Congo-Kinshasa (MNN)–Skirmishes in the Democratic Republic of Congo are threatening to bring down the country’s struggling peace accord.
According to the reports, warring factions are stoking tensions in the country’s volatile east.
Such activity typically scatters the innocent civilians, making continued outreach, training and other ministry exceedingly difficult.
Grace Ministries International’s Sam Vinton says their teams haven’t been directly affected by the violence, but it does have an impact: “I have heard of nothing that affects our work. It just continues to cause doubt, but this type of thing of course, would hamper that, so we have to start over again, trying to figure out how we’re going to get these people together.”
Vinton says, remember those who are training to be church leaders, and others with vision. “We have to continually put these people before the Lord. I think as men and women, made in the image of God, fellow believers in Christ, many of them there, that the Lord will work, maybe use some of them to be the catalyst in bringing back change.”
Five GMI missionaries currently work with the national church organization in the areas of evangelism, church planting, education, medical work, and community development projects.
Church leaders are being trained in the Bible college, the Pastors’ School, and sixteen Bible institutes. A large medical center was recently built in a Muslim area, and the first church has been planted in an unreached people group.
One teacher training college, 27 high schools, and 130 grade schools are run by the national church. More than 400 churches have been planted in this country.
