Urgent prayer request from the DRC

It’s been a few weeks since the brutal attack on a Christian community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that left 35 people dead. The attack happened on October 24 near the town of Oicha, and was carried out by suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The ADF has carried out many attacks in the DRC and neighboring Uganda, and perhaps most alarmingly, has close ties to the Islamic State group.

“Many people—[including] mothers, women [and] children—were executed and beheaded,” shared Reverend Gabriel, a church leader in Oicha. By October 28, many of the victims had been buried.

Now, Rev. Gabriel and other church leaders in this part of the DRC are asking for the prayers of the global Church. “Many of these people [were] Christians,” Rev. Gabriel said. “They [were] servants of God, and teachers in our schools … it is the Church that is under attack. We call on the whole world to pray for us.”

Pastor Paluka, a a lecturer at the Biblical Institute in Oicha, echoed the urgent need for prayer: “Really pray for us so that [the funerals] happen in peace and pray for the situation we are going through, because the fear increased when the enemies entered the city,” he said. “Your prayer is very important to us at this time when we are going through pain.”

Pastor Paluka shares his requests in this video

Will you stand with your brothers and sisters in the DRC as we pray with them?

• Pray for the families and communities left behind by those who were killed in the massacre. Ask God to be near to them and bind up their wounds.
• Ask God for an end to the violence in the DRC. It has become so prevalent and created a massive displacement crisis. Pray that God would bring His peace to this part of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Pray for the resilience of the church. Pray that they would be able to mourn with one another and walk with each other through this time of deep suffering.
• Pray for the hearts of the ADF fighters, that they would see the hope that Jesus offers them—and that they would see He loves them more than they could possibly know.
• Pray for Open Doors partners as they walk alongside the church in the DRC. Pray our partners would be able to equip the local church to provide spiritual and physical support to Christians in crisis.