19.07.2023

“The Church is working at its limits!”

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Kavusa Kivatsi, President of the CBCA (left) and Bischof Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara, Moderator of the UEM (right). Photo by: Kambale Kahongya, UEM

“Let us join hands to support these people, both with material goods and also by finding a solution together, how we can end this war.” For Bishop Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara from Tanzania, Moderator of the United Evangelical Mission, this call is what he takes away from the visit.

From June 29 to July 4, Keshomshahara led a delegation of UEM. Together, six members of UEM’s leadership in Africa visited Goma in the eastern part of the DR Congo, where people have taken refuge from the war in parts of the region.

Keshomshahara comes to Goma knowing that he is visiting an active member church of the UEM Communion, the CBCA: Not only is the CBCA involved in the events and in the structures of the UEM Communion, but it also supports the Communion financially and with personnel. In advocacy work as well as in the medical field and in the leadership bodies: Henriette Kavuo Malinyota from the CBCA is a member of the UEM Council.

The delegation was welcomed in a celebration service in the city church of Goma and visited, among other places, the hospital of Virunga as well as the displaced persons camp in Kanyarutchinya, where the CBCA prevents malnutrition among children with an emergency programme. In conversation with the Governor of North Kivu Province, Major General Constant Ndima, Keshomshahara expressed his gratitude for the good cooperation between the CBCA and the authorities of the DR Congo.

When violence started to escalate, for CBCA it was clear: They support those in need out of solidarity. But, as Moderator Keshomshahara has lerned, they are at their limits now: “There are 400.000 refugees in and around Goma, but the church can only reach 100.000. You can see how the CBCA Church is overburdened by the big need of refugees. Therefore I appeal to the people in UEM member churches to contribute more for helping these people so that they can also feel as human beings among human beings.”

Keshomshahara is happy that the UEM is doing something to make a difference. For him, that is very important as part of UEM’s diaconal service that is commissioned by Jesus according to biblical witness:

“Therefore I continue to thank all of those who are supporting UEM so that UEM may be able to assist people in need in Africa, in Asia, in Europe.”

Here you find the call of Bishop Dr. Abednego Keshomshahara as a video.

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*CBCA = Communauté Baptiste au Centre de l'Afrique (Baptist Community in the Center of Africa)