THE HISTORICAL GROWTH, TEACHING AND IMPACT OF THE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH IN NORTH KATANGA
By Rev. MBAYU ILUNGA WATETE
This work is an attempt to construct the story of the United Methodist Church of North
Katanga Annual Conference. The outlines of this story lead first all of all to give an
overview on the North Katanga Annual Conference: location and church planting around
this area; and next we shall see the expansion of missionary work in the North Katanga
and Tanzania; and then we shall explore the teaching and impact of the church in North
Katanga. Finally we shall end with a conclusion from all what is to be covered.
In a few ways, ‘’North Katanga is the United Methodist Church’s Episcopal area in the
Katanga Province of Congo. DR, formerly called Zaire and the Belgian Congo. It is one
of the three Episcopal areas in the country (Central Congo Annual Conference, Southern
Congo Annual Conference, and North Katanga Annual Conference), and extends all the
way into part of Tanzania covering tens of hundreds of kilometers.’’1
North Katanga as part of the Katanga Province includes two secular districts: the HautLomami and the Tanganyika. All those political areas have been reached by the north
Katanga United Methodist Church. The church has even reached some political areas of
the South Katanga Province with two ecclesiastical districts, Lubudi and Mitwaba
without forgetting the expansion to Tanzania.
At its beginning, the Northern part of the Katanga that became the North Katanga Annual
Conference was part of the Congo Annual Conference in the early 1990s under Bishop
Eben Samuel Johnson (1916) Bishop of Africa.
In North Katanga, the Methodist Church was started by Kalwashi and John McKendree
Springer who is actually known as the founder of the Methodist Church in the North
Katanga area. ‘’Kalwashi came from Angola where he was slave. It was in Angola where
all the slaves became free and believed in Jesus Christ. Kalwashi was sent in the
Democratic Republic of Congo by his friends to start the evangelism. When John M.
Springer who was among a group of missionaries that was assigned to the Belgian Congo
1
Web site of the North Katanga Conference of the United Methodist Church www.northkatangaumc.org.
1
heard some information about the work done by Kalwashi, he started to look for him.
After arriving in Kinkondja township, John M. Springer met a business man named
Muzoma. It was Muzoma who told Springer that Kalwashi was in Mwanza. When John
M. Springer reached Mwanza, he met Kalwashi there. Then, they went together to
Kabongo where they created the first Methodist Mission.’’2 The first evangelism began in
1917 by John M. Springer before he became the Bishop in 1936 and Kalwashi (a native
of Kabalo).
Concerning church planting, in about 1917, John M. Springer was planting Methodist
churches around Kabongo mission station. He founded also industrial Institutions. For
example Kabongo hospital was started by the Methodists in the 1920s. In 1922, the
Methodist work began at Kanene by Mr. Everett. In 1924, the Fox Bible Training School
of Kalulua was transferred to Kanene and became the Congo Institute in 1927. In 1940,
the Congo Institute in Kanene was transferred to Mulungwishi and became ‘’Springer
Institute.’’
Kabongo mission and Kanene mission were abandoned respectively in 1933 and 1940. In
1944, Bishop John M. Springer was replaced by Bishop Newell Snow Booth (1944-1964)
who was respectively a Bishop of Africa South of the Equator, and then Bishop of Congo
and Europe. During his leadership the church grew up, particularly in the Southern
Katanga Province. Between 1940s and 1962, there was a little activity in the North
Katanga due to an agreement between Christian denominations to evangelize in different
parts on the country. Kabongo mission was taken by Congo Evangelistic Mission
(C.E.M). From 1940 to 1962 only Kanene mission remained active in evangelism in
North Katanga.
The Methodist Church officially arrived in North Katanga in 1962. It was started by three
pastors: Ilunga K. David, Andres Mundele, Joel Bulaya and many laypersons. This was
the second and most decisive evangelization of the North Katanga resumed during the
1960s. The most important event that promoted the Methodists to resume evangelization
was the war of liberation of the Katanga Province that occurred from 1960 to 1963. This
war actually forced the Baluba pastors to leave the Southern Katanga: Elizabethville (or
2
Banza Nyembo, Bony. La Contribution Methodiste Au Relevement Du Territoire (zone) de Kamina 19601980, ISP Lubumbashi, 1985, 29-30.
