Letters from Bob and Kristi Rice
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The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 147
Rev. Bob and Kristi Rice
Mission co-workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2010
Serving at the invitation of the Presbyterian Community of Congo
Blog: Embracing Hope
Give to Bob and Kristi's MinistryMeet Bob and Kristi in a videoDownload Bob and Kristi's prayer card
Contact: Bob Rice (bob.rice@pcusa.org)
Contact: Kristi Rice (kristi.rice@pcusa.org)
Bob and Kristi will next be in the USA and available for speaking request July - December 2016. Email them or the Mission Connections office (Rachel.Anderson@pcusa.org) to extend an invitation to visit your congregation or organization.
About Bob and Kristi Rice's ministry
Bob and Kristi Rice began in January 2010 as mission workers of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they serve with the Presbyterian Community of Congo (CPC). They serve as consultants and colleagues with the CPC, with an active involvement in visioning and implementing new initiatives in Christian education and evangelism, including the development of curriculum and traveling throughout the region as members of the evangelism team. Kristi serves with community development and microloan projects connected to the CPC as she seeks to empower the poor and demonstrate God’s love.
The Presbyterian Community of Congo was founded by Presbyterian missionaries in the 1890s and is the largest Protestant denomination in the Congo with more than a million members. In a country that has been ravaged by atrocities and years of conflict, the CPC has continued to witness to the good news of God’s word through a holistic ministry. There are more than 700 parishes in the Kasai region. Bob and Kristi are excited to serve alongside this vibrant community of faith.
Country context
The Democratic Republic of Congo, a country roughly one quarter the size of the United States, has been ravaged by conflict. The havoc wreaked by the rebellion that ousted the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997 and the following war to topple President Joseph Kabila have been aggravated by internal and regional inter-ethnic sentiments. After two civil wars the country is left with a devastated infrastructure and economy. People throughout the country struggle daily for survival. Despite these circumstances, the church in the DRC continues to faithfully bear witness to Christ’s good news through their multifold ministries.
About Bob and Kristi Rice
Bob brings a passion for evangelism, equipping leaders, and building up the church. Kristi serves also with community development and microloan projects connected to the CPC as she seeks to empower the poor and demonstrate God’s love. They join with their brothers and sisters who are working to make a difference in the name of Christ. “We are gripped by the humanitarian and spiritual crisis of the Congolese people,” they explain. “This history of exploitation in the Congo—riddled with slavery, subjugation, exploitation, and human cruelty —dates back centuries. This tragic background coupled with desperate need has burdened our hearts. We are excited to join the Presbyterian Community of Congo, which seeks to bring God’s love and hope into the lives of the Congolese people.”
Read: One Half-Step Out of a Hobbit Hole” (Unbound journal)
Watch: a recent video of Kristi and Bob sharing about their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Read: Kristi's reflection,"Pastors Ministering in the Midst of Poverty" -Dallas II: Better Together
Neither Bob nor Kristi are strangers to mission service. They met in Rwanda in 2003, when Bob was a short-term mission worker with African Enterprise and Kristi was working with World Relief. “Our time in Rwanda proved formative for both us. We were inspired by their faith and resilience … God touched our hearts, giving us a connection and love for our African brothers and sisters.” When they returned to the United States, they married, and Bob finished his M.Div. and M.A. degrees at Fuller Theological Seminary. He was ordained February 7, 2010, at Menlo Park (California) Presbyterian Church, which had nurtured his faith since childhood.
Bob is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a major in economics and history. Kristi is a member of Wheaton (Illinois) Evangelical Free Church and a graduate of Wheaton College, where she majored in business and economics. She earned her M.B.A. in international development from Hope International University in Fullerton, California.
Birthdays:
Bob - April 19
Kristi - April 5
