God is using the church in DR Congo to bring healing, reconciliation and lasting transformation to wounded communities. 

For over three decades, the district of Kibumba in the eastern DR Congo has been severely affected by armed conflict, forced displacement and deep trauma. Yet amid the shadows of war, a movement of spiritual restoration and practical aid is proving that fear will not have the final word. At the heart of this renewal is Rev Innocent Kwitonda and the ministry of St John’s Church, Buvira, where he is vicar.

Conversion and calling 

Rev Innocent’s commitment to the people of the Kibumba district comes from an intimate understanding of their pain. When he was just two years old, his father – a church pastor – was kidnapped during an outbreak of local violence. His family never recovered the body, and looters stripped their home of almost everything they owned.

By age nine, Innocent faced another crisis when he was sent home from school because his family could not afford the school fees.

“When I arrived home my mother was sick, I went into her room and I found an old Bible that my father used in his ministry,” Innocent recalls. “There and then, I made a personal oath with God: ‘Lord Jesus Christ… help me to study and when I grow up I will serve you faithfully and proclaim you in all nations.'”

The next day, God performed a miracle and a woman provided the money for his school fees. That answer to prayer sparked a lifelong calling. Innocent rose through Sunday school volunteering and leadership to graduate with distinction from the Lake Kivu Christian Centre. Since then, he has trained nearly 2,000 lay pastors across North Kivu, led 25 Portable Bible Schools and helped to plant six new churches. 

A church for others

For more than 30 years the population of the Kibumba region, north of DR Congo’s capital city Goma, have lived in a state of displacement, seeking refuge in Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps around Goma. “I was born in this area, and my life story is closely connected to the suffering and resilience of its people,” says Innocent. 

In response to this prolonged humanitarian crisis, St John’s Buvira chose to embody a church that walks alongside the suffering people. As thousands fled their homes, St John’s transformed into a sanctuary, welcoming war-displaced households and providing clean water, temporary shelter and essential supplies.

For Innocent, practical aid and the gospel are inseparable. The parish did not just offer physical relief; it offered spiritual hope to families who had lost everything. He quotes the teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer who describes a ‘Church for others,’ insisting that “the Church is only the Church when it exists for others.” 

Three new churches

After the M23 had taken Goma, a period of comparative peace allowed displaced families to return home and the community of Kibumba issued a plea to the parish of Buvira. Acknowledging how the church had stood by them during their suffering, residents asked for a permanent church presence to help them rebuild their lives, teach resilience and heal from war.

Since 2025, St John’s has planted three new churches in Kibumba that are growing steadily in both spiritual depth and community impact. These churches emphasise resilience, love, reconciliation and holistic ministry through their work in the communities around them.   

Women who suffered sexual violence and harassment are gradually rediscovering hope and dignity through biblical teaching, pastoral care and supportive fellowship. Children, who are especially vulnerable to the psychological effects of war, participate in trauma-healing sessions, educational activities and structured play that contribute to their emotional restoration.

Now studying for an MA in African Christianity with CMS while serving as the vicar of St John’s, Rev Innocent remains grounded in his core mission.

“Through all these experiences, we firmly believe that the Lord alone is the healer of broken souls,” says Innocent. “He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3) and the Church remains his chosen instrument to bring healing, reconciliation and lasting transformation to wounded communities.”

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DR Congo: Ebola

Please continue to pray for people in DR Congo, where the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus has now claimed over 3,000 lives. Pray for people to take precautions to help stop the virus spreading, for those who are sick to recover and for stamina for healthcare personnel, many of whom are being pushed to their limits. Pray for CMS partner Martin Gordon, Bishop of Goma, and churches across the country, as they support as many people as they can both spiritually and practically.

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DR Congo: Ebola

According to public health officials, DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak is now the deadliest in its history. The death toll and number of confirmed cases are climbing steadily. Several vaccines are in development – pray for this work to be sped up so that more lives can be spared. Pray for people to have the information they need to take sensible precautions and help stop the spread of the disease. And finally, pray for CMS partners on the ground who are responding to this urgent need.

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DR Congo: Ebola outbreak escalating

DR Congo’s Ebola death toll has jumped from 1,500 to 2,000 in the space of a week and the current outbreak is on track to be worse than the 2014–2016 outbreak (which killed more than 11,000 people). CMS partners in DR Congo write, “Pray for protection and healing for communities affected by the Ebola outbreak. Pray for healthcare workers, health facilities, community health volunteers, and ministry partners involved in prevention, awareness, treatment, and response efforts.”

