by Geoff Robson

Five years of brutal civil war, hundreds of thousands of Christians forced to flee their homes, and almost no churches to meet in around most of the country. Far from ideal circumstances in which to be working in Christian ministry, but these are the challenges faced daily by Bishop Masimango Katanda, Archdeacon Muhindo Isesomo, and the Anglican Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But while there are many desperate needs, both men say that God is at work in the strife-torn country and that positive things are still happening within the church.

Bishop Masimango, bishop of the Diocese of Kindu, and Isesomo are currently in Australia on a two-month speaking tour. As part of their visit, they will also meet with members of the Federal Government to seek greater Australian involvement in securing an end to the war and providing aid.

“We came here to remind our brothers and sisters that there are people in the Anglican Communion who are suffering, so please think about their needs and pray for peace in our country,” said Bishop Masimango.

While the war has been devastating, both men have seen people looking to God to help them through the challenges. “This is the positive side: the spiritual level,” says Bishop Masimango. “It makes an opportunity for us church leaders to talk to people – to challenge them. They can see the outcome of our sinfulness.

“Many people are turning to Christ because of the conflict.”

Both men speak passionately and openly about their own conversion to Christ. Bishop Masimango was baptised in 1970, but says he was not saved then. “I received Christ in 1976 during a crusade. Day by day I am transformed by Christ, and I am committed to him,” he says.

Isesomo also began his involvement with church life early in life, being confirmed at the age of 12. But he says it was years before he came to know Jesus for himself. “When I was 22 years old I went to a seminar run by Campus Crusade for Christ. That’s when I received Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord – on the 29th of July, 1979.”

Isesomo was appointed as the coordinator of evangelism for the Anglican Church in Congo in 1999. He travels the country training people for evangelism, as well as preaching the gospel – mostly to people displaced because of the conflict. Bishop Masimango has served in the Diocese of Kindu for five years.

The conflict in Congo began in 1997 when former President Mobutu’s regime was overthrown. The new leader, Laurent Kabila, was challenged by a rebellion beginning in 1998. Kabila was assassinated in 2001 and replaced by his son, Joseph, who has been unsuccessful in ending the war.

The conflict, now termed ‘Africa’s World War’, has seen nearly three million people killed – more than any other conflict since WWII – and hundreds of thousands displaced. Fighting is often violent and sporadic, with roaming gangs known to have destroyed whole villages and left the population either dead or forced to flee into the jungle.

Bishop Masimango, a member of the Peace Commission working to resolve the crisis, says the war in Congo is being fuelled by a thirst for power. “The country has been suffering from poor leadership for many years,” he says. “They are looking for ways to get rich for themselves, and they forget about the population. That is the reason why the war is going on and the people are fighting each other. It’s because of power.”

Congo has no mail service and no working banking system, and most of the country – including the city of Kindu, with around 200,000 people – has no roads, running water or electricity. Most parents cannot afford to send their children to school, with massive unemployment and no government funding for teachers. Isesomo says that people he met in Australian prisons have noticeably better living conditions than most Congolese.

Bishop Masimango says he has been unable to contact many of the churches in his Diocese for the last two years. Control of Kindu is currently divided between government and rebel forces, creating a dangerous division within the Diocese.

Archdeacon Isesomo’s ministry has also been much more difficult as he navigates through regions controlled either by the government or rival militia forces. He has witnessed first-hand the agony of many displaced people. “When people have to move from one place to another, this affects the church directly, because many of the people who have to move were church members,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Bishop Masimango says that serving God in the midst of suffering has helped him to grow in his faith. “It’s an opportunity to experience what the Bible says when it talks about suffering,” he said.

“In books like Lamentations or 1 Peter, it’s just theory when you read it. But when we are now in the field and facing difficulties and suffering, you come back to the Bible and read more, and you are very blessed. You are strengthened in your faith.”