First song of the Trio Sango Malamu recoreded in 1980
Some Called Him Maverick
PREFACE
While the family was home on and extended home assignment 1987-89, we were “Missionaries-in-Residence” at Peace Portal Alliance Church. That wasn’t extraordinary as we had been there already on our home assignment in 1982-83 and it seemed a good fit. We helped out in many areas, not the least of which was often leading in worship. It was a passion of mine to see people worship, not just singing. I didn’t consider my role to a “song leader”, but a “worship leader” and the people responded well to that style of leadership. We weren’t just calling people to sing, but to worship our Savior in singing, playing, taking the offering and even preaching.
I loved the people at PPAC and it was a treat to be able to use the gifts that God had given me and to use them in ENGLISH. While we were home for those two years ’87 to ’89 people of the church were hinting to me (and to the pastor obviously) that I should be asked to come on staff as their worship pastor. So it wasn’t surprising to me that the Pastor (at the time) called me to his office for an interview.
After the niceties were done he began with, “Many people have suggested that I ask you to come on staff as our worship pastor for the next few years—you may be aware of this.” I responded that yes, some people have suggested that to me. But then his next statements really caught me off guard. He immediately followed with, but “we can’t work together.” I was stunned. Why not, it seemed to be going well so far, what was the problem? He said that I wouldn’t be able to follow his direction. I objected, politely of course, and intimated that I had never had a problem working with those in authority over me. I followed up with saying that if he gave me a job to do I would get it done. And then he said something that really floored me. He said, “Yes, I know you’ll get the job done, but you won’t do it my way! You’re a maverick, Jim, and it would be too hard for you to minister here the way I want you too. Now don’t get me wrong. The term ‘maverick’ in my understanding has no negative connotation; it just means that you don’t necessarily run with the pack. I need someone here who will follow my lead right down to the letter.”
Well, needless to say, I was devastated for I felt that God had definitely indicated that I would be on staff there. It wasn’t that I was pushing for it; I just felt that this was what God wanted me to do for the next few years while our children integrated into the Canadian school system, get acculturated, graduate and then be on their own. Now, I was refused the position because I was a maverick! I really didn’t understand. But as I thought about it, I began to realize that Pastor Bubna had great insight and really understood my character. He had hit the proverbial nail on the head and had really tagged me correctly. Maybe he was right, he knew how strict he could be and he knew what a free runner I was and didn’t want either of us to have to change.
However for the two years that I was on home assignment as missionary in residence at PPAC I was continually asked by the pastor to lead in worship and even give a worship seminar to other potential leaders. Eventually both of us were happy with that arrangement. On Sundays he didn’t try to fit me into his mold for I was free to lead as I felt lead by the Holy Spirit in the allotted time he gave me. But the rest of the week I was a missionary on home assignment. And yes, I did a lot of travelling and ministering with the Trio Sango Malamu right across Canada and then with my daughter Loralee and on different “Missionary Tours”.
“Maverick!” That term got me thinking as to how God had directed my life, even before I was a confirmed believer. In high school I saw the opportunity one day to play the bass fiddle in the jazz band that Mr. Steele was leading. I didn’t know how to play but had a vision of how to do it and requested that I try out. He was astounded at how I played, never having had an upright bass fiddle in my hand before. That led to him arranging for me to have a few free lessons and that led me to putting a musical group together in high school—with voices and instruments and interestingly enough this kind of thing had never been done before.
My thoughts jumped to Kitimat and my pastorate. I was on my own, no other Alliance leader around me. It was my first church plant as the official pastorate and I was able to do things the way I thought was good for my people. The Alliance “law” was that no divorcee could sit on the board, but one of the leading foundering members of the church, a leader spiritually and in many other ways, was a divorcee. We had no choice; he had to be on the board of elders. Even before that, while I was pastoring in Wild Rose North Dakota (during my last year at CBC), the Alliance “law” stipulated that there would be no women on the board of elders. BUT, there was no one person more suited to be on the board than this fine Christian woman, a leader in the church and in the community, so she was on the board. Not only that, she was the chair person.
