An Interview with President Reverend Théophile Duale Langba
Recently, President Reverend Théophile Duale Langba and his wife, Josephine, were welcomed to Chicago by the Paul Carlson Partnership (PCP). President Duale, who serves in an advisory role on the PCP Board of Directors, has been president of the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) since 2020. Renée Hale, executive director of PCP, sat down with him to ask about CEUM’s ministry.
How would you define the mission of the Covenant Church in Congo?
The mission of the church has three dimensions. There’s the prophetic dimension. We must bring people to Christ. This vision is a priority. We can’t shrink from this mission. The church needs to be a light for the world.
The second aspect of the church’s mission is pastoral. People who come to the church need to be guided through the preaching of God’s Word. Pastors need to play a leadership role. For that, pastors need to be trained in order to enhance their abilities so they can perform the work of a pastor, shepherd, and leader.
The last mission is a royal mission. The gospel must be holistic—concerned with the well-being of the whole person. The church must be involved in community development. This mission started with the arrival of missionaries. When the missionaries came, they preached the gospel, there were hospitals, and there were schools. We need to carry on with this ministry.
Why is the partnership between the CEUM and the Evangelical Covenant Church important?
Partners work hand in hand. We benefit from the experiences of others to better fulfill our mission. Two is better than one.
Other donors have abandoned us. We no longer have a medical and development partner except for the Paul Carlson Partnership. Our medical structures are surviving thanks to PCP.
Impoverished children, who have poor parents or no parents at all, have had their lives changed because of the sponsorship and work of Covenant Kids Congo and World Vision.
What is the biggest challenge the CEUM is facing right now?
When I started as president in 2020, we were going through a multidimensional crisis. Internationally, the Covid-19 pandemic was raging. There was also a national crisis within our country, both politically and economically, that affected the Congolese people and the whole church. With poverty and hardship, life has become hard. Social issues affect people’s spiritual lives.
Prayer is the most effective weapon to help us overcome the challenges we face. Please pray that our gospel is holistic. When we bring people to Christ, we must also seek to improve their living conditions.
Can you tell us about the bridges between Karawa and Bogose Nubea? Why are they important?
For years, the government tried to fix the bridges. They couldn’t do it. Some provincial representatives tried to fix the bridges. They couldn’t do it either. But the church came and built the bridges with PCP partners. People are really happy.
It is an enormous event. These bridges have opened up communities to transport goods to Kinshasa, and vice versa, goods coming from Kinshasa can pass through Bogose, which is where our hospital is. My village is five kilometers away from this bridge. We benefit the most from this bridge.
How has the sale of Karawa Coffee impacted people’s lives?
Coffee was once one of the biggest trade products in the Karawa region. But at some point, coffee prices on the global market dropped. Then bushfires destroyed the coffee crops. The Karawa Coffee Project with PCP, Café Africa, and CEUM came together to support farmers. Now there are many farmers, and they have formed their own associations and a federation. Others are starting to plant coffee. I am also a member of this project. I have planted two hectares of coffee.
Why is clean water so important in DR Congo?
It’s a paradox. From a hydrological perspective, the Democratic Republic of Congo has many rivers and there is a lot of water. We have a country with many rivers, but we consume unclean water.
With PCP and the drilling system, we take clean water directly from the source, and then we can give clean water to the population. We don’t just drill near health centers. We go into the population. World Vision is doing this and it is good, but there are still many who continue to consume unclean water. We thank God for where we have already drilled, but the project must continue.
What can you tell us about the medical work in the CEUM?
When Dr. Paul Carlson died during the rebellion in 1964, I was six years old and we were in Karawa. When they brought his body from Kisangani, Gemena, to Karawa, I saw how people cried. He is buried with us. He could easily be forgotten, but his legacy lives on through PCP.
PCP currently supports the medical work in the CEUM. We have four main hospitals and one secondary hospital. We have 70 health centers that we manage jointly with the state and 42 community health centers. It is not just the patients that PCP care for; they provide social care too. Building bridges, and providing clean water—it’s caring for the population.
The new malnutrition stabilization center has come just in time, as the Karawa area is suffering from severe malnutrition. Our daughter, Dr. Nadine, works there. She tells us that she still encounters severe malnutrition all the time. Even with support materials purchased with the help of PCP, they’re swamped right now. People know there’s a malnutrition center, and they’re bringing the sick ones there. For kids suffering from malnutrition, it’s making a difference. Malnutrition is severe everywhere in the region.
Finally, could you share any words of encouragement to American pastors and leaders?
To American pastors, I thank them. It’s through their work that our donors contribute. Their work is crucial. They raise awareness through God’s Word. I say to them, “God sees your work. And it is God who will reward you.”
I can see what the Covenant Church and the United States, in general, are going through. We have just gone through the trial of Covid-19. We know it affected many families in your country. When we heard the death toll, our hearts went out to you, and had compassion for you. We too were affected by Covid, but you were hit really hard. I know you’re struggling to recover. Pastors have a huge job. They need to uplift and strengthen the faithful after this pandemic.
Yesterday, I sang a hymn in Lingala that says, “When I’m tired, I find strength by looking at the cross of Jesus Christ.” North American pastors, Covenant pastors, North American leaders, and Covenant leaders must find strength in Jesus Christ. We have no other source of comfort, no other source of strength than Jesus.
