DR Congo: Ebola cases reach 10,000

Since declaring a public health emergency in May, the latest Ebola outbreak has already become the deadliest in the history of DR Congo, with more than 10,000 cases and 5,000 deaths, mission partner Martin Gordon reports. Financial aid and medical equipment are now arriving in eastern DRC, but it took a long time to mobilise for an epidemic that is spreading far more quickly that previous outbreaks. It is now in 8 of the 26 provinces of DR Congo, and there are cases confirmed in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. There is still no known treatment, and the various vaccines in development are not likely to be available until early 2027. Please pray for God to slow down the spread of this terrible disease and for a vaccine to be developed quickly.

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DR Congo: rebuilding schools

In Goma, Ngangi Primary school is currently undergoing extensive work including the rebuilding of 12 new classrooms, an office and toilets. The 1,000 students have now returned to school and mission partner Martin Gordon asks for prayer for the school teachers as they start the school year in challenging conditions.

Please also pray for the 50 school chaplains – that they would have a clear vision for serving the schools and preaching the gospel. Finally, please pray for continued funds to rebuild and rehabilitate the schools in the Diocese of Goma.

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DR Congo: tragedy amid ongoing conflict and Ebola epidemic

Please pray for friends and family of CMS-Africa partner Etsegeri Emmanuel, who tragically died this week following a road accident. Pray for God to comfort and strengthen his family, colleagues and others who are mourning his passing.

Please pray for peace and stability for people in areas of DR Congo affected by conflict and insecurity.

Pray for the population as a whole and for healthcare workers especially as the DR Congo continues to battle the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. The disease continues to spread rapidly and the death toll is now close to 4,000.

Pray for the disease to be contained, for those affected to receive the care they need, and for healthcare workers to have the resources to respond effectively.

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DR Congo: Ebola outbreak continues

Please pray for the people of DR Congo, where the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record continues and over 7,000 cases have been recorded. Worst hit is the north-east corner of the country, where CMS partner Bisoke Balikenga leads a peace centre. Pray for Bisoke and others at the peace centre as they do their best to serve all those who come to the peace centre for help. Pray for people to take precautions to help stop the spread of the disease, and for the outbreak to come to an end quickly.

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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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