2
Lubumbashi), Jadotville (or Likasi), Kolwezi and many other townships in the South.
They returned to their motherland with the purpose to re-establish the Methodist Church.
The first mission station was planted at Albertville (or Kalemie) town in 1962.
To sum up this section, I would like to say that during the first evangelization of the
North Katanga, Kabongo was the first mission station to be implanted in the North
Katanga in 1917. The second mission station was Kanene mission in 1924. During the
second evangelization of the North Katanga, the first mission station was planted at
Albertville (Kalemie) in 1962. Thus, the United Methodist Church in the North Katanga
is the work of the above natives.
Now after this short description of the story of the United Methodist Church of North
Katanga Annual Conference, let’s see the expansion of missionary work in the North
Katanga and Tanzania.
‘’Since 1968, the North Katanga Provisional Annual Conference was created with a total
of four districts, namely Kalemie, Manono, Malemba, and Kabongo; those districts were
considered as part of the South Congo Annual Conference.’’3 ‘’It was during Bishop John
Wesley Shungu’s mandate (1964-1972) who is known as the first Congolese Bishop of
the Congo Episcopal area in the Democratic Republic of Congo that the North Katanga
became an Provisional Annual Conference.’’4 ‘’In 1970, the North Katanga became a
Definitive Annual Conference including six districts: Kalemie, Manono, Malemba,
Kabongo, Kamina, and Bukama.’’5 ‘’In 1972 Bishop Onema Fama was elected to replace
Bishop Shungu. Four years later, Bishop Onema Fama was elected Bishop for life for the
Central Congo Episcopal area and a new Bishop Ngoy Kimba M. WA Kadilo was elected
for the Shaba (or Katanga) Episcopal area (1976) which was composed of two Annual
Conferences: the Southern Zaire (or Southern Congo) and the North Shaba (or North
Katanga. In 1980, a third Bishop was elected in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bishop Katembo Kainda was elected to supervise the Southern Congo Episcopal area and
3
Official Journal of the South Congo Annual Conference, 1968).
Mwanabute Nday Bondo. The Church and Its Mission: A Case Study of the North Katanga Annual
Conference of the UMC, 2008, 34
5
Official Journal of the South Congo Annual Conference, 1970).
4
3
Bishop Ngoy was assigned the North Katanga Episcopal area.’’6 Bishop Ngoy Kimba M.
WA Kadilo was the first Bishop from the North Katanga to be elected.
In 1989, during the leadership of Bishop Ngoy in cooperation with missionaries and
through the partnership with some western Annual Conferences, they assured the growth
of North Katanga.
The growth was significant that it led to the creation of a second Annual Conference
Tanganyika and Tanzania in the early 1990s. Hence North Katanga Episcopal area was
composed of two Annual Conferences: The North Katanga Annual Conference, and The
Tanganyika- Tanzania Annual Conference. The church mission was extended to
Tanzania. Six Congolese pastors were appointed to supervise the mission in Tanzania.
Here they are: Rev. Muyombi Kapanda Makozo (1989), Rev. Kasweka Tshifunga and his
wife Rev. Numbi Ilunga (1990), Rev. Mutwale Ntambo WA Mushidi (1992), Rev.
Kazadi Umba (1992), and Rev. Umba Ilunga Kalangwa (1992).
Elected in 1976, Bishop Ngoy died in December 11, 1994 at Nyembo Umpungu. He was
followed by our current Bishop Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda in 1996. In 2006, the number of
districts has been 19 districts of North Katanga Annual Conference and 17 districts of
Tanganyika- Tanzania Annual Conference. In 2008, the Tanganyika- Tanzania Annual
Conference was divided into two Conferences: the Tanganyika Annual Conference and
the Tanzania Provisional Annual Conference. The North Katanga is now divided into
three Conferences: the North Katanga Annual Conference, the Tanganyika Annual
Conference and the Tanzania Provisional Annual Conference, with a total of 36 districts.
Statistics of North Katanga Annuelle Conference in 2008/09 :
Annual
Professing
Conference Church
Members
Baptised
Chiurch
Members
Baptised
Chiurch
Members
North
Katanga
964.906
964.906
6
535.723
Other
Total
Ordained
Participants members
Clergy
And
participants
858.103
1.392.826
939.
