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Six Thousand Join in Worship with Palmberg, Delegation

By Don Meyer

KARAWA, CONGO (November 17, 2003) - More than 6,000 people gathered to worship beneath the shade of mango and avocado trees Sunday morning and to greet the five-member delegation representing the Evangelical Covenant Church, led by President Glenn Palmberg.

One of the highlights of the morning worship was a 40-voice choir whose members had walked 24 miles to participate, presenting six choral numbers during the two-and-a-half-hour service.

Also attending the service were representatives from the seven neighboring church regions, including the Responsible Pastors (superintendents) for each region. Both Palmberg and Jerome Nelson preached (an accompanying photo shows the Department of World Mission's Congo coordinator, Keith Gustafson, interpreting for Nelson).

During the service, the Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) honored Palmberg, Curt Peterson and Jim Sundholm with Lingala (native language) names: Bolingo for Palmberg, which means love; Bondeko for Peterson, which means brotherhood; and Esengo for Sundholm, which means joy. (An accompanying photo shows CEUM President Gbuda Luyada shaking Pete rson's hand as he received his Lingala name).

"Your faith has endured hardship and suffering like most in our churches have not known," Palmberg said during his remarks.

Two key meetings took place later Sunday afternoon. One was with the CEUM Administrative Council and the Responsible Pastors from the seven regions. A second meeting took place with the CEUM Executive Committee, which includes the CEUM president and vice president and the heads of six departments and two movements of the CEUM. The departments include Life of the Church and Biblical and Theological Education; Evangelism and Mission; Christian Communication and Education; Medical Ministries; Primary, Secondary and Professional Education; and Development. The movements are CEUM Women United and the Protestant Laymen's Association.

"I am thrilled with what I see in terms of the life of the Church," Palmberg told meeting participants. "There are parts of what I see that are difficult, such as the malnutrition of children at the hospital (visitors had earlier been advised that 15 percent of the children coming to the Karawa hospital are malnourished). We want to explore new areas of partnership.

"I wish that we could help you with the malnutrition and physical needs of your children," Palmberg continued. "I wish you could help us with the faith needs of our children. Our intention is to do things pleasing to God and helpful to all of us. We want to work together in ways that our helpful and healthy and that can be sustained for the long term. For the sake of the children, we need to continue to work together."

Members of the delegation shared other observations among themselves. "As we travel around, we are conscious of the looting, vandalism and the depleted resources in the hospitals, health centers and technical services and of the degradation of the infrastructure," one member noted. "It is a heart-wrenching experience seeing malnourished children," another added. All agreed that they sensed a genuine expression of gratitude for the Covenant at the meetings during the afternoon.

"We have been looking forward to this (visit) for months," Peterson told his hosts at one point. "This is a new experience for us (Glenn, Jim and Peterson) and it is a renewing and refreshing experience." (To read a special greeting Peterson sent to staff members in the World Mission department, visit Peterson Sends Greeting to Staff.)

The delegation, led by Palmberg, includes Peterson; Sundholm, director of Covenant World Relief; Nelson, a Central Conference coordinator; and Thornbloom, a Covenant missionary who coordinates technical support in Congo. Traveling with the delegation are Pete Ekstrand, World Mission regional coordinator for Africa and a special news correspondent with Covenant News Service); Gustafson, country coordinator for the Democratic Republic of Congo; and CEUM President Luyada. (An accompanying photo shows Thornbloom with Luyada.)

Purpose of the trip is to visit CEUM ministries and confer with CEUM leaders on the ministry partnership of CEUM and the ECC. The delegation left Chicago Monday, November 10, and is scheduled to return November 22.

To read earlier news coverage of this historic trip, visit the links below:

• Palmberg Leads Delegation.
• Delegation Warmly Received.
• Large Crowd Greets Delegation.
• Drama Depicts Arrival of Gospel.
• Palmberg, Luyada Lay Wreath.

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