Disciples of Christ & De-Colonization – CTS from the Archives

Throughout our 100th Anniversary year, we will highlight articles from CTS’ Institutional Historical Collection in our series “CTS from the Archives.” This note from the CTS Archives was written by Rev. Dr. Scott Seay and originally posted April 30, 2021 on Facebook.

Jean Itofo Bokambanza Bokeleale (1919-1997) was the most important Protestant leader in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the three decades following de-colonization. Born and raised near Lotumbe, he entered the mission school of Disciples of Christ Congo Mission (DCCM) in 1937. After completing a college course at the mission’s Institut Cretien Congolais, he taught there and served as an assistant pastor at the Disciples of Christ congregation in Mbandaka (known at the time by its colonial name, Coquilhatville). After more than a decade of teaching and preaching, he entered the Free University of Brussels, where he completed his doctorate in theology in 1964. He returned on the eve of Congolese independence to assume leadership of the Disciples of Christ community. Under his leadership Congolese Disciples expanded their educational work–especially for women–and laid the groundwork for Disciples to enter the union Protestant church in 1970. Bokeleale, in fact, was the first head of communion for the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC), serving until 1997. He consistently stressed the need for the former “mission” churches to develop strong ecumenical bonds with one another and to insist on partnership (not dependence) on European and American churches. He left an indelible imprint on the character of the ECC, its 63 “communities,” its expansive educational and medical ministries, and its 25.5 million members today.

The photo below from the archives shows Bokeleale with CTS president Beauford Norris about 1965. A rare biography of Bokeleale and an account of his role in the formation of the ECC (in French) was donated to CTS by the late Disciple ecumenist, Paul A. Crow (1931-2021).