7: Just in Time: Three Converts Return Home (Episode 3)

On 13 February 1986, Mucioko and Régine BANZA and Dieudonné NKITABUNGI MBUYI, along with other Church representatives, prior to signing documents that began the process of legal recognition of the Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They had each joined the Church in Europe some years earlier. To legally organize, the signatures of three Congolese members of the Church were required. These three stalwart converts made the difficult choice to return to Africa, and thus were present in Kinshasa just in time when the Lord needed them. The stories of their conversion and the Lord’s hand in bringing them back to the Congo is the subject of a new video, Episodes 3 in the Not By Bread Alone historical film series.

14 July 2024: Family members and friends greet Elder Kenneth Banza. To the right of Kenny are Elder Thiérry Mutombo, Africa Central Area President, Régine Banza (grandmother), and Junior Banza (father) [2].

On July 14, I had the chance to hear Elder Kenneth Banza, a third-generation Church member of the Banza family, speak in sacrament meeting prior to his service as a missionary in the Florida Tallahassee mission.

14 July 2024: Family missionary tags displayed on a table in the Banza home [3].

Elder Banza’s service is part of a legacy of missionary work in the family. On a table at his home were displayed missionary tags from other family members over the decades–before I left, there were several others that were added to the ones shown in the photo above.

24 February 2024: Junior, Mucioko, Régine, and Phil Banza during production of video about their singing [4].

A major factor in the Banza family legacy—strengthening their own faith and along with that of others—is music. Growing up in Kinshasa, the Banza children and their parents sang together every night. This short video tells of their experiences singing together as a family and with church choirs for more than four decades. It also contains several examples of praising the Lord through song in multiple languages: French, Tshiluba, and Lingala. For the Banzas, singing is more than just a tradition—it’s who they are.

So, as a companion to historical episode 3, we’re happy to be able to present the video vignette below entitled “More Than Just a Tradition: Singing in the Banza Family.”

As a final bonus, a link is included below to an October 2019 conference talk by Elder Dale G. Renlund entitled “Unwavering Commitment to Jesus Christ.” In his talk, Elder Renlund gives examples of how God invites us to cast our old ways completely out of reach and begin a new life in Christ, drawn from his experiences in dedicating the DR Congo Kinshasa Temple. He tells of how early Christian converts threw their previously idolized objects into the waterfalls as a symbol to God and others that they had discarded their old traditions and accepted Jesus Christ. He also recounted the stories of the Banza and Mbuyi families.