Making a difference in the DR Congo

Stimulating is the word that captures the essence of my experiences in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The smells, sights, transportation, conversations – literally everything pushed the boundaries of my comfortable life here in beautiful British Columbia. Six of us were sent to Kinshasa by Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford as part of the church’s 40th anniversary celebrations. We partnered with the Congolese MB churches in a renovation project on the campus of the Christian University of Kinshasa (UCKIN).

The mission project was a small way of demonstrating that we care about the difficult circumstances Congolese believers face due to warring factions and economic hardships in their country.

The Bakerview team (at left, pastor Michael Dick, Murray and Faith Nickel) with the administrative staff of UCKIN, in front of classroom building.

Mission is one of Bakerview’s core values and the church has been active in the Congo for most of our 40-year history. Bakerview members Murray and Faith Nickel are current MBMSI missionaries serving in medical work and leadership development in Kinshasa. Prior to returning to Africa in Aug. 2004, Murray took me for coffee and shared his vision for facility upgrades at UCKIN.

In addition to the academic disciplines of theology, economics and medicine at the university level, UCKIN has an educational program for preschool through grade 12. The university, jointly operated by six denominations, has an attendance of approximately 1,500 students.

Murray asked if Bakerview could commit to funding renovations on several campus buildings, originally constructed by his father Jake in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As I reflected on Murray’s challenge, the concept that we could adopt a major mission project as part of our upcoming 40th anniversary celebrations emerged. I shared the idea with church staff and council, and we began to pray about whether God would have us step out in faith and commit to such a substantial project.

The council shared the idea with the congregation and after further research, reflection and prayer, the church agreed to commit $120,000 for renovations on the UCKIN campus. In addition, we agreed to send three teams of people to encourage and work alongside Congolese labourers over the next year. This mission project became the major focus of our anniversary celebrations.

We began fundraising in Mar. 2005 and by the conclusion of our anniversary services on Thanksgiving weekend, had surpassed the $120,000 goal and had sufficient travel funds for the first group.

The team was on-site Oct. 13–30 to renovate the grade school building – a row of eight elementary school classrooms. Our team learned patience as we communicated through interpreters, waited for materials and adjusted to working in temperatures in the mid-30s C with high humidity. The Congolese learned new skills as they worked with the power tools we had brought – and left for them to continue using.

During these two weeks we removed an existing roof, made bricks, raised walls a metre so the classrooms would have more headroom and better ventilation, built 25 trusses and worked on electrical rough-in.

On our breaks we toured the city, and on Sundays we visited area churches. We were impressed by the determination and vision of church and university leaders to improve their situation, but recognized their scarcity of resources. Teachers and pastors often serve with little or no remuneration and supplement their income through other work. Their resourcefulness and commitment to serving the Lord is truly an inspiration. I commend them for maintaining educational and church programs, and planting new churches.

In addition to renovating the grade school building, the funds we have raised will be used to repair, upgrade and repaint numerous other buildings on-site. Our second team is preparing to go Mar. 14–27, 2006 and a third team will travel in July 2006.

—Michael Dick, lead pastor at Bakerview MB Church.