MB Foundation will match, dollar for dollar, funds needed to support one Congolese congregation in the CORD Program. Funding for one church costs $55,500, and MB Foundation is committed to matching the next $27,750 donated for this program.

Thanks to generous people like you, we have received over $18,000 for Christian Center Hand of God, the first church in USMB's CORD program!

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (ESV) "And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

USMB is partnering with immigrant churches through the new CORD program to create a movement of self-sustaining churches and leaders capable of teaching and/or assisting new and developing congregations.

USMB will partner for three years with up to three vetted congregations at a cost of $55,500 per church, funded primarily by congregations and individual partners.

The first congregation in the CORD program is Christian Center the Hand of God in Hamilton, Ohio, led by pastor Hermann Mputu. By giving to CORD, you can help fund not only the expansion of this congregation's building, but also ease Mputu’s workload and fund his continued training.

Would you consider financial partnership through CORD? Click here to donate and select the CORD designation. For more information, contact Henri Ngolo at henri@usmb2stg.wpengine.com or Terry Hunt at pastortwh@gmail.com.

Make a donation to CORD today to double the impact of your gift!
(Select "CORD Program" under Designation.)

About Christian Center the Hand of God

With a sanctuary built for 60 people and an average weekly attendance of 90, Christian Center the Hand of God in Hamilton, Ohio, is bursting at the seams.

Pastor Hermann Mputu says this USMB congregation, which is comprised primarily of French-speaking immigrants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has standing room only.

“Every Sunday, most people stand up,” Mputu says. “They stand for all the service.”

The congregation’s 60 children—from babies to teenagers—squeeze into one small room at the back for Sunday school. The lack of space also limits activities during the week.

“We try to do what we can, but the first need is to expand our church building,” Mputu says. “We cannot have two activities at the same time because we have one room. If this group has an activity, the other one has to wait. The problem is, some people might be off only one or two days a week in the evening.”

You can help provide more space for CCHG’s growing congregation by partnering through the CORD program, which provides funding for vetted congregations like Mputu’s over three years. CCHG is the first participant in the CORD program, and by giving to CORD, you can help fund not only the expansion of CCHG’s building, but also ease Mputu’s workload and fund his continued training.

A growing church

Mputu has a legal background as a lawyer in DRC, but he has served nearly 17 years in ministry. He and his wife, Mamie, started CCHG with a prayer group in their apartment living room in 2014. As the gathering grew, the group moved to other spaces, and the church officially organized in 2015. Three years in, the congregation collected money to purchase its current building.

“If we see what’s happening now (and) the number of people coming to the church, we can say glory to Jesus,” Mputu says. “I’m very excited, first of all, that the presence of the Holy Spirit is there. Second, the church is growing.”

Most of the CCHG congregation is from DRC, but some come from Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Togo. Sunday services are presented in French and translated to English, while children are taught in English. Church ministries include a Wednesday night Bible study, Friday prayer meeting and Saturday leadership training.

Church membership nearly doubles the weekly attendance, but conflicting work schedules mean not everyone comes on a given Sunday. On special occasions, there’s not room for everyone.

“We can do more”

Mputu is bivocatonal, working up to 50 hours a week at a factory to support his ministry at CCHG and family of six.

“It’s a growing church, but right now, the church doesn’t pay me,” Mputu says. “I’m working somewhere else, but it’s my calling to be a pastor.”

Operating on five or six hours of sleep, Mputu wakes up at 4 a.m. and returns home by 4 p.m. to pick up his children from school, make sure their homework is done and eat supper. He spends most evenings at church, either in personal prayer for the congregation, Bible study or corporate prayer.

“Sometimes I have to call off when I’m working if I have a lot of people to talk with, to counsel them,” Mputu says. “I’m very busy. The Lord is gracing us with more souls. We need to take care of them.”

Mputu spends most weekends at church, including on Saturday for leadership training and choir practice, and on Sunday for the three-hour service at 10:30 a.m. and visiting with the congregation. He returns home at 5 p.m. in time for his two-hour The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) class at 6 p.m. TUMI is a ministry of World Impact that provides Christian leadership education.

“We are very excited (about) what God is doing here in Cincinnati, but one thing is time,” Mputu says. “We can do more than what we’re doing now, but I don’t have enough time to focus on the ministry because I have a family to take care of. If we are full-time in the ministry, we can do more than what we’re doing now.”

CORD partnership

Through the CORD program, USMB will partner with CCHG, providing $55,500 over three years for educational training, facility expansion and a pastoral stipend.

CORD funds will be used to expand the CCHG building to accommodate growth, as well as help ease Mputu’s workload and fund his continued training. After Mputu completes the 16-module TUMI certificate program, the goal is for him to continue his biblical training and education by enrolling in an online course at Tabor College, says Terry Hunt, Eastern District Minister and chair of the Integrated Immigrant Council.

Having a larger space will not only make it possible for more people to attend CCHG on Sunday but will also allow for more opportunities for youth and for simultaneous activities during the week.

Please prayerfully consider donating to CORD to partner with Mputu and the CCHG congregation.

For more information or to donate, visit www.usmb.org/cord-program.

OUR MODEL

The CORD model will provide:

  1. Biblical Training and Educational resources focused around our Confession of Faith. We require our pastors to have a solid understanding of the Bible and agreement with our denominational Confession of Faith. To that end, we will financially assist the leader/pastor with a qualified Bible training program (diploma or certificate), resources and training on our Confession of Faith, administrative principals, and Biblically based stewardship. We will walk the individual through the enrollment and financial application process and provide $500 a year towards their expenses.
  2. Assistance with establishing a stable place of worship. We understand the need for a safe, affordable, and consistent community meeting place for a growing congregation. We will provide council to the church and offer $1,000 monthly assistance in establishing terms for lease agreements.
  3. Development of pastors/key leaders capable of shepherding a healthy church. We will provide a $500 per month stipend to give the pastor space financially in order to give time towards training and congregational development. Each pastor will also be assigned a coach from their district.
  4. Connecting each church to available resources and other like-minded congregations and organizations. We will facilitate sister church connections within the USMB. It is our desire that there will be a mutual exchange of friendship, ideas, and support. This could be sending delegates to each other’s services, prayer, and special needs. Additionally, we will partner with Multiply and immigrant churches to develop healthy relationships with their home country churches.

To qualify for CORD, a church must have joined a USMB district and credentialed its pastor. We are committed to only supporting what has been fully funded at the projected cost of $55,500 per church.

A seed invested in godly soil will produce a harvest for God’s Kingdom!

Please contact Henri Ngolo, Integrated Immigrant Coordinator, Terry Hunt, Eastern District Minister, or your District Minister for further information.

Make a donation to CORD today to double the impact of your gift!

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