Inside Story: Ministry to the Military
Kitoli is a Global Mission pioneer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His
Image © Bill Osborne from GoodSalt.com
unique ministry is to members of the military in eastern Congo. He has worked in several military camps and has brought many soldiers to Christ, often hiring motorcyclists to take military personnel to evangelistic meetings in their area.
Recently Global Mission pioneers joined local pastors in eastern Congo to reach the people in Beni, a city of about a half million people located on the edge of a thick forest. Few Adventists live in the region, and the local Adventist mission planned to blanket the city with Bible studies and prayer as part of Global Mission’s Hope for Big Cities program. The Global Mission pioneers met in Beni to go from door to door, sharing the gospel and inviting the people to take Bible studies. Kitoli, true to his calling, focused his efforts on reaching members of the military stationed in Beni. He made friends and shared his faith with a number of soldiers. When evangelistic meetings were arranged, Kitoli was asked to hold meetings near the military barracks.
Following the efforts to blanket the city with Bible studies and visits, Global Mission pioneers joined local pastors to hold evangelistic meetings in several strategic locations throughout the city. Kitoli held his meetings near the military installations around the city. Many soldiers attended Kitoli’s meetings. When the meetings ended, more than 250 people across the city of Beni made decisions for Christ and prepared to be baptized. One of them was an army lieutenant colonel named Sikiliza, who had been touched by the messages of hope and power in Jesus Christ. Sikiliza stepped forward to be baptized, wearing his military uniform. In his testimony before his baptism, he acknowledged the hand of God in his life and vowed to remain faithful to his newfound faith.
Following the evangelistic series, Kitoli returned to his work, where he reaches out to as many soldiers as he can. His goal is to provide Bibles and Bible study lessons to as many members of the military as possible, and he hopes to plant several churches near military bases.
Your mission offerings help maintain church groups planted by Global Mission pioneers in the Congo and throughout the world. Thank you for faithfully supporting the mission of the church through your offerings.
Dowell Chow is the Adventist Mission coordinator in the East-Central Africa Division, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.
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we thank the Lord for his asistance
Amen! And wouldn’t it be wonderful if this could also happen in the United States; coast to coast, post to post, etc.
I am an Adventist and also in the military. I was so happy to hear this testimony. I want you all to always pray on my behalf for God to stengthen me win my fellow soldiers for Jesus. Thank you and may God bless your ministry.
I thank God for this message, am also serving in kenya military and now in somalia to enforce peace, praise en honour be to Almighty for i am alive. If posibo look foward on how u can reach this gospel to somalia citizens especially in southern sector, kismaiyo, lower jubba land because there is no church in this place….,
My son recently joined the Army infantry and was worried he would face a problem in worshipping on Saturday. “No problem at all!” said his sargeant. Turns out, SHE was Adventist, tool.
I thank God for this message, am also serving in kenya military and now in somalia to enforce peace, praise en honour be to Almighty for i am alive.