In August, 2005 Evangelist Emanuel Tabu and his 9 person evangelism team traveled south using public transport to the Bunia Area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The team traveled in a convoy under UN military escort. The team left Yei, Sudan on August 15 and returned on September 17.
The team spent most of their time in ten locations on the outskirts of Bunia, and 11,300 people indicated decisions for Christ. The JESUS Film was shown in the Lingala and Congo Swahili (or Kigona) languages. The Hema, Alur, and Mulendu tribes were primarily reached. Approximately 60% of the new believers had been animists and 2% had been Muslims.
During this trip the team conducted discipleship training mainly from Matthew 23. Most of the teachings were on how to be a true disciple of Christ. Some of the subtopics are listed below:
- All disciples of Christ are brothers and sisters serving one another.
- No individual disciple or group of disciples is above another. All Christians are members of one tribe under the Lord.
- There is no priestly class between the Lord Jesus and His disciples. The Lord Jesus is the only mediator between God and man.
- Disciples are not to seek important titles that are motivated by their desire to elevate themselves above others.
- Disciples are not to set up human rules and regulations for other disciples to meet so disciples can judge other disciples using these human rules.
- Disciples must be God pleasers.
- Humble service and not worldly recognition is a fruit of a disciple.
Other discipleship teachings were on Christian ethics and how we should be a church full of servants. Disciples must see themselves as servants of others and of God.
Regarding follow-up, the new believers were handed over to the Community Evangelical Church of the Congo and the Pentecostal Church of Congo. The three churches in Bunia that our teams planted in June 2004 changed their affiliation to the Pentecostal Church because the Pentecostal Church is better prepared in this area to help them grow in Christ. The evangelism team distributed 400 bibles in the Lingala language.
