Franklin church hosts Congolese minister while he earns degree

The call to serve was far greater than the fear of danger.

Joseph Mulongo had known for much of his life that he wanted to be a minister, spreading the love of Christ in his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Doing so meant working in areas of his county most destroyed following years of fighting and war.

Still, he pushed forward.

“I was planted in the war zone,” he said. “If you are sent somewhere, you are there not only to preach the Gospel, you are the key person to deal with the health of the people. You have to think about education of the people, how to deal with peace for the people.”

Mulongo has committed his life to ministry — a dedication that has brought him from Africa to Johnson County. Through a sponsorship with Grace United Methodist Church, he has come to the United States to study for his master’s degree at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

He has made his home in Franklin, spending time fostering fellowship and ministering at Otterbein SeniorLife Community.

His experience in Indiana has been a life-changing one, and he intends to use the opportunity to further impact lives when he returns to Congo.

“I have a passion for doing ministry — maybe doing it differently than I was doing. I needed to be trained more,” Mulongo said. “They accepted and supported me to make my dream a reality. Now, I think it will not only be my dream, but our dream.”

Mulongo has been in ministry for 30 years, first entering the theological seminary when he was 19. Through his calling, he entered into one of the largest subsets of the United Methodist Church: the North Katanga conference, which serves more than 1 million people.

The same area has been beset by a vicious civil war. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the war has led to many people killed, wounded, or traumatized. Villages have been burned and fields destroyed, and there has been massive population displacement.

As Mulongo became more involved in the lives and churches in the conference, he realized the need for greater teaching to better serve people. The realization guided his desire to earn a master’s degree at a theological seminary.

“The chance to have a degree to be able to help others is not given to so many,” he said. “We have so many churches, and most of the churches are led by people who need education — who need to be trained to do ministry. This is my passion.”

The opportunity to accomplish that goal has come from the relationship forged between Mulongo and Grace United Methodist Church over many years. Many United Methodist Churches in Indiana are involved in mission work in Congo, and many projects intended to improve life for people in the country are supported by churches in Indiana.

Grace United Methodist Church is one of those participating in this Connectional program, including by sponsoring individuals in seminary education.

“The need of training pastors, of having pastors, I think Joseph is putting his finger on a real need. That’s what has been so enjoyable about this relationship,” said Andy Kinsey, pastor at Grace United Methodist Church.

Mulongo last came to Franklin about 10 years ago. He shared with the congregation and church community his vision and goals for spreading the word of Christ in Congo.

“When we met Joseph, as he says, this effort to receive a theological education meant we could advance his dream. With the help of Otterbein SeniorLife here, we could all help each other,” Kinsey said.

Otterbein offered Mulongo room and board while staying in Indiana, while also providing him with a community of support. While here, he has continued his education with United Theological Seminary.

“All three entities have worked well together. We already had the relationship with Joseph, and it’s all worked out,” Kinsey.

Mulongo’s time in Otterbein is spent in a variety of capacities, such as preaching, teaching, leading Bible studies and pastoral work. His work has extended to Grace, where he also helps with ministry and education efforts.

“People here are very good. I have met good people who are very kind. With Pastor Andy, I’ve been teaching classes here, visiting members and been working in Sunday school classes,” he said. “I am integrated into the community; I am not a stranger, I am home.”

But while Mulongo came to Indiana to further his education, he has also had a profound impact on the Grace community and those at Otterbein, Kinsey said.

“Joseph has taught us a great deal about what the church is facing in Central Africa. He has taught us what it truly means to be a Christian witness in a difficult part of the world,” he said. “He was serving in a war zone. We have gained from his confidence and courage about what it means to serve in that kind of a context.”

While living at Otterbein, a group of four other residents have taken Mulongo under their wing — so much so that he refers to them as his “moms.” Suzanne Witter, Martha Milhouse, Sara Cole and Carol Chilcote have ensured that he is immersed in the culture and traditions that make Indiana special.

“We’re the ones who have taken him to church, and taken him anywhere Otterbein has anything interesting going on, we’ve made sure he’s made it there,” Witter said.

The group helps get him to church each week, and they often go out to dinner. They have taken to local community concerts, dinner theater and shows by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

“He seems to like music, so anything like that, he goes along with us,” Milhouse said. “We’ve been trying to include him in whatever we’ve been doing, and giving him as many experiences as we can.”

During the annual NCAA basketball tournament, they gathered to watch March Madness together. They’ve been to a baseball game in Cincinnati, and of course, he had to see the festivities surrounding the Indianapolis 500.

Along the way, the group has been moved by his dedication and vision for ministry, Witter said. And while the Franklin community has impacted Mulongo’s life, he’s had a profound effect on the people he’s met too.

“He is so strongly motivated to teach his people, to go back and be a teacher and minister there,” Witter said. “I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Mulongo is on schedule to receive in master’s degree in divinity in August, at which time his wife, Mary, will join him here in Indiana. A month later, he’ll return to Congo to further his work in ministry.

When he leaves, he’ll bring with him a portable library, comprised of books compiled by Grace United Methodist Church to spread knowledge and Christian ideals to pastors and churches throughout the area.

“When they do the training and educating, he will have some tools to use,” Kinsey said. “That’s just the beginning — we’re not going to stop being a mission just because he goes back. We’ll continue to find ways of sharing.”

For Mulongo, the experience in Indiana has been life-changing.

“Being here for me is a blessing. By myself, I could not afford the cost. But because of the church, because of the Christian family, I’m able to be here to get my education.”