo, our close relative in the faith and we bring before you these specific requests for your Church:

  • We pray for the Be a Global Mission Region Immersion trip in which 8 Disciples Regional Staff are participating at this moment in the DRC with Sandra Gourdet and Bob Shebeck. We ask you to bless the dialogue and specific visits to Disciples in Kinshasa, Mbandaka, Ikengo, Bolenge,  Boyeka and Monieka
  • We pray for the programs of the Church of Christ in Congo that are seeking to address the abuse of women as weapons of war through rape in the Eastern part of Congo
  • We pray for justice in the use of the natural resources of the Congo particularly in the areas of the extraction of Coltan for our cell phones and the destruction of the rain forest for wood products in the global economy
  • We pray for the programs of the Community of Disciples of Christ in the Congo particularly in the areas of education in both urban and rural settings, healthcare and specifically the construction of the new pediatric wing of the Bolenge hospital, pastoral training through the portable schools and food security projects such as the Ikengo farm
  • We pray for the Protestant University of Congo as it seeks to develop strong leaders for the country

(Prayer by Sandra Gourdet and Bob Shebeck)

Global Ministries International Partners in the DRC:

  • Church of Christ in Congo: is the ecumenical Christian organization that brings under one umbrella more than sixty Congolese Protestant denominations. Global Ministries has been in partnership with the Church of Christ in Congo since its inception and was one of the founding members of the organization through the Disciples of Christ. This Christian organization is even more relevant today than ever before.  After a bloody war that counted more than 4 million deaths, countless rapes and traumatized survivors, the people of Congo look to the church for its leadership in national reconciliation and peace.   Core values of the ECC are reconciliation, justice, peace, struggle against corruption, and respect for human life.  It also encourages the mentality of power as a service to others and not a privilege reserved for self interest. The Women’s Department recognizes that women are that part of the population who are the most affected by the war.  They are also the ones most easily manipulated by politicians and predators.   Therefore the Women’s Department is determined to be engaged in the reconstruction of the country on principles based on love and forgiveness, respect of human lives and values as well as good governance. http://ecc.faithweb.com/
  • The Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo (CDCC): was founded in 1889. The church has been affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States since its inception.  The church functions with 22 ecclesial regions located in the Equator, Bandundu, East Congo, Lower Congo and Kinshasa regions.  Its 358 congregations serve 650,000 members.  The church has 6 general hospitals, 9 maternity centers and 42 functioning health centers. The communities where the congregations are located are confronted with many socio-economic problems.   They are all struggling from the effects of a civil war that included the involvement of surrounding countries as well as some international involvement.  Health care, education and development programs suffered greatly during the war and during years of systemic corruption before the war.  One of the devastating effects of the war has been the rapid increase in the number of HIV/AIDS patients, particularly in the Equator with more than 7 million inhabitants and where the largest numbers of Disciples are located. 
  • The Protestant University of Congo, Kinshasa: is a church-related institution with four colleges, [Business, Law, Theology, Medicine.] The enrollment for the academic year 2006-2007 is over 5000 students. It is the outcome of a century-long effort by the various Protestant missions and the Congolese “Eglise du Christ au Congo [ECC]” to provide university level education, in a Christian environment, to Africans from any nation, but principally in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  All nationalities and faiths are considered for enrollment.  The goal of the university is to provide university level education for all enrolled National and International students, and prepare them to serve the needs of their community and the African Christian Churches. http://upcpublicrelations.org/

Global Ministries Missionary in the DRC:

None at the moment