Elkhart, Indiana, USA – Holy Spirit fire dances in Bercy Mundedi’s eyes. It sets aflame the ministries to which she has been called – the most recent being to lead the Kalonda Bible Institute in Democratic Republic of Congo.

She was named director during the 29 June 29–3 July 2016 general assembly of Communauté Mennonite au Congo (Mennonite Church of Congo), which takes place every two years. The institute, located about three miles from the denomination’s headquarters in Tshikapa, is one of the main centres where Mennonite pastors are trained in Congo. There are 36 students enrolled at Kalonda, eight of whom are women.

“Reverend Pastor Mundedi is a woman who has strong spiritual, moral and intellectual qualities,” said Adolphe Komuesa Kalunga, national president of Mennonite Church of Congo. “She has shown herself to be committed to Jesus Christ and devoted to pastoral ministry. We have seen her to be eager to respond to whatever ministry the church requests of her.”

Mundedi has an intimate knowledge of KBI, having taught there for 10 years. She was one of the first three Mennonite Church of Congo women to be ordained in 2013 and rejoices in being part of the breakthrough work that God is doing in her denomination.

“My joy overflows,” Mundedi said just prior to her installation as KBI director. She described her vision for this ministry church leadership training to lead to transformation of the whole person.

“I want to promote holy leadership in our churches,” Mundedi said. “I also want to inspire other women and girls to use their gifts in the church, to let them know that the gifts the Holy Spirit gives them are to be used in building up the church.”

When she was 14, Mundedi was already preaching to her classmates. Older women noticed her spiritual understanding and encouraged her to pursue theological studies. Mundedi said she never would have made this decision without their intervention because, at that time, women could not teach and preach in the church.

In 1996, after completing her degree in theology in Kinshasa, Mundedi returned to her village to teach. Her gifts came to the attention of national Mennonite leaders, and they hired her as a KBI professor. The irony was clear: Though church policies did not allow Mundedi to be a pastor, they invited her to train pastors.

Rod Hollinger-Janzen, executive coordinator of Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, said Mundedi is the first woman to direct a Mennonite Church of Congo institution since Elvina Martens, a North American missionary doctor, oversaw the denomination’s medical work in the 1960s.

—Lynda Hollinger-Janzen, Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission and Eastern Mennonite Missions