God seemed to give me the liberty to run a little outside of the “pack” with no repercussions. I believe even though “it just wasn’t done that way”, I had the opportunity to slip under the radar with God and He blessed the work of HIS leading.
When we went to Kinshasa, I was made pastor of two churches by the District Superintendent Pastor Mabiala Mavungu and the treasurer of the district. I said the Alliance Mission “law” (policy) didn’t allow for either of those things to take place, but because he was my superintendent I would comply for a time. Being a pastor in Kinshasa certainly helped me learn the Lingala language fast. I don’t think that there could have been a better language learning program for me. But it certainly wasn’t the norm.
When I was reprimanded for an innovation, thinking and moving outside of the CMA field “box”, as a disciplinary action, I was given no responsibilities and almost thought of going home. The Lord gave me a vision for and directed me to begin TEE for the Alliance in Kinshasa. It became a wonderfully exciting ministry, never done before with the Alliance in Kinshasa and I had all the room to envision and innovate as I felt directed by the Holy Spirit. He blessed the effort and soon we had 7 centers with over 100 students. At this point I trained other leaders, held conferences with them and this ministry mushroomed on from there.
As this ministry was being given to the national church leaders, I felt directed and called by the Lord into full time evangelism. Two young men were available to work with me in music and the Trio Sango Malamu was born. With Sango Malamu we started a music ministry that was a first of its kind in the Congo. We ministered together for ten years and sang and preached in front of some hundreds of thousands of people, from lowly rural villages to Stadiums, from seemingly inconsequential surroundings to the elite expensive hotel forums and from banquets to TV platforms across Central and West Africa, in the USA, Canada and eventually Europe. It certainly was God directed, but it had never been done quite like that before. The Lord had given this maverick a vision of bringing what He had done in the Congo, through years of mission’s giving and sending, to the rest of world through worship (music) and evangelism (personal sharing and preaching). And it happened. That ministry birthed many other Christian musical groups and worship bands to the end that worship leading became the norm in almost all the churches in the Congo.
The Lord began to give this “maverick” vision for other ministries that had never been done before, at least for over the 30 years that President Mobutu was in power. From the ministry and influence of the group Sango Malamu came a professional Christian recording studio—which became known as Studios Sango Malamu, the first of its kind in Kinshasa. It could have even been the first professional Christian Recording Studio in the whole of the Congo or even the rest of West and Central Africa. In the first 5 years we recorded over 100 cassette albums each year (2 a week, one shift during the day hours and another during the night hours) and fulfilled another vision the Lord had given—to make Christian cassette available on the market as Bibles were available.
Out of that ministry came:
1. The first three camera video studio in Kinshasa for Christian Artists.
2. The first Christian cassette reproduction and distributing house for Christian music—multiplying tapes in mass reproduction, conceiving and making cassette jackets and labels for the artists and distributing the product to many outlets around the city and the rest of the Congo.
3. The first Music and Worship School of its kind in Kinshasa and the rest of the Congo.
4. The first radio station, Radio Sango Malamu, in Kinshasa and the vision then spread to many parts of Central and West Africa.
From these ministries came the Sango Malamu TV station and eventually “SSM Ministries”, a radio/television network of 4 radio stations in other parts of the Congo and the one TV station. Still other sister stations were birthed in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo, Libreville, Gabon and seeds of other stations were sown in Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Niger, Benin and other areas across Africa.
