During the throes of the Great Depression, Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) missionaries from Congo surveyed South Gabon and discovered vast areas that had never been reached with the gospel. The first missionaries entered the country in 1934.
After a North American ministry presence of more than 70 years, the national church in Gabon is moving full circle from being a recipient of Christian missions to being a partner in sending missionaries to unreached people. These churches are fully organized with official recognition from the Gabonese government and are able to support their own pastors and leaders. As the largest family of evangelical churches in the country, they are taking the initiative to plant new churches and reach into new areas with the gospel.
By 2008, all church-planting missionaries transitioned out of Gabon. The remaining U.S. workers are connected with serving either the local churches and their missions in Libreville, or with working at the Bongolo Hospital, where thousands of people hear Jesus’ message of hope in their darkest hours, regardless of their religious background or ability to pay for treatment. Each year, the number of patients who place their trust in Christ continues to grow. In 2008 more than 1,700 patients received Jesus at Bongolo Hospital.
