In 1922, Titus Johnson—a Bible college graduate with a heart to serve in Africa—arrived in Congo. He began learning Lingala, a local trade language, while using the gifts God gave him to serve the people in the Ubangi region and share the gospel.

Today, the Free Church of Congo (known by the acronym CECU, Evangelical Community of Christ in the Ubangi) has well over 1,000 local churches, hundreds of thousands of believers and members and an active mission outreach themselves.

Throughout this momentous centennial celebration of God's work in Congo, we are calling EFCA churches into deeper partnership with ministry in Congo through three different means:

Through prayer, financial partnership, resourcing, mission trips or ownership of a special project in Congo, members of the Consortium will develop long-term ministry relationships with our brothers and sisters in Congo. Joining the Consortium will have an impact on your church, too, as you build relationships with national partners and identify ministry opportunities that align with the unique gifts and values of your church.

We also pray for collaborative partnerships among members of the Consortium as we share in the joy of seeing disciples raised up, churches planted and ministries established in Congo.

As a member of the Consortium, you'll be invited to participate in two in-person gatherings per year. ReachGlobal leadership will share regular ministry updates as well as facilitate opportunities for members to participate in missions trips or support other specific needs in Congo. Cross-cultural ministry relationships can be challenging. Experienced ReachGlobal staff will help you navigate ministry relationships and opportunities identified through the Consortium.

The radio station. In a country where internet access is uncommon and literacy is declining, radio is the best medium for reaching the masses. But radio stations in Africa that provide a healthy variety of gospel-centered content are hard to find.

In cooperation with SunSet Solutions, we have come up with a strategy to install the equipment needed to reach most of northwestern Congo and train staff on the scheduling and development of content, as part of a network of Christian radio stations across Africa.  

Tandala Hospital. The provision of medical care as ministry in Congo began shortly after the arrival of the first missionary. The 220-bed Tandala Hospital is currently the primary option for care for a population of over 1 million people.

Currently, the hospital is in desperate need of more beds and mattresses to care for an increasing number of patients. We are hoping to raise funds to purchase more hospital beds so that Tandala can increase its capacity for patients.

GlobalFingerprints, the child sponsorship ministry of the EFCA, was established in 2006 to help churches serve orphans of the AIDS epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. God has allowed GlobalFingerprints to expand to an additional 11 countries and touch the lives of nearly 4,700 children, their families and communities. 

They send children to school and help care for their physical, spiritual and emotional needs. All of this happens through the ministry of local churches around the world who want to see lives transformed.

This year, GlobalFingerprints opened a new site in Congo in order to serve more children. You can support ongoing ministry in Congo through child sponsorship.