Kirche Christi im Kongo - Presbyterianische Gemeinschaft im Kongo

(Eglise du Christ au Congo - Communauté Presbytérienne du Congo, CPC)

The Presbyterian Community of Congo was founded by the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (now Global Ministries of the PC USA), which started work in Luebo, in the central part of Congo (Kasai region) in 1891. The church became fully autonomous as the Presbyterian Community of Congo, member of the Church of Christ in Congo.Concentrated in the two Kasai provinces (East and West), the CPC has spread to other parts of the country, e.g. Shaba in the southeast where it started an evangelism project in 1988. The CPC took on a role as mediator in conflicts that severely affected its communities in East Kasai and Shaba during clashes in 1992-94. In 1996 the church leadership intervened with efforts for reconciliation and successfully negotiated with officials solutions to these conflicts.

The church is actively involved in evangelism, education, health care, women's ministries and community development. In West Kasai it runs 150 primary and 52 secondary schools, most of which are in the rural areas, and a teacher training college, the only one in the region. In East Kasai its 200 schools were confiscated by the authorities. The department for Christian education coordinates efforts for church leadership development, laity training, Sunday school programmes, youth ministries, religion in schools, literacy programmes and church choir promotion. The CPC carries out its health ministries and pastoral care for the sick in six hospitals. The evangelism department is responsible for establishing new churches and assisting weak presbyteries, and oversees several regional evangelization projects. Community development activities take place in both rural and urban areas. The project for development in East Kasai is a comprehensive effort focusing on agricultural production, training, water resources and community action. The CPC has a printing press, a bookstore and a radio ministry. The department for women and families, while keeping evangelization as a primary goal, is providing training opportunities for women in health, nutrition and development. Women form the majority of the church members. About 25 percent of the pastors are women.

Together with the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa the CPC operates several institutes for ministerial training. The Reformed Theological College of Kasai has become a Presbyterian University with two faculties: theology and law. The CPC is a founding member of the Protestant University of Congo in Kinshasa. The headquarters of the CPC are in Kananga.

Last updated:01/01/06