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DR Congo: Ebola

According to the World Health Organization, the current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is now the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country. The official death toll is now over 1,500, though it is feared the true number may be higher. Pray for healthcare personnel as they care for the sick and do what they can stop the spread of the virus. Please lift up mission partner Martin Gordon, Bishop of Goma and his family, and CMS-Africa partner Bisoke Balikenga, who leads a peace centre in Bunia, at the heart of the outbreak, as they support those around them.

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DR Congo, Uganda: Ebola escalating

Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote on X this week that the current outbreak of Ebola is escalating at an alarming pace and may become the worst outbreak the world has ever documented. The death toll stands at 1,031 and counting. Pray for healthcare personnel in DR Congo and Uganda, who are doing everything they can to stop the virus spreading and to care for the sick. Continue to remember mission partner Bishop Martin Gordon and his family in Goma and our local partner Rev Bisoke Balikenga in Bunia, epicentre of the outbreak.

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DR Congo and Uganda: Ebola

“Continue praying for Bunia, where many lives continue to be lost due to the Ebola outbreak,” writes Bisoke Balikenga, a CMS partner who runs a peace centre in Bunia, DR Congo, ministering to people amid ongoing conflict in the country. The UN World Health Organization has this week reported that there are close to 2,000 confirmed cases of Ebola and that most new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission”. Stand with Bisoke in prayer: “Pray for quick containment of the Ebola outbreak, and for wisdom and strength for health workers to respond effectively. Pray for the peace centre ministry as the team continues to serve the community despite the many challenges.”

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DR Congo: Ebola outbreak and response

Please continue to pray for people in DR Congo, where the government has recorded over 1,500 cases of Ebola, including over 500 deaths. The World Health Organization reports that treatment centres are at saturation point. Mission partner Martin Gordon, Bishop of Goma, reports that scepticism around whether the disease is real has led to attacks on healthcare centres and medical workers. Pray for the church to continue to be at the forefront of the Ebola response, loving its neighbours, providing hope and signposting to practical help, and for the rapid development of a treatment and vaccine for this strain of Ebola (Bundibugyo).

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Africa: Ebola

Please keep the Ebola outbreak in your prayers. As of 22 June, DR Congo has confirmed more than 1,000 cases and 20 cases have been counted in Uganda. Pray that everyone who needs medical assistance will be able to access it, and lift up people living in fear and families who are grieving the loss of loved ones. There is a chance to “connect and pray” for Africa on Saturday 27 June at 11am. We will be joined by mission partner Nicci Maxwell, giving a perspective from South Sudan. Book via churchmissionsociety.org/pray-africa

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DRC: Ebola

Please continue to pray for the Ebola crisis. Our local partner Rev Bisoke Balikenga reports from Bunia, asking our prayers for the many traumatised people. So far the virus has not got into the internally displaced people’s camps, but outside them the local population is suffering badly.

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Video transcript

Hello everyone and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, CEO for CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring updates from three different edges of our world, stories of resilience, transformation and hope that your gifts and prayers are making directly possible.

First, we go to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where local church leaders are stepping onto the front lines of a critical health crisis. Then we cross the ocean to Brazil. For a mission story that happens to be very close to my heart. And finally, we’ll return to the UK to celebrate a remarkable story of community resilience and a grand reopening in Carlisle.

We begin today with a sobering situation unfolding in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The country is currently facing its 17th Ebola outbreak in 50 years, with over 1,000 suspected cases. And more than 200 tragic deaths already officially reported. The epicentre is in Ituri province, but confirmed cases have reached the major city of Goma and crossed borders into Uganda.

If you’ve kept up with CMS mission efforts in DRC, you’ll know this crisis is compounding severe humanitarian and political instability. Over 10 million people are currently living under the control of M23 rebel authorities. An ongoing conflict has forced the closure of local airports, severely restricting the flow of vital medical supplies and response teams. In these incredibly vulnerable, volatile spaces, the Church is proving to be a primary safety net and lifeline.

