BOKONZO, DR CONGO (September 29, 2010) – Leaders of the Congo Covenant Church (CEUM) hope that implementing Community Health Evangelism (CHE) will transform peoples’ view of healthcare as well as spur personal and economic development.

The CHE (pronounced “chay”) model emphasizes holistic healthcare that is initiated and carried out by local communities. The process of gradually educating the community on health issues is effective because it is “owned” by the community.

Twenty-two CEUM leaders as well as four Evangelical Covenant Church missionaries attended a training held at CEUM offices September 6-9. Participants included CEUM President Mossai Sanguma and his wife, Sabuli; Vice President Liwawa Elenga; Dr. Aime Nkakala, and leaders of other denominational departments.

The training focused on topics including worldview and development, what is holistic health, the role of church in society, the integration of the spiritual and physical, and needs and resources of the community. The session focused on “training the trainers,” people who will then take the model and training to other communities. Click here to see additional photos. 

Department leaders were invited to participate in the training so that they would have a better understanding of CHE principles, some of which could be used in their areas of ministry, says Pete Ekstrand, the missionary who organized the training. “CHE is learner-centered, problem and action-oriented, spirit-guided and involves self-discovery,” Ekstrand explains.

According to the Global CHE Network website, “Physical and social health improves, projects are accomplished, and spiritual growth occurs as people come to faith in Christ. The community changes from the inside-out.”

Ekstrand and Sanguma were introduced to CHE during a 2007 visit to the Bridges of Hope ministry in Philippi Township outside of Cape Town, South Africa. “In Philippi we saw the results of transformation in attitudes from “we are poor and needy and cannot do anything for ourselves” to “we have dignity and some assets and there are things we can do to address some of the problems we want solved,” says Ekstrand.

They also saw a determination on the part of the people to implement CHE. “We recognized that there were important values in this ministry model that had the potential to significantly help the CEUM,” Ekstrand says.

Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, California, which has been a strong supporter of CEUM ministries, also had become interested in CHE and brought several of the CEUM leaders to the United States in June for training. Covenanters Dennis and Susan Wadley of Bridges of Hope International led the training.

Since several of the Congolese officials the church had hoped to bring to the United States for the training were denied visas, it was decided to bring the training to Congo, where even more CEUM leaders could participate.

Ekstrand says he is pleased with the response to the first training, which incorporated teaching methods unfamiliar to many Congolese. “Having only experienced very formal, didactic teaching in Congo during our career, we were not sure how the learner-centered, participatory, self-discovery method would go,” he explains. “We found that everyone engaged very well. The small group format got everyone involved.”

Afterwards, one of the attendees said, “I learned a participatory teaching method and how to work with a community so that they begin to change their old habits, which have created non-development.”

Another added he was looking forward to spreading CHE because, “It will permit people to take charge of their physical and spiritual health.”

Editor’s note: Accompanying photos include CEUM President Mossai Sanguma (top) and one of the small group discussion exercises.

Copyright © 2010 The Evangelical Covenant Church.