It seemed like Maverick would receive vision after vision for ministry that only the Lord himself could have given and what was so pleasantly surprising was that the Christian and Missionary Alliance allowed me to “run” with these visions. I learned early on that if I would have vision for ministry, I needed to give that vision immediately back to God and wait on Him. If He would begin to open doors for that vision, then I would understand that it was definitely from HIM . These “visions for ministry” scared my wife almost to the death (for what did I know about recording studios and radio or video production??). Yet when the Lord would give them back to me and open doors, I would run like the wind with them. In the words of Eric Liddell, “I believe God made me for a purpose… And when I run I feel His pleasure.” When I ran with the vision that God had given back to me, I could feel “His pleasure”. I think that is what mavericks do. They run, but not necessarily with the pack! I believe that the CMA not only allowed me to run, but encouraged me to run and many times (if not all the time) they ran with me, even though much of what was done or accomplished was on the border line of CMA policy or not even within the lines of protocol. I thank God for His leading and I thank The Christian and Missionary Alliance for being so good to us, so supportive and so understanding.
ACKNOWLEGEMENT
I indeed want to thank all (and you are many) who contributed to our ministry in prayer and financial support. I thank Pastor Ron Gifford of the Peace Portal Alliance Church who first encouraged the C&MA to run with me on my first year back home in Canada on Home Assignment. And thanks to the CMA (USA and Canada) for taking his advice (or so it seemed) and being so good to us in so many instances, even when I took the bit in my mouth and ran with projects that I felt were God given. I especially thank you, the CMA in Canada, for standing by us when Dawn took so sick and was near death. You kept us on allowance for much longer than you needed. We praise God for you all. I believe your unending support and understanding made the difference in our ministry. We could not have ministered with and for a better mission/church organization.
I especially need to thank 3 key men, Daryl Brooks, Ted Hilton and Byron Best (chairman of GNI), who played a great part in financially supporting our visions. They and all the members of the board of Good News International Ministries not only contributed enormously to our ministry in the Congo, but also stood by us in every situation. Without them, their counsel and financial support, we could not have done what we felt God leading us to do. We are eternally grateful.
I also want to thank, and give a huge ovation to my wife, Dawn and our three kids for travelling this journey with me. Like the song says, “It’s not an easy road, we are travelling together and many are the thorns on the way…” All the kids were able to join us in Kinshasa after they had already flown the nest and were always supportive of all that we were involved in. One of my great joys was to visit the Ivory Coast Academy and see our kids in action, whether singing, studying, relating to other students or being active in sports. It was pure joy to have Rod with us a couple of times working hard in the studio and doing graphic design for us. Also, a real treat to travel on tour with Loralee, singing and ministering together in our CMA churches. Jon-Marc, our youngest, gave us the greatest compliment ever when he said, “I couldn’t have had a better up bringing anywhere. Thanks for how you made it all happen.” (Or words to that effect.) Thanks kids for your great support in life and in writing this book.
And Dawn, Wheew! What can I say? She has been an incredible mate. Without her I would not have grown in many areas of my Christian life. Without her I could never have gained the trust and friendships of the Congolese colleagues as I had. Without her our home would never have had the open door that it had to all Congolese that we worked with, to those that we helped along the way and even to those who stayed in our home for a weekend or for a month or for several years. My wife was God’s answer to me for ministry and although she didn’t get involved in church planting, or in singing with the Sango Malamu Trio (not that much), or in the recording studio, the video studio or the radio minister in any direct manner, I couldn’t have done anything without her support and gracious hospitality that helped so much in showing our love to our Congolese family. God planted in her a care for and love for “people” especially those who were hurting or alone. I thank God for her every day for she surely has a servant heart and that went a long way in keeping us true to His calling in our lives.
And by the way, having Pastor Charles Yangu, then he and his wife Elise and then he, his wife and little son Joshua in our home over a stint of several years was a great honor and blessing to us. They have both passed on now, but their lives have made an indelible impression on us, on me. They opened up many doors of ministry to us and helped us understand the difficult areas of ministering in a different culture. I loved them dearly. They were our adopted children. Thanks to Charles who always ran interference for me at Sango Malamu, in a good way, who always counselled and prayed with all at Sango Malamu Studios as their beloved Chaplain. I believe Sango Malamu weathered many early storms and is still a viable ministry today due to his ministry to us. I just want to thank God for him and all the wonderful people that he brought into our lives. Without him, many areas of this book would not have been written.
