Official Country Name:Democratic Republic of the Congo
Population:86,791,000
Region:West and Central Africa
Government:Presidential Republic
Official Languages:French
Religious Demographics:Christian ±92%, Evangelical ±18%, Muslim ±1%, Ethnoreligious ±5%
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Number of Evangelicals
Cultural Bridges
Strategic Access
Religious Freedoms
Prosperity
Current Sending
Mobilization Potential
Central Africa's Largest Country Could Take the Gospel to the Unreached
The largest country in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has seen decades of wars and political tension. The DRC was deeply involved in what was nicknamed Africa's First World War in the late 1960s and has not seen many years of rest since. War finally ended in 2003 when a peace treaty was signed as the new government came into power.
A predominantly Catholic nation, the DRC has religious roots reaching back to the 15th century, when Portuguese missionaries brought the gospel. Today, though most of the country identifies as Christian, only 18% is evangelical.
Though the country is religiously free according to the constitution, and many religious groups can coexist harmoniously, the nation is ranked moderately for safety and security.
Because of the country's proximity to Muslim-dominated West Africa, it is surprising that only 1% of the population is Muslim. Because the nation is majority Christian and does not house any significant Muslim population, the DRC's access to unreached is moderate.
The nation ranks low in Legatum Prosperity Index, with a score of 161, the 7th lowest. Despite social tensions, the nation is religiously free, and the church is permitted to practice their faith and openly worship, with a hopeful decrease in violent acts. The church must rely on the Providence of God to protect and provide for their needs, especially in social hostilities and safety threats. When considering all these things, we Praise God for the work He has done and will do in the DRC. We rank their mobilization potential as Moderate.