The Mennonite Brethren Church in the Congo

The history of the Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches of the Congo (CEFMC) begins with the story of an individual from North America who obeyed the call to serve God in the Congo. The story soon becomes intertwined with the stories of many Congolese who served the Lord Jesus Christ in environments full of political, social, and economic struggle. In the past several decades the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been characterized by numerous political conflicts and wars. It is estimated that more than five million people lost their lives between 1998 and 2007 because of wars. Meanwhile the whole world watched the situation with seemingly total indifference. In spite of the difficult conditions under which the Congolese live, the CEFMC has become one of the largest national conferences within the global Anabaptist family of faith today. The factors that have contributed to this fast growth include Bible and Christian literature translation, training of village evangelists, medical work, and the establishment of Bible, primary, and secondary schools.