One city, two separate Youth Days. Two District Apostles, one faith. This story took place last year in Kinshasa. Here are a few impressions that left a lasting impression.
South, West, North-East: almost all points of the compass are represented in the place names. And there are two city centres, so to speak. However, it is not the congregations of the city that are named in this way, but the ten Apostle districts.
Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to around 1,700 New Apostolic congregations. It is no wonder therefore that last year’s Youth Day was celebrated in two shifts, so to speak.
In May, despite rain in the morning, more than 10,000 young people from the eastern Apostle districts gathered for a divine service in N’sele, which was conducted by District Apostle Michael Deppner. This was just a few weeks before his retirement.
Photos: ENA RDC Ouest
Three months after his appointment as the new District Apostle, Élie-Tatien Mukinda officiated at the second Youth Day in October. Just over 9,600 young people from the western Apostle districts gathered at the Palais du Peuple.
Photos: ENA RDC Ouest
“Both gatherings, in N’sele and at the Palais du Peuple, were characterised by the same desire,” the Regional Church DR Congo-West reports: to develop in faith, to move from fear to trust, and from disunity to unity.