Serving as a Reminder of God’s Love in North Eastern DRC

Chronic instability and ongoing conflict have caused severe poverty in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ongoing challenges include insufficient food sources, malnutrition, poor access to quality health care, political instability, tribalism, and the proliferation of rebel groups.

Infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV are widespread, and the prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease is increasing. Within the church, evangelism has been emphasized much more than discipleship or the pursuit of justice for the oppressed.

In 2021, there was a major battle between the Congolese military and the local tribal rebel group leading to all missionaries and most Congolese evacuating Nyankunde. The DRC team had been located in Nyankunde from 2015-2021. After a period of watching and waiting, it seemed best for the team to not return to Nyankunde due to ongoing insecurity, but to establish their ministry in a close by city, Bunia. In January of 2024, after extensive evaluation, Serge agreed for part of the DRC team to return to work in Nyankunde. Currently the team has two locations: Nyankunde and Bunia.

The Serge DRC team, in both Bunia and Nyankunde, provides medical care under the authority and in partnership with a local Congolese mission, Centre Medical Evangelique. Along with direct medical care, they collaborate with a local medical school so that they can be involved with training Congolese doctors. They value care for the poorest of the poor, so at both sites work to subsidize prices and provide free care for indigent patients like the thousands of internally displaced persons by war in the region. This team is also committed to evangelism and discipleship, and strives to become embedded in the local community, building relationships with neighbors.