It is ‘at the heart of every village and community’ the Bishop of Goma says

THE Church is the one institution still trusted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and standing “at the heart of every village and community”, the Bishop of Goma, the Rt Revd Martin Gordon, has said.

He was speaking on the first anniversary of the invasion of Goma, in late January 2025, by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels. About three thousand people were killed and 700,000 displaced. The rebels went on to rape and recruit children as fighters as they continued their progress south. UNICEF and others described it as “a human tragedy unfolding in real time”.

The Bishop helped to launch the community and faith leaders’ Goma Call for Peace in the immediate aftermath of the invasion, calling on African leaders and the international community to resume dialogue and negotiation as “the only way to bring about lasting peace in Eastern Congo”. Backed by the Anglican Communion, it has attracted 500,000 signatures.

Thousands continue to flee to Burundi. Reporting from a new displacement camp on 6 January, Al Jazeera said that the camp housed 65,000 people, with no water, no proper shelter, and insufficient food. Aid agencies reported that supplies were running low.

Speaking to the Church Mission Society, Bishop Gordon said that, despite ongoing challenges in the region, the Church had continued its witness and care. Churches and individuals around the world had shown significant generosity when the situation had been at its toughest, enabling staff, clergy, and teachers, who had not been paid for six months, to receive cash gifts, and families to receive food.

“Things are incredibly hard in Goma right now,” he said. “The 2025 invasion adds another layer of trauma to more than 30 years of conflict. Many still struggle to make ends meet. But, amid the suffering, we continue to testify to God’s faithfulness and put our trust in him as the one who will ultimately bring about peace.”

He continued: “When war came, people looked to the churches for every kind of help, as well as for hope. They were used as shelters and distribution centres, and we saw increased attendance in many parishes.”

People were hungrier than ever for the basic truths of the Christian faith, he said. Church attendance in the archdeaconry had doubled during 2025, and improved access had enabled the building of a new church in Kibumba. By Pat Ashworth, Church Times