Martin and Anthea arrived in Goma in eastern DRC in August 2020 after a 5 month lockdown in Kigali, Rwanda. Goma is on the shores of Lake Kivu and on the border with Rwanda. Anthea is working with Tearfund and Martin with the Anglican Church. Their three children go to a French-speaking international school.
Goma and the surrounding area in eastern DRC have seen significant conflict in recent years, first with the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 and then with the First and Second Congo Wars between 1996 and 2003. Goma has a population of between 1 and 1.5 million people, including many refugees.
Anthea and Martin Gordon - DR Congo
Call
To support the Diocese of Goma in their mission of proclaiming Christ and living as he did.
Role
Martin is currently Vicar General of the Diocese of Goma, sharing the pastoral and administrative oversight of the Diocese with Archbishop Masimango. He also focuses on education and theological training. Anthea has a regional role in Programme Funding for Tearfund.
More about Anthea and Martin Gordon
Martin was ordained in 2010 and his role is working with the Diocese of Goma in mission, education and theological training. The diocese has a focus on teaching, healing and pastoral care – ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the population.
Anthea has worked in international development for 20 years and has a regional role in Programme Funding for Tearfund. Tearfund has a significant presence in Goma with a largely humanitarian focus.
The Anglican Church of Congo is strongest in the east of the country. It owes its origins to the Church of Uganda and has been strengthened in the recent past by Christians from other East African countries. It has grown more quickly from the 1970s, following independence, and became its own Anglican Province in 1992. It has a strongly indigenous feel with a focus on working with the poor. The Diocese of Goma is the newest Diocese, formed in 2016, with Bishop Desiré as the first bishop until his sudden death in July 2020.
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