View source for Djimbo Kubula (Timothée) (1905-1990)

Kubula (Timothée) Djimbo (b. 1905) grew up as a slave of a chief. The chief gave him to missionaries Aaron and Ernestina Janzen as a student for their mission school at Kafumba. Kubala became one of the first converts, accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord in 1927. After primary school he was sent to Kiandu to teach. He was called back to Kafumba and given more Bible teaching. In 1938 he was ordained and became the first African pastor of the [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren Church]] in Zaire (later [[Congo, Democratic Republic of|Democratic Republic of Congo]]). In addition he was also involved in reducing his language to writing and translating the Scriptures.

In 1960 he became vice-chairman of the Église du Christ au Zaire, Communauté des Églises de Frères Mennonites au Zaire, (Mennonite Brethren Church of Zaire) and a leader in the Reference and Counsel Committee. During the civil unrest of 1964-1965 he and his wife had to hide in the forests, and he barely escaped execution. He continued as pastor of the church at Kafumba and, at least till 1987, although almost blind, he continued to give strength and encouragement to the church he had helped found 60 years earlier.

Djimbo Kubala died 2 January 1990.
= Bibliography =
<em class="gameo_bibliography">Foreign Missions—Africa</em>. Hillsboro, KS: Mennonite Brethren Board of Foreign Missions,1947: 28-30.

Loewen, Don. "Death of Zairian Pioneer Pastor is the End of an Era."<em class="gameo_bibliography"> Mennonite Weekly Review</em> (15 February 1990): 6.
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