DRC (MNN) — In a corner of the world where most people run for safety, a small team of Christians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is doing the opposite — running into danger, displacement camps, burned-out churches, and villages scarred by decades of conflict.
“The suffering of the people is so huge,” says Pastor James Byensi, founder of Rebuilders Ministries, and a partner of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). “Someone needs to be there to be alongside and to give hope. Not everyone is supposed to run away.”
Violence has surged again. The UN estimates around 200,000 people have recently fled M23 fighter attacks in South Kivu province, and at least 74 people have been killed.
(Photo courtesy of MAF)
Rebuilders Ministries launched in 2019 with a simple mission: restore what war has taken. Pastor Byensi says, “In a war-torn country, and especially our country, many churches are being burnt down and destroyed, so we rebuild those and schools as well.”
Peacebuilding in a War-Torn Country
However, the ministry’s service in eastern DRC goes beyond physical restoration.
“The main work we do is evangelism and discipleship,” he says. “The second one is peacebuilding in a war-torn country like the DRC.”
To reach these scattered and sometimes dangerous communities, Rebuilders Ministries relies on MAF. With rebel groups blocking most major roads, MAF flights allow Pastor Byensi and his team to move safely between regions that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Pastor James Byensi, left, flies with MAF pilot Ben Samuelson, right. (Photo courtesy of MAF)
Information is also part of the repair — a critical lifeline where rumors and propaganda feed the fighting. Pastor Byensi says Rebuilders Ministries provides “constructive communication through the radio station and social media that we have. We try to broadcast real information in the midst of all fake news and all kinds of propaganda that happens.”
The cost of staying is steep. “Personally, with my family, we have undergone a lot of threats, including being evacuated out of our own house very quickly for over 45 days.”
Worth the Risk
Still, Pastor Byensi says the risk is worth it to see the spread of the Gospel in the DRC.
“The first thing that keeps us motivated is the call that the Lord has placed on our life…. Once He has called you, He gives you grace and strength to pursue the call and do it as He really wants. But the second thing is definitely praying as we depend on Him, on His guidance, on His strength day-by-day.”
Pastor Byensi urges, “We need prayers for our brothers and sisters suffering in the Congo, in this displacement, hunger, and death every day…. So our [global Christian] brothers, we request them to pray, to advocate and give wherever they can, and support whichever cause their heart and the Holy Spirit may lead them to.”
Learn more and consider supporting Rebuilders Ministries at lesrebatisseurs.org.
Header photo courtesy of MAF.
