BEYOND THE KAIROS DRC LAUNCH

Greetings to all
THANKS TO THE KAIROS DRC LAUNCH PLANNING TEAM:
Thank you for your dedication commitment and contribution to the four-week Kairos DRC Launch
webinar. WE had our challenges and differences and this is all part of the process.
THANKS TO OUR SPEAKERS:
Thanks again to all who gave input. All the Webinars are recorded. We have collectively generated
a wealth of ideas and practical suggestions both from panellists; facilitators and attendees.
• Rev Purity Malinga Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa –
Refugees a South African church response.
• Rev Moss Ntla from Kairos SA and TEASA – the importance of a church led Kairos
process.
• Rev Lunge Kinyamba – General Secretary DRC Inter-Religious Council/ DRC Council
of Churches- Kairos DRC work in the Congo
• Reverende Thérèse Bimpa Abulukay coordinator of the network of women of faith
and children of the CNRP/ Presbyterian Church and Inter-Religious Council
Democratic Republic of Congo. (IRC/DRC) – works with rehabilitating child soldiers in the
DRC.
• Kabwe Didier Mutonji – President of Congolese in the diaspora Pietermaritzburg,
KwaZulu-Natal, RSA
• Bridget Diana Phillips Institute for the Healing of Memories -Community Healing Programme
Co-ordinator – the need for the healing of memories for all Africans
• Ps Raphael Bahebwa Kabambire (Nehemiah Hope Project DRC/RSA; Sinai
Pentecostal Church, Durban -the future vision of a just, peaceful; healed and prosperous
DRC
THANK YOU FOR BEING PRESENT:
• The Honourable Minister: Republique Democratique Du Congo, A Son Excellence
Monsieur Le Ministre’ Raymond Tchedya Patya Ministre Délégué Des Congolais De
L’etranger/DiasporA and cabinet colleagues.

• All our attendees.
THANK YOU TO OUR FACILITATORS:
• Mrs Lubanja Tanganika Stella
• Mr Amza Brian Minga
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAD HOPED TO BE WITH US BUT COULD NOT:
• Dr Denis Mukwege | Nobel Prize Laurette, – a busy surgeon and human rights activists
whose life is constantly threatened
• Daniella Gennrich Women Speak Out
• Dr Douglas Dziva, CEO KZNCC – we wish him well and full recovery after his fight with
COVID 19
• Ms Nancy Heron (Facilitator) (MCSA Justice and Service Desk) – death in the family
• Mr. Daniel Byamungu Dunia (Facilitator), Congolese Diaspora, Secretary General, Africa
Solidarity Network – stranded in Bujumbura trying to get home since lockdown March 2020
DOCUMENTING THE WEALTH OF INPUT:
Thank you: Bisimwa Timothee Makanishe for he summarises of the Kairos DRC document and
starting a process of pulling all this together.
We now need someone to sift through all the recordings; documented chats and produce a
Kairos DRC Launch consolidated document. Any volunteers or suggestions as to who could
do this for us?
KZNCC Webpage:
• KZNCC has uploaded the Kairos DRC document on their webpage
• All other documents and webinar recordings have also been requested to be uploaded.
Thank you Xola Nkabinde for undertaking to do this.
SOMETHING EXTRA:
We have done more than we set out to do.
We factored in two extra webinars:
1. One, responding to the crisis in Kivu Province, Kipupu and Sange (5 August). We issued
a statement which has been sent to all media and beyond. Thank you everyone for your
input and thanks to Illa Thompson who shaped it into being more media friendly.
(Attached)
2. Secondly a small group met with representatives of the Minister of the Congolese in the
Diaspora (19 August) to clarify how repatriation could happen. (More meetings are
needed)
A LAUNCH IS A START OF NEW ERA.
In this case it is the era of Kairos DRC.
Suggested next steps:

