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Duales Celebrate 55 Years of Marriage – A Milestone in Congo
BOKONZO, CONGO (December 18, 2007) - A former president of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Congo (CEUM) and his wife recently celebrated their 55th anniversary, a milestone few reach in the African nation.
 Rev. Duale Lengena Subuli Petro and Mama Olofio Duale Divine were married November 30, 1952. They have 10 children, 58 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren (accompanying family photo).
Evangelical Covenant Church missionary Elmer Pearson performed the wedding in 1952. Duale credits missionary Ruth Barram with giving him the encouragement to get married.
Jan Thornbloom, who served as a Covenant missionary in Congo, says it is “extremely rare” for people to be married for so long as well as to have all 10 children still living. War and poverty often claim the lives of Congolese at a much younger age.
Currently an associate pastor at Bokonzo, Duale served three terms as president of the CEUM from 1984 to 1996. He had served as the legal representative for the previous two presidents.
The couple’s son, Sambe was the first member of the CEUM to earn a medical degree and return to the region in order to practice medicine. Another son, Langa, is a CEUM pastor.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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