Christ’s Birthday Offering Benefits Churches in Congo
Christ’s Birthday offering, an annual appeal at Christmas, asks donors to send an offering in the amount of the year (e.g., $20.09) that Church of God World Missions uses for emergency situations.
Thanks to the donors who sent in support through the Christ’s Birthday offering, money has been sent by World Missions to the churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo to aid starving people. This mission of mercy allowed the churches in Kiwanja, Nyanzale and Kichanga to buy rice, beans, palm oil, salt and maize flour, staple foods for the Congolese.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is located in Central Africa and less than three percent of the land is suitable for growing crops. The country also suffers from a high prevalence of AIDS, with 1.1 million people, or 4.2 percent of the population, battling the disease. While Christianity is a strong presence in the country, there are still many people who practice Islam and indigenous religions.
Through the food distribution ministry, under the guidance of church leader Kambale Kibi, many families were blessed in this very poor country. The Democratic Republic of Congo has a GDP per capita of only $300 a year, the second lowest in the world.
Ongoing strife and corruption have made it nearly impossible for the outlook to change.
At Kiwanja, many of the church members had to flee to the forest for security, and the church is keeping their share of food until they return. The eastern part of the country, where most of the feeding ministry has taken place, is still seeing fighting from the Second Congo War, even though the war was supposedly ended by peace accords in 2003. The conflict is the world’s deadliest since World War II, killing 5.4 million people, mostly due to disease and famine.
People are still dying in the Congo at an estimated 45,000 per month. Almost half of those are children under the age of 5. Even with efforts to rebuild the country following the war, the death rate has not declined. Although prospects remain dim, the mission of mercy and feeding program has touched thousands of lives.
Thank you for reaching out and supporting those in need with your donations and support. Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Africa.
Justin Rose, Media Projects Associate
© 2009 Church of God World Missions