In my opinion the next step is to build on the ownership of the DRC Kairos by DRC Congo diaspora
and internal compatriots.
DRC CONGO KAIROS DIASPORA DRIVERS:
What is needed is DRC Kairos Diaspora drivers?
Some questions needing to be considered:
• Who from the DRC diaspora community is currently driving this process?
• Who from the DRC diaspora community will drive this process?
• What shape will this take to be effective?
• What will the goals be?
• How will Kairos DRC be promoted to all DR Congo based churches in the Diaspora?
• How will Kairos DRC be promoted to all DR Congo based religious groups in the Diaspora?
• How would Kairos DRC diaspora relate to Kairos DRC internal?
I would suggest that DRC Leadership meet and work this out.
DRC CONGO KAIROS INTERNAL:
We already have Kairos DRC drivers internally through the leadership of Rev Kinyamba & his
passionate team and Rev Dr Joel Kuvuna. working as a chaplain, a lecturer in some universities; working
in many areas of the society and attached the ECC (Protestant Church) working with all the Protestant
congregations; Dr Kuvuna has already started training pastors in the Kairos way in the DRC
KAIROS DRC EXTERNAL SOLIDARITY:
Always know that the DRC will have solidarity support from a growing group of people in South
Africa and other parts of the world. Already there is growing awareness and commitment from:
• Kairos Southern Africa;
• Methodist Church of Southern Africa;
• Anglican Church of Southern Africa;
• The Evangelical Alliance of South Africa;
• KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council;
• The Institute for the healing of memories.
• Courageous Conversations South Africa (Mining focus)
WIDENING THE SOLIDARITY NETWORK- REACHING OUT:
We need to reach out to the following:
• The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) – (Mike has already
been approached by ACCORD to look at online training for priests; ministers and pastors
throughout Africa in peace-making and peace-building – we could start in the DRC)

• South Africa Women Fight Back (They already work in solidarity with Panzi Hospital and
rape survivors in Bukavu, DRC)
• Freedom House
• South African Council of Churches
• Fellowship of Councils of Churches of Southern Africa
• All Africa Conference of Churches (Nairobi)
• Africa Methodist Council (Ghana)
• World Council of Churches (Geneva)
• Religions for Peace South Africa.
• All African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace (Nairobi)
• Religions for Peace International (New York)
• Lawyers for Human rights
• SADC Human rights Sector
• African Union Human Rights sector
• Human Rights watch
• Religious and Human rights bodies in France and Belgian
DEVELOPING LAY-FRIENDLY KAIROS DRC MATERIAL:
Should we consider developing Bible study and theological refection lay-friendly material based on
DRC Kairos Document, for mass distribution to all Congolese and Southern Africa churches?
MY OPINION ABOUT RESOURCING IN GENERAL:
We need passionate, dedicated people to drive a vision even if there is no are little funding. This
shows true commitment. Vision and pathos precede funding. Resourcing will follow enthusiastic
and passionate people. Yes, we need resourcing- this does not always translate into money.
Resourcing comes from a heart and pathos for what one believes in. Resourcing is also the time,
effort and energy giving by people.
Already the KZNCC;
• has thus far been funding and resourcing some aspects of the DRC Kairos
• has begun to work on a funding proposal (before Lockdown), however this will need input
from the drivers of DR Congolese compatriots for Kairos DRC and how this is shaped.
ONWARD AND UPWARD:
A God Healed and transformed Kivu Province for the healing and transformation of the DRC;
A God Healed and transformed DRC for the healing and transformation of Africa;
A God Healed and transformed Africa for the Healing and transformation of the World.
A God Healed and transformed World for the Healing and transformation of the Cosmos.
What are your thoughts?
Peace; Grace and Unity
Warm regards and with much gratitude
Mike
22/08/2020

Kairos DRC Launch STATEMENT FROM ZOOM MEETING Final 5 Aug 2020

STATEMENT FROM ZOOM MEETING
HELD ON 5 AUGUST 2020  by DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (DRC) OF CONGO KAIROS
KAIROS SOUTHERN AFRICA(SA)
NEHEMIAH HOPE PROJECT AND THE METHODIST CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA (MCSA)

Kairos SA, the MCSA, Kairos DRC and the Nehemiah Hope Project jointly held a meeting
on 5 August 2020 and called upon all churches and religious entities to unite together to
restore a just peace and human dignity to all in the DRC.
They feel this is attainable through mass mobilisation of grassroot churches and religious
bodies. This be beneficial for the DRC and also for the entire continent of Africa. The DRC
could become one of the strongest economic hubs that could steer Africa into a new era. All
this could be started by the actions of local united church and inter-religious action facilitated
by a Kairos movement in every corner of the DRC.
This was the strong message which came out of the third webinar in the four-part virtual
launch of the “DRC Kairos” series featuring church leaders and social activists in the Congo
and in South Africa. The “DRC Kairos” is a carefully crafted thought document clearly
outlying the current situation in the Congo, and pointers towards achieving resolution.

