“The Lord your God will bring life to Congo!”
The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.(Deuteronomy 30:6,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | Africa
Population | 5.54 million
Area | 342,000㎢, Located on the Atlantic coast of west-central Africa.
Capital City | Brazzaville (2.63 million)
People Groups | Total 71 groups, Kituba(Bakongo) 33.7%, Teke 10.8%, Mbochi 10.2%, Sundi 4.2%, Lingala 4.1%
Unreached People Groups | 1 (0.2% of the population)
Official Language(s) | French, Lingala
Total Languages | 71
Bible Translations | Completed 13, New Testament 12, Partial 21
Religion | Christianity 85.5% (Independent church 13%, Catholic 45%), Ethnic religions 12.6%, Islam 0.6% Evangelical 14.6% (790,000 people)
》 About Congo
The Republic of Congo, once known as the Kingdom of Kongo, became known to Europeans through Portuguese explorers. It was colonized by France in 1885 and gained independence in 1960. After independence, a socialist one-party state was established, and from 1968 to 1991, the country was ruled under a communist dictatorship as the People’s Republic of Congo. In 1992, democratic elections led to the ousting of President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who had ruled for 13 years, and a civilian government was formed under the new name Republic of Congo. However, civil war broke out again just five years later, and Nguesso returned to power. The two-year conflict devastated the capital and much of the southern region, leaving thousands dead and over 300,000 forcibly displaced. A peace agreement in 1999 brought relative stability, but Nguesso continued to consolidate power, winning a third term in 2016 and maintaining his authoritarian rule for over four decades.
Economically, the country is rich in oil and minerals and has vast agricultural potential, especially in its tropical rainforest regions. However, development is hindered by poor infrastructure—only 13% of roads are paved—limiting transportation and access to resources. Although Congo is one of Africa’s top oil producers, it heavily relies on oil for about 40% of its national budget. Recent drops in oil prices and resource depletion have worsened economic conditions. When the government failed to pay public sector wages, widespread strikes erupted in healthcare and education. In 2017, the country turned to the IMF for support, but transitioning from its long-standing socialist system has proven difficult. Today, more than half the population lives in extreme poverty.
Congo’s GDP per capita is approximately $1,679.
》 Scripture Focus
| Deuteronomy 30:1-4, 6, 8 (NIV) 1 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, 2 and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. 6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 8 You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today. |
》 Prayer Points
1. Christianity makes up around 85% of the population in Congo, with Catholics accounting for nearly half. Evangelicals represent about 15%, or roughly 790,000 believers. However, many believers live out a faith that is mixed with traditional animist practices, and heretical teachings—both foreign and local—have caused spiritual confusion. Many pastors, faced with poverty and instability, have left for other countries. There’s a pressing need for strong, biblically rooted leadership training. Ministries such as UWM, CMA, and the Haggai Institute are training future leaders through theological schools and extended biblical education.
Let us pray for a true heart transformation among nominal believers, that they would turn from idolatry and embrace the living Christ. May God raise faithful leaders who love Him wholeheartedly and obey His Word, and may evangelical believers grow in spiritual maturity. May the church function as salt and light to a broken nation.
2. Foreign missionaries were expelled in 1968, but some have returned since the 1990s, serving through relief work, healthcare, and education. Several mission agencies continue to serve, including CMA, UWM, and the Salvation Army. It is encouraging that Congolese churches have also begun sending their own missionaries.
Let us pray for more missionaries, both foreign and local, to respond to this calling and be sent to preach the gospel. With 42% of the population under 14, there’s an urgent need for youth and children’s ministries. During the communist era, one whole generation grew up without hearing the gospel. College religious groups are still banned, but small ministries like GBUSC are reaching students through creative means. May more workers be raised up to disciple the next generation with God’s Word.
3. The Teke people, numbering about 550,000, are among the least reached in the country—they lack access to the New Testament in their own language. There is a strong need to evangelize other groups like the Yaka, Doondo, and Beembe.
Let us pray for the gospel to take root in these groups and for appropriate mission strategies to reach them. Bible translation is ongoing: portions have been translated into 17 languages, the New Testament into 14, and full Bibles into 11. The Kituba New Testament is complete, and work on the Old Testament is underway. Pray for wisdom, strength, and resources for the translators. Finally, let us lift up the victims of trafficking and exploitation in rural regions, especially vulnerable boys and girls. May disciples of Christ rise up to reach those who mourn and bring hope to the darkest places in Congo.
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