thanks to you - Baptist Bible Tribune

New building and church named for Mary Deal
By Mike Randall
Lubumbashi, Congo – The Mary Deal Memorial
Baptist Church was named and a new building
dedicated on November 16. Over 500 people
attended the special services, which included a
ribbon cutting, messages, special music, presentations,
honored guests, and a luncheon. The
church, formerly called Bible Baptist Church, was
renamed to honor
Mary Deal who,
with her husband,
served as a missionary
to the Congo
for 50 years. She
passed away last
April. Special guests
included Missionary
Elmer Deal, Pastor
Don Carden of
Craig County Baptist
Church of Vinita,
Oklahoma, nephew
to the Deals, his wife,
Louise, and Evelyn
Martin, niece to the
Deals.
A capacity crowd
of 450 filled the building, while outside was an
overflow crowd of more than 100. Besides American
guests, Province Chief Kalau, Director of
Lubumbashi Hospital Chengi Borasisi, leaders of
the Congo Baptist Bible
Fellowship, and a group
of 30 area pastors attended.
The three-hour
service began with a
ribbon cutting and water
glass ceremony. Congo
custom is to drink water
out of a glass and then
deposit the water on the
ground as a ceremonial
cleansing before a structure
is dedicated. Host
Pastor Willy Tshamala
then called the meeting to
order and welcomed the
people. Several groups
presented special music.
Guests and honorees
were recognized. Missionary
Elmer Deal presented his wife’s testimony and
expressed his gratitude to all involved. Sending
Pastor Jean Kyenge Salumu gave the history of
the church and Carden preached the dedication
message from the book of Nehemiah. Mukendi
Cikala, Congo BBF Secretary/Treasurer translated
the services into Swahili, English, and French.
Following the services,
the church
hosted a luncheon
for all in attendance.
The meal included
traditional chicken,
fish, and goat meat,
bukari (mush made
of manioc and
corn flour), beans,
french fries, boiled
potatoes, rice,
boiled eggs, tomatoes,
cabbage and
mayonnaise salad,
bread, and cake.
The new building
is approximately
41 feet wide by
74 feet long and 28 feet high. Accommodating
450 people, it took five months to build at a cost
of approximately $75,000. Gifts to the Mary
Deal Memorial Fund, which was established at
(continued)
Observations from Mary Deal’s memorial
By Don Carden, Pastor
Craig County Baptist Church
Vinita, Oklahoma
On November 16, I had the
honor to preach the dedication
service for the Mary Deal
Memorial Baptist Church. Only
with the Lord's help does one
find the words sufficient to honor
someone like Mary Deal. Aunt
Mary and Uncle Elmer have been
very special to us. My sister, Evelyn
Martin, and I spent our high
school years with them and they
became like adopted parents.
I have always been a missions
supporting pastor, but
this trip has brought mission
work to life for me as never
before. I had the honor of
speaking in six Congo churches.
I also visited many of the
other churches in Lubumbashi
and met their dedicated pastors.
The people have won our
hearts. Our burden for the
great masses of people needing
the Lord as Savior in Africa
has never been greater.
Baptist Global Bible Tribune Partners
[ January 2009 ] 21