“We are strongly convinced that peace, prosperity, and freedom are overdue in the DRC. We
are making an urgent call on all of us: government, civil society, the church, local communities
and the international community to take a different course of action. The difference we are
envisaging is peace, justice, freedom and equality for all in DRC,” explains project coordinator, Rev Mike Vorster on behalf of the authors of the document, co-ordinated by the
KZNCC (KwaZulu Natal Christian Council).
The word Kairos was an ancient Greek word Meaning “opportunity”, “season” or “fitting
time”. The first South African Kairos Document was a theological statement issued in 1985 by a group of South African theologians challenging the churches response to the Apartheid
regime’s State of Emergency, originated by a group of church leaders in Soweto.

The factual context for the webinar series is the recent spate of appalling carnages whereby
more than 1300 Congolese citizens have been brutally killed, women raped and mutilated
thus far this year. Children too have not been spared. In recent weeks 15 and 16 July we
heard of further atrocities in places like Kipupu where 220 people perished and again on 31
July 2020 in Sange.
“All these incidents remain grossly underreported as though African lives don’t matter,”
remarked Rev Vorster.
Noting how for decades and centuries this part of heaven in Africa has been turned into a
constant living hell for all its citizens through the greed of international commercial interests
and neighbouring states with constant threats of balkanisation.
We were reminded by Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Bishop
Purity Malinga at the launch of the DRC Kairos on 31 July 2020 that: “Africa is endowed by
enriching natural resources, and yet these resources continue to enrich people of other
continents while the African people remain the poorest of the poor in the world. The situation
is made worse by the self- serving leaders of the African countries, who sell their souls to
enrich themselves and their connections at the expense of the masses they claim to lead. They
turn a blind eye to the sufferings of their fellow Africans as they insist on pleasing colonisers
(old and new) in exchange for power and money. It is time Africans unite and come in
solidarity with each other to reject divisions, sponsored conflicts and tribal wars perpetuated
for individual and foreign enrichment.”

We strongly condemn all these hellish activities perpetrated by sinister forces. And call that
all perpetrators are brought to a swift justice. However, condemnation is not enough. It is
therefore time to find a different pathway other than the cycle of violence and greed1
It is time to find a DRC Kairos pathway; whereby the higher values of dignity of all life is
restored and maintained because all are created in the image of God
We applaud the work already begun through the Inter-religious council of the DRC; the
Council of Churches and United Methodist Church of the DRC through their significant
contribution to reunification; peace-making and peacebuilding since the 1990’s. Kairos DRC
wishes to expand this work enabling the church to grow its core calling of liberating the last;
least and lost through its priestly; pastoral and prophetic functions.
Therefore Kairos SA, the MCSA and Kairos DRC meeting on 5 August 2020 calls upon all
churches and religious entities to unite to restore a just peace and human dignity to all in the
DRC. We feel that this is attainable through mass mobilisation of grassroot churches and
religious bodies.

This we believe can be achieved through: Mass united church action by establishing Kairos
driven Local Ecumenical 2Action Reflection Networks; uniting churches to begin in earnest
to offer people practical hope through the development of:
a. Theological reflection – with reference to a Kairos framework
b. Grassroots peace-making programmes
c. Trauma healing opportunities
d. Food security income generating projects
e. Giving youth hope through Youth economic- empowerment projects
These Kairos Local Ecumenical 3Action Reflection Networks (KLEARNs); and other
progressive NGO’s, like Nehemiah Hope will also be sources of first-hand knowledge of
outbreaks of violence and atrocities and that they be linked constantly to connect other
African bodies like KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council, MCSA and Kairos SA for further
awareness raising, advocacy and solidarity action
Both Kairos DRC and Kairos SA are willing to assist with the training and enabling of such
KLEARNs to be established.
Through Kairos DRC and Kairos SA, we approach South African Council of Churches; All
Africa Conference of Churches and the World Council of Churches to add support to these
actions
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA) together with the United Methodist
Church (UMC) of the DRC will approach the African Methodist Council to support this
Kairos initiative and call on all other denomination who have African church networks to do
likewise.
Kairos DRC and Kairos SA will also approach Religions for Peace through the All Africa
Council of Religions to do something similar with other religions within the DRC.
We are aware that the church itself is divided and needs to find its common call in Jesus
Christ as peacemakers’ healers and justice-seekers. We appeal to all churches to move
beyond political partiality and other deviant forces that are currently tearing the body of
Christ apart,
We call on all religious entities to channel all their prayers, resources and energies into
breaking the bonds of hell so that an abundant life of heaven on earth for all especially the
least and the last in the DRC, may be realised.
Ends
Issued on behalf of the KZNCC / DRC alliance