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Missionaries Profile

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mission challenges: recovery from civil war and continuing conflicts with rebel groups, leadership training, evangelization of less reached groups, holistic ministries

Religions: Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other (includes syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs) 10%

Languages: French and English (both official), Lingala, Kituba, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.

Name of nationality: Congolese

Land area: 875,525 sq. mi.,(2,267,600 sq. km.), slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US

Population: 62,660,551 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Capital: Kinshasa

Clemmer, Bill and Ann Clemmer Bill and Ann

The Clemmers have served in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1995.  During their first term of service they were assigned to the Evangelical Hospital in Vanga where Bill served as Director of the Medical Residency Program and later Medical Director of the 400-bed hospital in the interior of DRC.  Ann taught English as a second language to staff doctors and medical residents, skills necessary for their exams and research projects.  She also worked with local women in village based agricultural programs (AFESU) aimed at self-sufficiency and support of local nutrition programs.


 


In 2000 the Clemmers were relocated from Vanga to the capital city of Kinshasa following a request by Interchurch Medical Assistance (IMA) for Bill to help start up and co-manage an extensive medical relief project in Congo. This faith based relief and development program funded in part by international and church donors currently serves a population of over 12 million persons, many of whom were displaced by Congo's civil war and ethnic conflicts.   The program has brought both "the word and hand of God" to populations devastated by a conflict which has estimated to have claimed over 3 million lives in the past five years (IRC report). 


 


Ann has also extended her educational and training ministries while in Kinshasa. She teaches high school at The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK), where missionary and international children attend. Ann is extensively involved in school board and educational development at TASOK. Additionally she has served on an international accreditation board which evaluates and accredits similar schools on the African continent. She continues to work with women's groups including AFESU in Vanga and a Christian based hospice group providing home care to victims of HIV/AIDS. She still finds time to home school one of their four children.


 


Languages used in ministry: French, Kituba