Well-known Pentecostal pastor (center) is baptized into Seventh-day Adventist Church during evangelistic series preached by Debbie Maloba, ECD WM director (second from right)

Outreach.

Women-led evangelistic series converts five pastors from other Christian churches

After his baptism, a Pentecostal pastor, well-known from his national television show, is confronted by his anger (former) church members and his wife.

East-Central Africa Division (ECD)

[Democratic Republic of the Congo] “Why were you lying to us all these years in your sermons?” demanded angry Pentecostal church members of their (former) pastor now baptized into the Kinkole Seventh-day Adventist church of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (also known as Zaire from 1971-1992).

“Brethren,” he replied, “I taught you what I knew was the truth. I was ignorant, but today I have discovered that something was missing, and I now know the Truth. Nobody will persuade me to go back. On the contrary I invite you to join me.” The preacher is well-known in Kinshasa from his national television show.

Influenced by the angry Pentecostal church members, his wife declared a divorce. The Adventist church members counseled her and prayed with the couple. God worked in her heart and three weeks following the evangelistic series which concluded with her husband’s baptism, she was also baptized. Today they enjoy a happy family.

Women’s Ministries leaders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo selected Kinkole Seventh-day Adventist Church to host the Total Member Involvement (TMI) evangelistic series for several reasons. This 9-month-old congregation with 90 members is located in an area of high-level poverty and is the only Seventh-day Adventist presence in that district. And the women of the church, enthusiastic about TMI projects, were ready to take on this challenge.

More than a hundred guests attended the evening meetings, July 6-21, 2018. The featured speaker for the two-week series, Debbie Maloba, director of women and children’s ministries for East-Central Africa Division, focused her evangelistic sermons on the series, “New Beginnings: A Revelation of Hope.”

Women’s Ministries organizers received support from twelve women and eleven young adult church members to prepare for and work during the women-led evangelistic series. These committed people spent three weeks at the site, working by day and sleeping at night—one week before the evangelistic series and two weeks during the evening meetings. Early each morning, 5:30 A.M. – 6:00 A.M., the volunteers prayed for the evangelistic series and experienced a spiritual revival. They visited with interested people and gave Bible studies later in the day.

As a result of this loving service, 87 people accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Among 35 baptized at the end of the series were five pastors from other Christian denominations, four married couples, and some prostitutes.

God also used children who asked to be taken to the meetings. One five-year-old boy named David, invited his parents. They attended and experienced God’s love through the message and requested baptism on the last Sabbath.

Although the congregation is new, and they face the same challenges of poverty, health, and education as does their community, women members are active. God used these women to touch many people and lead others to baptism.

Activities that supported the evangelistic series

Community services: Community services, such as free medical checkups conducted by ADRA, were organized at the site. Patients received free treatment.

Distribution of shoes: More than 1,500 pairs of shoes were distributed to children who were orphans, who came from poor families, and who had special needs.

Book distribution: More than 100 books (Bibles and other books) were given to visitors and the newly baptized members.

Kindergarten school organized: A small kindergarten school opened following the TMI evangelistic series with the purpose of helping children grow in their faith, particularly children from the newly baptized families, but also the community of Kinkole which does not have a Seventh-day Adventist church school.

The kindergarten will serve as a tool for continued evangelism in Kinkole and its surroundings. The vision is to continue adding elementary and secondary schools. As people read this report, it is hoped God blesses donors who are touched with the need to grow the school.

“We thank the Almighty who used us and enabled us to reach that community, to give them hope, and to bring them back to Him,” writes Maloba.

Contributed by Debbie Maloba, women's ministries director for East-Central Africa Division

Published in Mosaic newsletter, 2018 Q4, Fall issue