On Friday I hopped on a small six-seat airplane and flew to a small village in northern Congo called Banda to assess the food needs of the area. Banda is an old mission station which was established in the early 1900s and up until very recently was one of the main Biblical training centers for the Zande people group. We had planned on spending only a few hours there due to security concerns but thanks to a pole in the airstrip and a dent in the airplane wing we ended up spending the night. While there, I had the privilege to visit with local pastors and church leaders.
Northern Congo is experiencing the fast encroachment of Islam in the form of businessmen from Sudan and nomadic cattle herders from the Sahel region of Africa in search of better pastures. Areas that were once strongholds of Christianity are crumbling in the face of civil strife and the economic strength of Islam’s curriers. The infrastructure of the church such as hospitals and schools has been decimated by civil war and years of neglect and the church does not have the capacity to rebuild such structures as they struggle to make ends meet on a day to day basis. The battle is being waged for hearts and minds and it is being lost because those with the capacity to strengthen the church in its time of need have packed up, gone home and settled for worldly comforts. I will put it more plainly – If missionaries with the capacity to assist the church and its structures do not return to Banda within the next year we will have lost that village to Islam and the spiritual battle to reclaim it for Jesus will be one hundred times more difficult.
The time for missionary tourism is over. It is time to return to the call of the Glorious King – the call to carry the cross and follow. Early missionaries to Africa packed their belongings in coffins because they knew they would die in their commitment to spread wide the fame and glory of Jesus. Africa and Congo in particular do not need two week mission trips or even two year mission trips; Congo needs men and women committed to following the King with their lives. The church is suffering world-wide because in Africa we have allowed traditionalism and false teaching to infiltrate the beautiful truth of the Gospel and in the West we have allowed money, political power, relativism and endless theological discourse to choke out the wonder of following Jesus the King no matter where he may lead. We have become pathetic disciples, unaware of the privilege we have been given to carry wide and far the love, hope, joy and fame of Jesus. We are too content in our “safety” when we could be enjoying the fellowship of sharing in Christ suffering. Oh, that we would know Christ and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings!! (Phil 3)
Several months ago I heard an Egyptian pastor speak on Hebrews chapter 12. Verse one of chapter twelve talks about throwing off all that hinders us and running with perseverance, or endurance, the race marked out for us. The pastor explained that in his Arabic translation of that verse the word perseverance or endurance was translated “jihad”. In the last decade the world has become all too familiar with the ramifications of the term jihad and the commitment that it inspires among Muslims but Christians have been far too slow to commit in kind to suffer and die for their King. The “great crowd of witnesses” that went before us understood commitment to Jesus and it is now our turn to respond to His call. We need multi-talented, multi-national, kingdom-loving individuals to answer the call to strengthen the church in Congo.
When I left the US three years ago my plan was to return after only a year or two to go to grad school and many of you have been asking when I will return. Up until two days ago my answer would have been that I will return sometime in the next year but now that I have seen the church in collapse I have no desire to one day stand before my King and tell him I went to gain worldly knowledge while there was Kingdom work to be done. I am not saying grad school is bad – we need expert doctors, teachers, pastors, lawyers, pilots and radio technicians in Congo – but I cannot leave while there is no one else to stand in the gap. I cannot waste my youth when it enables me to serve my King with eagerness and vigor. The urgency of proclaiming Jesus love and goodness cannot be understated.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with “jihad” the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Heb 12:1-3
Encouraged, convicted, challenged, and am now left wondering. This morning I read Mark and Jesus’ parable of the seed and was left with an oh-too-familiar stirring to act on desires and stirrings of years past. I am fearful of the scorching winds and choking weeds and desire to be poured upon and refreshed by our Lord’s rain. The seed planted many years ago is being watered by your call and plea and I (as well as my wife) will pray on what this sprinkling of new life means for us; thank you for our hard and honest truth. I will pray for you, the land, and the people.
Man, thanks for this. I knew your parents at Nyankunde in the late 80s. You were quite young, obviously. Awesome raising of Christ’s banner for the people of Congo. And raising awareness. And raising higher our standards for service. Bullseye.
I have been praying about whether God wants me to go to east Africa. Are you with Samaritan’s Purse?
You are right on… this is what I have been struggling with over the last few months since I returned to the U.S. after spending a month at Adi in October. I also spent some time with your folks in Uganda before heading home. Like I recently wrote your Dad, it gnaws at my soul to get in the game. I wake up in the middle of the night to pray for the church in Congo. This letter lays it on the line, more churches need to hear it and understand that people are still dying for the sake of the Gospel. We will be at Adi June 15 to about July 2nd then heading down to Nyankunde to see the Dix’s. I am praying to be back out there working and on the front-line with you soon.