Amid Ebola Outbreak, Congo Pastors Pray and Fight Misinformation

July 1, 2026 · 1 min read

Denis Dalanga, founder of Ministère Chrétien des Familles Church, a network of churches largely in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has watched the Ebola outbreak ravage his community. His niece living Mongbwalu—a mining town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is the epicenter of the latest outbreak—died from the virus in May. Read more...

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Красимира Петрова

I hope they prayed for her in your church as we do for those who lost their lives to disease in our villages. Who among you knows exactly where Mongbvalu is?

Ljubica Ilić

Mongbwalu is a mining town in eastern DRC, as the article says. As the priest prays for his tribe, we also pray for all those who are suffering from illness.

Nikola Todorović

Thank you Ljubice, you correctly named Mongbwala as the epicenter. Dennis Dalanga lost his niece there in May, so I'm glad you mentioned specifically his prayer for her. I also pray that the pastors succeed in dispelling the fake news that only makes matters worse.

Stefan Popović

Exactly, Nikola, that part about the niece in May hit me the hardest. I know that in Mongbwal people are still skeptical about vaccines because they have heard that it is a "Western conspiracy". What do you think is the most that pastors can do to dispel those rumors on the ground?

Ivana Savić

Right, that story about Dalanga's niece in May is really tough. I think the most that pastors can do is to get the vaccine themselves in front of their people and talk openly in church services, not just in meetings. Stefan, have you heard if something similar has already been shown to be effective in a village there?

Dušan Jovanović

That's right, that niece's death in May really shook a lot of people. I think that showing the vaccine at the church service could help, but I heard that in some villages around Bunia, the pastors first had to convince the elders of the tribe and only then the people. Have you heard anything about how they did it?

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