by Eugenio Duarte

Monday morning commerce was hectic in the most populated suburb of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Just the day before after worship service, these same streets had seemed wide and open, but today, as with most African towns, there was more business in the streets than in the buildings. Trailers, donkeys, bicycles, and men on foot all zigzagged among each other in these crowded streets, hauling products like fresh vegetables, fish, fabrics, building materials, and electronic devices, all in a chaos that my friend C. felt comfortable maneuvering through.

Most of the bicycles, I observed, were being used as taxis. “That is the kind of work I did right here as a young man," my friend said. “I grew up in this place. Life wasn’t easy."

When C. was still a boy, his father left home. His mother was determined to work hard to provide food, clothing, and shelter for her children. By her words and example, she taught them not to be afraid of hardships because “hardship builds character."

By buying his own bicycle and starting his business, my friend was able to help his mother feed the family. His diligence attracted the attention of the Catholic priest, who hired him for a day. His work pleased the priest so much that he established a regular schedule of duties for C.

Daily contact with the priest brought this young man close to the Catholic community where he learned about his need to please God. His hunger for a holy life kept growing, and he decided that he would pursue holiness by watching and following the priest’s path. Others tried to sidetrack him, and for a time he thought that perhaps pleasing God was an impossible desire. Yet as he prayed he kept asking God, “If it is impossible to please You, why do I have this deep desire in my heart? Why is it that the more I pray to You the more this desire grows in me?"

C. thought that any church other than the Catholic Church was false. However, out of courtesy to a friend, he agreed to attend a revival service at the Church of the Nazarene. There he heard for the first time the clear message of holiness. He realized that holy living can never be achieved by working harder or trying to be holy. He could be holy and pleasing to God only by allowing the Holy Spirit to take full control.

When he fully surrendered to God, he understood that he had been called not only to live a holy life but also to share a holy message. He accepted God’s call to ministry. Today after theological training in two Nazarene institutions, he now uses his church planting and educational gifts to show others the way to holiness.

When my friend introduced me to five of his coworkers who became Nazarenes under his ministry, I asked each one: “Why did you become a Nazarene?" Though their exact words varied, the answer was always the same: “Because of the message of holiness and the life of holiness."

One of those men told me in detail about his introduction to the Church of the Nazarene. One night when he arrived home, he found a simple message from C.: “I found it! The Church of the Nazarene makes it clear." His friend said, “I knew that if it was possible to live a holy life, C. would make the discovery. Without hesitation I followed his leadership and found it for myself."

How many others in that city of over a million people are looking for someone to lead them to the Way, the Truth, and the Life? Nazarenes now have five churches in Lubumbashi. Their goal is to plant 50 churches in five years so that others may find the way of holiness. With the help of the Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible!

--Eugenio Duarte is director of the Africa Region of the Church of the Nazarene