Caught in the Crossfire

Courageous Pastors

Posted on April 7, 2010

GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo – It’s amazing what God can do with seven men who are led by His Spirit and equipped with His Word. They can be like young David of the Old Testament going up against the giant Goliath.

Seven pastors of the Baptist Union of East Congo risk their lives to share the Gospel with rebel fighters terrorizing the people of their area. They form a group of specially-trained evangelists who go into the mountains where rebel factions hide.

“When God looks at the rebels, He sees people created in His own image,” says Pascal Ndiho, who coordinates this dangerous ministry. “God wants them to be saved and be His children.”

With each visit the pastors face death in order to share their testimonies, Bible stories and the Good News that Jesus loves the rebels and can forgive them of the atrocities they commit.

“The life of a rebel is very bad,” Ndiho says. “They do not do any good. They can never know peace, even among their own rebel partners.”

Elias Rutinda, who works with Ndiho, says, “After getting drunk and coming out of the bush after many months of fighting, the rebels come into the villages and act as if they have lost their minds.”

Simeon Ndayambaje, also part of the team, says rebels have threatened him. “I went into a rebel camp after the rebels had just finished fighting, and they were still in an aggressive mood,” he says. “They threatened me and made me leave.”

Ndayambaje tells of one time, however, when he was able to share the Gospel with a rebel. “For six years he raped women and children,” Ndayambaje says, “and because he never knew what sin looked like, he did not know that what he was doing was sin. So when I told him about Christ and that Christ knew about everything he was doing, he was very surprised. After realizing that God knew all that he did, he decided that he needed to accept Christ and change his ways.”

The rebel agrees. “When pastor Simeon came to the camp and started talking about Jesus, I began to listen very seriously,” he says. “After the pastor finished talking, I knew that I wanted to change my life. I was happy to hear what the pastor said, that God loved me and could forgive me. I had not had the opportunity to hear such words before.”

Ndiho explains: “At first a rebel does not understand how to know Jesus. He doesn’t know that Jesus loves him. But after he hears God’s words and how God has worked in our lives, he then begins to understand what God’s love means.” The transformation is dramatic.

Teammate Emile Nturanye says one man joined the rebels so he could return home and kill his stepmother. When Nturanye shared the Gospel with him, the man said he must first go kill his stepmother, and then he would accept Christ. “I told him about how God looks at sin,” Nturanye says, “and how even though his stepmother hates him, God loves him. We spent many hours together, and after realizing how much God loves him, he decided to change and accept Jesus Christ. He later joined a church.”

To date over 500 rebels have been baptized and are sharing their newfound faith with other fighters. Some form small Bible study groups and share the stories they learn from God’s Word. They stop committing atrocities and have even asked forgiveness from those they victimized.

These dramatic changes in rebels’ lives make all the danger and threats worth it for the seven Congolese pastors. One of them, Fidele Maboko, says: “When God sees one person repent and accept Him, there is joy in heaven. God is very, very joyful.”

A rebel says: “My life has completely changed. I don’t treat people like I used to and my old life is completely gone. After hearing the Word of God, I realize that there is much joy in Jesus Christ.”