2021 Equator and Oriental Annual Conference

The Equator and Oriental Annual Conference convened July 12-17 at Albert Dunga United Methodist Church in Kisangani, Congo. Officiating was Bishop Gabriel Yemba Unda, East Congo Episcopal Area.

Several political, administrative and religion representatives from the province of Tshopo attended. Among them were Beatrice Anganya Mango, director of the cabinet and acting governor of Tshopo, and Bishop Lotika Bangala Samuel, president of the Church of Christ in Congo, as well as representatives of other Christian and Muslim churches.

During the opening ceremony, Mango thanked The United Methodist Church for its ministry in Tshopo Province. She also expressed appreciation from Maurice Abibu Sakapela, vice governor of the province.

Collins Etchi Ako, a United Methodist Board of Global Ministries missionary assigned to East Congo, participated in the annual conference for the first time. Despite being on annual leave in Cameroon, he was grateful for the opportunity because previous efforts to attend were affected by cancellations of flights to Kisangani.

During the opening worship service, the Rev. Aaron Boluta preached from John 15:1-5. He focused on individual spiritual growth, as well as the conference’s growth after 100 years of evangelization in East Congo.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Unda dedicated the Nyota United Methodist Church in the Kisangani District, recently rehabilitated and equipped with modern musical instruments by the faithful of this local church. He blessed and dedicated the building to God so that everyone who worships will find peace and hope. The church is the result of a local initiative, the Month of the Lord. Each believer was asked to contribute one month of his or her salary or monthly income to support the vision of the East Congo church, which says, “Let us rise up and build with Christ.”

Unda and Mango presented microcredits to 20 clergy spouses to encourage local entrepreneurship, as well as reintegration and self-care kits to 30 women who successfully completed six months of training and apprenticeship at the Mama Lynn Center in Kisangani. More than 50 women began the training. Among them were clergy spouses, survivors of sexual violence, and stigmatized or abandoned women. They learned various trades, including literacy, pastry making, culinary arts, religion, sewing and soap making.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, precautions were followed. At the entrance to the conference hall, hand-washing devices were placed, temperatures were taken and masks were distributed daily to all delegates. Delegates recommended that all United Methodists in the conference strictly respect the measures taken by authorities at the country level to combat COVID-19 and other diseases.

In other action, delegates:

  • Maintained the stance on human sexuality, denying marriage between people of the same sex or between people and animals and requiring marriage as recommended by the Bible and in accordance with the legal provisions in force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo;

  • Asked each believer and leader to contribute financially to prepare for the centenary of The United Methodist Church in the East Congo;

  • Requested each faithful member to contribute $1 per month for the reconstruction of the episcopal area; and

  • Recommended that parents prohibit their children from engaging in armed groups and banditry.

One clergyperson retired. Membership stands at 152,775; worship attendance, 108,511; church school attendance, 3,156; professions of faith, 3,182; adults and young adults in small groups, 2,322; and worshippers engaged in mission, 1,227.

—Judith Osongo Yanga, director of communications, East Congo Episcopal Area