July 15, 2026
Amid Ebola crisis and Christian persecution, CEF® expands Gospel outreach in DRC
Fred Pry, CEF Vice President of Administration: ‘Across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faithful believers are sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in places many would never choose to go’
ST. LOUIS — The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is battling its third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with cases spreading through the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. The public health crisis is unfolding in a region already strained by years of armed conflict and religious persecution, where many Christian families live under the constant threat of violence and displacement.
As children and families navigate these overlapping challenges, Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®) is committed to bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to communities across eastern DRC. Through children’s evangelism, leadership training and partnerships with local churches, CEF is equipping believers to share the Gospel and point young people to the hope and redemption found only in Christ.
“When headlines focus on violence, disease and uncertainty, it’s easy to overlook the children living through those realities every day,” said Fred Pry, CEF Vice President of Administration. “Our local CEF teams are faithfully entering these communities to share the hope of Christ, reminding children and families that they are not forgotten. Even in the midst of persecution and public health crises, God continues to open doors for the Gospel.”
CEF is stepping through those doors with three core ministries: Good News Club®, the CEF after-school program that equips trained volunteers to share God’s Word through engaging lessons, Scripture memory, songs and games; school ministry, which partners with local schools to present Bible lessons and the Good News of Jesus Christ; and teacher training, which equips believers to evangelize and disciple children in their own communities. Together, these ministries help children grow in faith while strengthening churches for lasting outreach.
Across eastern DRC, these efforts are already bearing fruit. In South Kivu, one ministry worker saw hundreds of children respond to the Gospel during the first quarter of 2026. Through school ministry, 555 children heard the Good News, with 315 professing faith in Christ. Another 652 children participated in Good News Club, where 556 made decisions for Christ. The team also hosted a Super Seminar, a specialized CEF training program that equips teachers and volunteers for children’s ministry.
In North Kivu, ministry efforts carry considerable risk. One local leader described serving in a “red zone,” where decades of conflict have left families facing violence, poverty and limited access to education and medical care. Even so, CEF teams continue reaching children through Good News Club, school ministry and open-air evangelism, proclaiming the Gospel in communities where hope is difficult to find.
Elsewhere in South Kivu, local CEF leadership reported continued growth through school ministry and Good News Club, reaching more than 1,400 children during the first quarter of 2026 and seeing more than 1,000 professions of faith. Building on that momentum, the team is preparing additional teacher training, evangelistic outreach and partnerships with local churches in the months ahead.
“Behind headlines about conflict, disease and persecution are children whose lives have been forever changed,” said Pry. “Across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, faithful believers are sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in places many would never choose to go. Our prayer is that God will continue using these local ministries to transform lives, strengthen His Church and point children to Christ for generations to come.”
Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), founded in 1937, has been establishing the Good News Club® in countries around the world for decades.
In 2025, more than 34 million children worldwide were impacted by the Good News through CEF ministries.
For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.
CEF is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,800 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.
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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
