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Welcome to the home page of the Congo Church Association!

The Association exists to help the Anglican Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire).

Latest News

It is with sadness that we report the death of The Most Rev Njojo Byankya Patrice (retired), Bishop of Boga (1980-2007) and first Archbishop of Congo. He was appointed Archbishop in 1992, when the Eglise Aglicane du Congo became an autonomous province within the Anglican Communion.

We are pleased to announce that the Rt Revd Henri ISINGOMA KAHWA, the Bishop of the Diocese of Boga, has succeeded The Most Rev Dr Dirokpa BALUFUGA Fidele to become the third Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Congo. The enthronement took place in Kinshasa on Sunday 9th August 2009.

The situation in Eastern Congo is dire. Bishop Bahati (Bishop of the Diocese of Bukavu) writes:

"Currently, over one million people (men, women, children) are living outside, in schools, in Churches and in some hospitable families. They don’t have water, food, materials, clothes, utensils and latrines. These people living in hardship are exposed to hunger, illness and death of some fathers, mothers and children. The Diocese of Bukavu is requesting an urgent spiritual, material and financial support from our partners and friends that will enable us to assist the people, so that they may provide for their basic needs. We request your prayer that peace may reign in our communities in particular and in the D.R. Congo in general."

Please help if you can. Donations (marked "crisis relief") can be made to the Association by post addressed to the Hon. Treasurer, whose contact details appear below.

The Semliki Crossing is a fascinating story of the lives of two people (Reg and Dorothy Palin) who went to Uganda with CMS in the 1930s. It contains a unique account of the church in the Boga area of the former Belgian Congo. The book is published online and is only available from www.lulu.com (£15.99 plus p&p). Here is a brief review by Chris and Rosemary Carey. Rosemary is a daughter of Dorothy Palin.

A Prayer for the Democratic Republic of Congo

O God, loving parent of all, comfort your children displaced, wounded or orphaned by conflict in Congo; and give the people of that country courage to seek enduring peace with justice and freedom, that their children might grow up without fear; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Adapted by Canon Ian Tarrant from a prayer in the 1998 Congo Swahili Prayer Book, written after the 1996-97 war.

Objects of the Association

  1. To advance the Christian Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  2. In partnership with the Anglican Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo to relieve poverty and to provide for the needs of refugees and the displaced.
  3. In partnership with the Anglican Church in the DRC and civil society there to promote and sustain schemes for peace and reconciliation, health, education and community development for the welfare and benefit of the population.
  4. To relieve poverty among the clergy and former clergy of the Anglican Church and the widows and dependants of any such persons.

Donations

Please support the work of the Association, either

1) as a one-off donation by cheque, payable to 'Congo Church Association', addressed to the Treasurer:

Paul Dickens, Hockliffe Grange, Hockliffe, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 9NL

or

2) as a standing order. The Treasurer can give you details.

Gift Aid It...

If you are a UK taxpayer, under the Government's Gift Aid Scheme the Congo Church Association can reclaim tax you have already paid on your gift. This means your gift will be increased by about 28 pence for each pound given, at no extra cost to you.

Please download and send the following declaration with your donation: Gift Aid donation form