I also want to thank all the C&MA missionaries of Zaire and the Congo, who were our leaders and colleagues for many years, for doing all you could to work in harmony with this maverick. I realize now that it must have been difficult at times, but you hung in there and I still consider you all our “missionary family”. Thanks for displaying love at every turn.
Friendship is a prized possession and without these personal relationships life would be hard, maybe unbearable. From time to time, the Lord brought to us wonderful friendships outside of the “mission”, both in the white and black communities. I recognize now how important these relationships were to me (to both of us and to all of us as a family) and how these friendships and interactions with each other really helped us do life in the Congo. I am truly grateful for all the good friends we made in the Congo which enriched our lives, benefited our ministry and broadened our world view.
The friendship of the Peace Portal Alliance Church and that of Bev and Merl Francis and their two girls were God-sent friendships for us. Our 2nd time on home assignment we were asked to be missionaries in residence and PPAC. This was a wonderful experience for us and this became our home church for years to come. They not only loved on us, but they also always prepared a home for us and transportation! When we asked what they wanted from us they simply said, “Nothing! We just want to love on you while you are at home this year!” That is exactly what they did.
Bev and Merl were part of that love for as Loralee prayed for a special friend their daughter Tanya filled the bill. Bev and Merl’s family became almost like our family and after my parents died it seemed like their place became our home away from home (in the Congo). I thank God for their friendship since the early ‘80s until this day. Their kids were good friends with our kids, Bev looked after our finances as needed, they were in on the beginnings of GNI and looked after the books, they played host to the Trio on numerous occasions and were always at the ready. Thank you Bev and Merl and kids for being such gracious, good and generous friends!
I am deeply grateful for all the people mentioned above, but there is a small group of 11 that have surely conquered my heart, from the youngest to the oldest, my grandkids! And it is to you that grandpa is writing this story. I have so enjoyed so much walking with my Savior through all the ups and downs of my life that I felt I just had to leave to my memoirs as a legacy to you. I trust that it will encourage you to really know God, through His Son Jesus, to really understand how much He loves you and how you can prove Him true to His Word in every situation. I am hoping that through my life’s experiences you will see that, “there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” If in the reading of my accounts of life will help you to say (as I have said), “I will trust in Him no matter what!” Then, I think I have accomplished my goal in writing all that I have put down. Grandma and I pray for you always and some of the older ones even more specifically. May God open your eyes to see more of the spiritual realities behind the accounts and experiences than just the physical. Amen.
Disclaimer
It seems that sometimes I refer to those that live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as Congolese and sometimes as Zairian. Those who lived during the name change to Zaire were often called Zairians, but in actual fact they were always Congolese. The people never changed, the country never moved. President Mobutu just decided to change the name to further his own interests. It is hard for me to call the people that I served and worked with as two different names while I view them as one group, the “Congolese people” or simply, “The Congolese”.
In actual fact, the Bakongo, or the Kongo people, also referred to as the Congolese, are a Bantu ethnic group who live along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe Noire (the Republic of Congo) to Luanda, Angola. They are primarily defined by the speaking of Kikongo, a common language. They are the largest ethnic group in the Republic of Congo. In the late 20th century, the Kongo population was about 10,220,000.
It is most likely the Kongo people arrived in the region of the mouth of the Congo River before 500 BCE, as part of the larger Bantu migration. The region that is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo was first settled about 1400 years ago. It is supposed that Bantu migration arrived in the region from Nigeria in the 7th century AD. The Kingdom of the Kongo remained present in the region between the 14th and the early 19th centuries. In time the spelling was changed to “Congo”.
So If I refer to the people of Zaire or the DRC as Congolese, I refer to them as historically named and as an ethnic group which doesn’t change even though the name of the country was changed for a time.
