Congregations asked to join International Day of Prayer for Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo Oct. 19

The Congo Mission Network, which is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is calling on churches and faith communities across the United States and abroad to participate in an International Day of Prayer for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday, Oct. 19.

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The prayer initiative will precede the 2025 Congo Mission Network Conference, to be held Oct. 23–25 at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Congregations are encouraged to host prayer vigils or incorporate special intercessions for the DRC into their worship services that Sunday.

“We are asking all our congregations to pray on the same Sunday for God’s help in bringing peace to DR Congo,” said Roberta Spalding, a convenor of the CMN conference. “The collective prayers of churches across the world will help set a spiritual tone ahead of our gathering.”

CMN is participating in the event alongside Friends of the Congo, sponsor of the prayer vigil. The theme, “Interfaith Prayer for Peace in the Congo,” emphasizes unity across faith traditions as churches join in lifting prayers for peace amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC. Often called “The Forgotten War,” the decades-long conflict in the region has taken a devastating human toll while receiving limited international attention.

The prayer day marks the beginning of “Breaking the Silence Congo Week,” an international campaign organized by Friends of the Congo and observed from Oct. 19–25. Since its launch in 2008, the campaign has honored the millions of lives lost in the conflict and advocated for peace, justice, and human dignity in the region.

Liturgy, background materials, and additional resources are available here.