A ten-person Mennonite delegation from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Quebec, Canada visited France and Switzerland April 1-11 to become better acquainted with each other and to continue the development of an international Francophone network under the auspices of Mennonite World Conference. Seven of the guests (five men and two women) came from the Congo, and three (one woman and two men) from Quebec.
French-speaking members make up 17% (approximately 200,000) of the global Anabaptist membership of 1,200,000. The largest number of Francophone Mennonites are in the Congo (185,000), and there are smaller numbers in Europe (France, Switzerland and Belgium), Canada, Haiti, and Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Togo and other French-speaking African countries.
Since 1997 French-speaking Anabaptists, with the assistance of Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee offices in Europe and the Congo, have been working at building a Francophone network. The April visit to Europe by delegations from the Congo and Quebec helped to move this dialogue forward.
In the spirit of Mennonite World Conference's Global Gift Sharing Project (GGSP), Matthieu Shimatu, executive secretary of CONIM*, lifted up the following gifts that Congolese Mennonites have to share with the world church:
- Unity in Christ. The Mennonite churches of the Congo are multi-ethnic but live together without conflict. They have learned to live together in spite of their ethnic differences.
- Organization. The Mennonite churches of the Congo are structured and well-organized. The three independent conferences, with a total membership of over 185,000, are linked together through CONIM.
- Evangelization. The Congolese Mennonites have pastors and evangelists available to help with church growth.
- Dynamic faith. Having lived through great difficulty, Congolese Christians have developed a solid faith. For example, before the rebels entered Kinshasa in 1998 the churches organized a day of prayer. At noon the whole city came to a stop, including the traffic, and all the people were on their knees -- Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals -- united in a common cause for 30 minutes. When the rebels entered the city, it was not the military that had fled but the general population that stopped them.
- Choirs. There are many choirs, including youth choirs.
Michel Sommer, editor of Christ Seul which is published by the Association des Eglises Evangéliques Mennonites de France, made the following observation about the delegations coming from the Congo and Quebec: "It was the church-to-church contact which gave a unique quality to this visit. The delegates who represented their respective churches met with representatives of the Swiss, French, Dutch, and Belgian national churches. This is different than contacts between individuals or between an individual and a church. It is also different than contact between a mother church and a daughter church, the result of the missionary work of a mother church. These contacts took place between sister churches.
"Church-to-church contacts beyond continental barriers are signs of hope. There are differences between these churches: differences of size, history, financial resources, culture, and theology. These contacts provide a way to talk about differences, but also to see what each can bring to the relationship with the other, to remember what unites us!"
René Eyer, driver of the minibus which took the guests to the places on their itinerary in France and Switzerland, was deeply impressed by the delegates. He later wrote, "Our Congolese friends surprised us with their spiritual riches, a thing full of promise. It is true that these riches cannot be bought. Our franc, though stable, can not buy them. Nevertheless our Congolese friends can help us to rediscover the riches of the Gospel, thanks to their simplicity, their directness and their childlike confidence and unwavering faith. Is it not precisely this the type of faith to which Jesus himself refers?"
— Larry Kehler, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, is MWC News Editor
MWC photo/Eleanor Miller
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"Shoe Brothers"
During a time of reflection at Bienenberg, the group's meetingplace in Switzerland, Congolese, Quebecois, French, Swiss, Belgian, and Dutch participants shared with each other. Information and prayer requests were exchanged.
Suddenly Yves Bourgeault, a member of the delegation from Quebec, stood up and said in his lovely singsong accent, "When I go home to Quebec, I would like to remember Fimbo every day. I've noticed that our feet are about the same size. I would like to trade shoes with you, Fimbo. Whenever I look at my feet, I will remember you."
Fimbo Ganvunze, a delegate from the Congo, was taken by surprise. And there, in front of the entire group, somewhat stunned but laughing in delight, the man from Quebec and the man from Congo exchanged their shoes; Fimbo's light brown leather shoes; Yves' black shoes.
They became such brothers in Christ that they are now "shoe brothers" -- a symbolic gesture of sharing and closeness between two peoples, two skin colors, and two cultures. Each one is now walking in the shoes of the other.
Phenomenal Growth
The Mennonite churches of the Congo (formerly Zaire) have experienced phenomenal growth, particularly in the last 15 years. Here are the membership statistics showing the growth:
1969 : 49,239
1978 : 59,548
1984 : 66,408
1990 : 112,906
1998 : 175,837
2000 : 183,040
* There are three main groups or conferences that make up the Mennonite Churches of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- Communauté des Eglises de Frères Mennonites au Congo (CEFMC): 76,640 members, 468 congregations.
- Communauté Evangélique Mennonite (CEM): 21,000 members, 160 congregations.
- Communauté Mennonite au Congo (CMC): 85,400 members, 522 congregations.
The three conferences together form the Inter-Mennonite National Committee (CONIM) with a total of 183,040 members and 1,150 congregations.
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