Congolese Martyr
Approx 1975- 1996
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Fizi area of the Sud Kivu province, in his village of Kalundja, Mishaki was born to a Wabembe family.
Mwenebatù Mishaki was the firstborn son in his family. Like many other firstborn sons in the Wabembe tribe, he was given the name Mwenebatù, which means “belonging to the people.” Mwenebatù is a name of honor, but also of responsibility. Mwenebatùs take care of their families and their communities. They lay down their lives for others.
Mishaki loved school and he loved to learn. Even as an adult, he wanted to learn more and more, and especially to learn about God. He was drawn to the idea that God made people in God’s own image. “God must really value us,” he thought. “Humans must really be special to God.” Mishaki became a pastor, and also a teacher and community leader.
Pastor Mishaki loved his people well. His home was always open to his neighbors. People would knock on his door all hours of the night, asking for prayer. Mishaki was quick to leave his bed and care for those who came to him.
Mishaki felt in his heart the love of Jesus, the ultimate Mwenebatù. He knew that all people belong with Jesus, and in Jesus, Mishaki knew that all people belonged to each other.
Before Mishaki was a pastor, and even before he was born, there was violence in Rwanda, a country next to Congo. To stay safe, some of the Rwandan people came to Mishaki’s zone of Fizi. Many settled in the mountains and became known as the Banyamulenge, or mountainous people, even after they made their homes across eastern Congo. Though sometimes it was hard for these larger people groups to live as neighbors, the lives of the Banyamulenge and the Wabembe people were woven together peacefully in Fizi. They got married, they lived and worked and went to school together.
As Mishaki grew in faith and became a pastor, there were increasing tensions between the Banyamulenge and Wabembe people in Fizi. One sad night in 1996, some Banyamulenge people attacked their Wabembe neighbors. The Wabembe people fought back. The two groups turned aside from their neighbors and became enemies, and the region became a place of war and violence. Many people died.
Mishaki continued to love. He preached often to both groups of people, reminding them that all people are made in the image of God. “Humanity is special to God,” he said. “We are ALL valuable to God. Stop killing each other!”
Once, some leaders in the Wabembe tribe came to him and said, “Stop telling us to love each other. You could use your voice for good, to make our tribe stronger, so that we can defend ourselves and our land. You could help us.”
But Mishaki said no. “I will always preach love. We are all valuable people, loved by God. God wants us to love each other, and to see the value of our brothers and neighbors.”
One October night, there were no clouds in the sky, but there were stormy clouds in the hearts of a violent group, who came through Mishaki’s neighborhood, killing children. The villagers hid, but Mwenebatù Mishaki knew what he needed to do. He walked out of his home, straight to the group of attackers, and he wept. “Why are you doing this to us?” he asked. “If you must kill someone, kill me instead.”
The attackers went away that night and many lives were saved, but they did not forget their anger. The next night, they returned and this time, they killed Mishaki.
Mishaki’s family and many other people in Fizi ran to safety in Tanzania as refugees. As those he died for now spread across the world, Mishaki’s legacy of love and faith lives on. Because of his teaching, Mishaki’s neighbors go forward into new lands with their heads held high, assured of their value as image bearers of God, valuing the lives of all people. Because of the gift of his life that he lay down for his friends, Mishaki’s neighbors now serve, lead, and teach in their new churches and communities. Because of his love, Mishaki’s neighbors know more of the fullness of the love of God.
Mwenebatù Mishaki loved, and he chose love, even when it cost him everything.
Some of Mishaki's family, including his wife, son, and grandchildren, attend St Luke's, and are leaders here in our community. His son, Apalasi Mwenebatù, has founded and led St Luke's to fund an English language school in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania so refugees headed to English speaking countries might have more autonomy and ease in their transitions to their new homes. The family continues to bear the name Mwenebatù well, as they live into this legacy.