Ibid, p.34.
4
The North Katanga Annual Conference is structured according to the United Methodist
Book of Discipline which is the fundamental book outlining the law, doctrine,
administration, organization work and procedures for the United Methodist Church. The
North Katanga Annual Conference structure includes bishop, clergy: elders and Deacons,
lay leaders and Laity, a wide range of conference and a supreme court, agencies:
councils, boards, and commissions.
Now let’s explore the teaching and impact of the church in North Katanga. The North
Katanga Annual Conference seeks to create disciples for Christ through outreach,
evangelism, and through seeking holiness through the process of sanctification with a
focus on triune worship; it seeks to bring honor to God by following the model of Jesus
Christ which is made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. Given that ‘’the United
Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which traces its roots back to
the evangelical, holiness, revival movement of John and Charles Wesley within the
Anglican Church. As such, the church's Theological orientation is decidedly Wesleyan.’’7
‘’ It contains both liturgical and evangelical elements.’’8 So, the United Methodist
Church of North Katanga bases its teaching on ‘’Salvation by faith.’’ This implies three
things which are foundational to Christian faith:
1. That people are all, by nature, "dead in sin," and, consequently, "children of
wrath."
2. That they are "justified by faith alone."
3. That faith produces inward and outward holiness.
In North Katanga, Evangelism is the principal work. The church strives indeed to
help people and make them disciples of Jesus. Also, it serves not only to extend
God’s Kingdom by preaching but also in various services to the Communities around
7
"Wesleyanism.’’ Longhenry. http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/denominations/wesleyanism.html
Retrieved 2009-05-26.
8
"Understanding American Evangelicals". Ethics and Public Policy Center.
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.1943/pub_detail.asp. Retrieved 2007-08-02
5
the church for helping them and church members with self sustainance. In harmony
with John Wesley who noticed four evil which were affecting people: ‘’Poverty, war,
ignorance, and diseases’’9, the United Methodist Church of North Katanga is
primarily interested in meeting people practical needs. Regarding the impact of the
United Methodist church of North Katanga, the Methodists have grown some specific
actions that mark United Methodists as Christians engaged in ministry to the world:

They established institutions for higher learning.

They started hospitals and dispensaries for medical care, and shelters for
children and the elderly.

They adopted a social creed and social principles to guide them as they relate
to God’s world and God’s people.

And they participated with other religious groups in ecumenical efforts to be
in mission.
In the North Katanga United Methodist church, every member is to be in servant ministry
with and to others. All of God’s people- children, youth and adults-are called to be
ministers. In other ways, all united Methodists are involved in the ministry of all
Christians. Most of these people are laity, baptized Christians of all ages who minister in
formal or informal ways within the church and beyond it. Through their gifts vary widely,
they are all called to and engaged in the one ministry of Jesus Christ.
So, in summary, the above lines were about the history of the United Methodist Church
in North Katanga. They have covered the origins, mission and influences in the history of
the United Methodist Church in this region. In more or less than seventy-year time, the
church of North Katanga area grew first at lower speed, and later at a very high speed to
the extend of reaching even areas beyond its geographical borders. Through its various
ministries, the church encourages Christians to give themselves to Christ, to ground their
lives in the living God, and to carry out the mission of the church by everyone who is
called to discipleship.
9
Harkness G., The Methodist Church in Social Thought and Action, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1964), p.
20
6
References:
Banza Nyembo, Bony. La Contribution Methodiste Au Relevement Du Territoire (zone)
de Kamina 1960-1980, ISP Lubumbashi, 1985, 29-30.
Harkness G., The Methodist Church in Social Thought and Action, (Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 1964), p.
Mwanabute Nday Bondo. The Church and Its Mission: A Case Study of the North
Katanga Annual Conference of the UMC, 2008, 34
Official Journal of the South Congo Annual Conference, 1968).
"Understanding
American
Evangelicals".
Ethics
and
Public
Policy
Center.
http://www.eppc.org/publications/pubID.1943/pub_detail.asp. Retrieved 2007-08-02
Web site of the North Katanga Conference of the United Methodist Church
www.northkatangaumc.org.
‘’Wesleyanism.’’ Longhenry.
http://www.deusvitae.com/faith/denominations/wesleyanism.html Retrieved 2009-05-26.
7