CMS mission partner Martin Gordon, the Bishop of Goma, reports that local churches are uniquely positioned to respond because they remain among the very few institutions truly trusted by the community. This local trust is a matter of life and death. Widespread public mistrust of health authorities has unfortunately fueled scepticism about the virus’s existence, even leading to two treatment centres being set on fire.

Drawing on their hard-worn experience, the Diocese of Goma is mobilising rapidly. They’ve already circulated vital pastoral guidance on tracking symptoms, introducing strict hygiene and sanitation standards. And managing medical referrals safely. Plans are also underway to equip local schools and churches with temperature screening equipment, launch awareness conferences for clergy and teachers, and partner with local journalists to actively combat misinformation. Because this involves a rare strain of Ebola, for which there’s currently no approved vaccine or cure, containment through community education is our most critical line of defence.

Bishop Martin is calling for urgent prayer for protection over health workers and wisdom for church leaders. To learn more and to stand with them, please visit our website.

Now let’s travel to Brazil for a story close to my heart about how the posture of mission is changing and the beautiful fruit of local leadership.

Many years ago my wife Rose, who is from Brazil, and I felt a call on our hearts to help protect vulnerable girls from exploitation. We founded Revive International. Now, when I had first arrived in Brazil as an 18-year-old gap year volunteer, a young local woman named Elise became my translator. She also joined our dining room table prayer meetings and eventually became Revive’s very first paid employee.

When the time came for Rose and I to move to the UK after 15 years, we faced a choice. Rather than bringing in another foreign leader. We chose to step back and entrust Revive entirely into the hands of Elise and the local Brazilian team. We wanted to intentionally dismantle the mindset that subtly implies that leadership must come from the outside. And when we told them, they burst into tears. Under Elise’s leadership, Revive has thrived. The team have listened to where the Holy Spirit has been moving, bravely transitioning the work away from large residential institutions or safe houses, toward pioneering a growing fostering service. It is a living testament to Psalm 68, which reminds us that God sets the lonely in families.

The same shift towards collaborative, locally rooted mission is beautifully reflected in story of CMS mission partners Stu and Rosie Bayford. During the seven years serving alongside Revive, they partnered with a local church to pioneer a community market in an underserved neighbourhood. Rejecting a dependency-heavy handout model, they built a system where local families could buy food at deeply reduced rates, preserving agency and dignity. The market grew into a thriving community hub, a space for shared prayer, parenting workshops and other seminars. Through these relationships, three local sisters came to faith and were recently baptised.

And just like Rose and I did years ago, as Stu and Rosie now return to the UK, they have handed full ownership of this market over to a dedicated team from the local church.

This is mission at its best, where all parties are listened to, working in genuine partnership, building up each other’s gifts, and stepping away so local leaders can flourish.

Finally, let’s return to the UK to see this exact same pattern of local empowerment and resilience at work. In Cumbria, the Carlisle Community Shed, a project involving CMS mission partner Gary Ion, has been a vital lifeline, connecting with people on the margins who are navigating loneliness or mental health challenges. Through practical, hands-on workshops, the shed provided a safe space for people to find community and purpose. And to explore faith in Jesus too.

However, in October 2025, the project hit a major financial roadblock and was forced to close its doors. The tools were packed away, the contents were moved into a storage unit, and the doors were locked. But the story didn’t end there. What followed was an incredible outpouring from the local community, refusing to let the space of hope disappear.

A powerful local outcry sparked a special fundraising campaign. Thanks to that local determination and prayer, the Shed recently celebrated a grand reopening. Gary shares that the new location is even better than before, featuring a spacious workshop, a dedicated social area with sofas and an indoor game space.

Thank you so much for joining me for these updates from the Edges. And for the prayerful and financial support that makes these breakthroughs possible.

Please consider sharing this video with your church, small group, or anyone who needs a reminder of how God is moving in our world today. Until next time, we are so deeply grateful for your partnership as together we follow Jesus.

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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DR Congo: Ebola outbreak

CMS-Africa write, “Pray for God’s protection over communities affected by the recent Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo and surrounding areas. Pray for healthcare workers, government authorities, churches and humanitarian organisations responding to the outbreak. Ask God for wisdom, adequate resources and effective containment measures to prevent further spread of the disease and to bring healing to those who are sick, and comfort to those who have lost loved ones.”

Read on the CMS blog how the church is responding to Ebola.

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