Global Ministries’ Congo Week to ‘Lift Every Voice’ with message: Congolese lives matter

The world news cycle has been anything but quiet these days. Yet often missing from breaking-news headlines are the stories of the war-weary and impoverished Congolese.

Global Ministries, a shared witness of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, is rectifying that, amplifying the challenges — and the hope — of a people during Congo Week, Oct. 19-24.

“Global Ministries has long-time partners in Congo and are grateful for this opportunity to lift them up in our congregations,” said the Rev. Shari Prestemon, Associate General Minister & Co-Executive of Global Ministries. Among those partners are the Community of Disciples of Christ in Congo (CDCC), the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), the Disciples of Christ Church of the Congo, and the Congo Protestant University in Kinshasa.

A week of learning and action

The theme of 2025’s Congo Week — “Lift Every Voice” — underscores the collective power of voices joining together to speak for justice and peace.

The week begins on Sunday, Oct. 19 with the focus on worship, offering congregations a plethora of liturgical resources. Each day that follows will highlight a specific focus on an issue Congolese siblings face, such as violence against women and environmental concerns.

Each day closes with a “faithful action.” For example, on Oct. 22 the faithful action for Congo Week participants is to refrain from using electronics to raise awareness about the injustices and violence caused by resources mined in Congo that are needed to make cell phones and computers.

“We stand in solidarity with our partners as they endure a deepening humanitarian crisis, and we also celebrate the wisdom and gifts they offer to us in the global church,” said Prestemon.

Solidarity amid immense suffering  

According Dr. Kahala Cannon, Global Relations Minister for Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), often called the Heart of Africa, is a land of extraordinary natural wealth, yet it’s people have endured immense suffering.

“For more than three decades war in the eastern regions has raged and the exploitation of natural resources — the minerals that power our everyday lives from cell phones to computers — have impoverished many communities,” said Cannon.

And the human cost has been staggering. The UN Refugee Agency reports 6.7 million internally displaced people and more a million Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in neighboring countries.

“Congo Week is a time to raise awareness about this ongoing crisis, to reflect on the historical injustices that continue to shape the present, and to stand in solidarity with our Congolese siblings,” said Cannon, adding that it is also a time to celebrate “the resilience, culture, and heritage of the Congolese people” and to honor the partners in Congo who courageously work for peace and justice.

Even amid hardship there is hope as the Church in Congo “remains vibrant, ministering to spiritual as well as physical needs,” she added.

For example, through the Social Pact for Sustainable Peace and Good Living Together, the Church of Christ in Congo, in collaboration the Catholic Church’s Conférence Épiscopale Nationale du Congo (CENCO), provides health care, addresses food security, promotes sustainable development and creates responses to climate change and climate disasters.

“By participating in Congo Week, congregations and our wider networks affirm how deeply our lives are interconnected with our Congolese siblings,” said Cannon.  “Through learning, prayer, and advocacy, we can ‘Lift Every Voice’ to declare that Congolese lives matter and to live out our shared call to be peacemakers, seekers of justice, and advocates for ending the ongoing war that has devastated so many lives.”

Click here for all the resources for Congo Week 2025, Oct. 19-24.

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