Can you name the 11th largest country in the world? Would it help if I said it is the second-biggest country in Africa?
If you’re still unsure, pull up a map of Africa and place a finger right in the center of this huge continent. Chances are you have found the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DR Congo for short. Probably, like the rest of us, you know very little about this country named after its lifegiving Congo River. Most of us are not aware DR Congo is a country of contradictions. It holds large resources of raw materials like gold, silver and diamonds, , while at the same time being among the poorest countries in the world.
Our denominational response to the Matthew 25 call to aid those less fortunate is lived out through the foci of strengthening worship communities, eradicating systemic poverty and combating racism. An old proverb states that a long journey is made step by step. And so it is that our partners in the Presbyterian Community of Kinshasa (CPK) in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are taking steps to improve formal education systems and provide life options that will lead to a more productive and healthy society.
The welcome of people forced to leave their homes to find a new place to live played a role in Jesus’ life and his teachings. Motivated by fear for their son’s safety, Mary and Joseph took Jesus and sought refuge in Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15). Jesus would later proclaim that in welcoming people we do not know, we welcome him (Matthew 25:35).
In response, Presbyterians across the country and around the world have been, and are, involved in welcoming refugees as our siblings and new friends. Louisville is no exception.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine late last month, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has committed rapid response solidarity grants to five ecumenical partners in Eastern and Central Europe addressing the humanitarian crisis created by the unprovoked attack.
Dr. Larry and Inge Sthreshley grew up in Congo. Larry’s parents were Presbyterian missionaries in the two Kasaï provinces in the south-central region. Inge’s parents were Methodist missionaries in the Katanga province in southern Congo.
Members of the Congo Mission Network (CMN), through relationships with Congolese partners, have witnessed the harm caused by corruption in the mining industry and were among those outraged by the reversal of U.S. sanctions on Dan Gertler, an international businessman with ties to former senior Congolese officials. Gertler has amassed hundreds of millions of dollars through opaque and corrupt mining and oil deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
For the second time in two years, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has played a role in research by Abbott Labs that may lead to a vaccine for HIV/AIDS.
