Zambia Hunt

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” – Matthew 9:35-38

A Church Planter Returns Home

João Domingos knows firsthand what it means to be transformed by the gospel. In 2010, while living in Namibia, João came to saving faith at Monte Cristo Baptist Church in Windhoek. What began as a personal encounter with Christ soon grew into a passion to serve His church. João served faithfully as a deacon and led both the teens and young adult ministries at Monte Cristo, but his desire to know God more deeply and serve Christ’s church more effectively led him on a journey that would ultimately prepare him to take the gospel back to his homeland.

In 2019, João and his wife, Bell, moved to Kitwe, Zambia, where João pursued theological education at Central Africa Baptist University (CABU). There, he earned a B.A. in Missions and a Diploma in Expository Preaching, and he is currently completing a Master’s in Theology. During his time in Zambia, João became a member of Kitwe Church, where he served as a deacon and has been serving as one of the pastors since 2023.

Now, the Lord is calling João and Belle back to their hometown of Cuito-Bie, Angola—but this time, as church planters.

Why Cuito-Bie? Why Now?

Cuito, formerly known as Silva Porto, is the capital of Bie Province in central Angola. Known as the “Heart of Angola,” this city of 1.45 million people is projected to be the tenth fastest-growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, with a 5.56% growth rate.

But beneath the surface of this growing city lies a spiritual reality that breaks the heart: while 91.1% of Angolans identify as Christian adherents, only 23.3% are evangelical. In Cuito-Bie specifically, there is a desperate need for biblical, healthy churches.

The spiritual landscape is dominated by prosperity gospel teaching, African traditional religious practices mixed with Christianity, and the growing propagation of the Latter-day Saints church. Meanwhile, with many faithful gospel workers concentrating their efforts in the capital city of Luanda, Cuito-Bie remains underserved.

The need is compounded by the city’s tragic history. After Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975, Cuito saw its darkest days on January 6, 1993, during the Angolan Civil War. The city was besieged for over nine months, and more than 30,000 people were killed. The scars of that trauma still mark the community today.

It is precisely in this context that the gospel of salvation through the person and redemptive work of Christ needs to be proclaimed through healthy biblical churches planted in the heart of Angola.

Strategic Location, Urgent Need

Beyond the spiritual need, Cuito-Bie presents several strategic advantages for gospel ministry:

• Geographic positioning: Cuito is ideally located for travel across Angola and serves as a perfect hub for broader mission work
• Diverse population: The city hosts unchurched foreign nationals serving in public hospitals, schools, and an international university
• Growing influence: As one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities, what happens spiritually in Cuito-Bie will have ripple effects across the region

The Mission: Redemption Bible Church-Angola

The mission of this new church plant is clear and Christ-centered:

To glorify our Triune God through worship, evangelizing the lost, building up believers, and promoting fellowship with Christ and His people in Angola and to the ends of the earth.

This isn’t just about starting another church. It’s about proclaiming the redemptive work of Christ in a city scarred by violence, establishing a biblical foundation that can produce fruit for generations to come, and creating a launching pad for future church planting throughout Angola and beyond.

How You Can Partner With This Work

1. Pray

Prayer is the foundation of all gospel work. Would you commit to praying regularly for:

• The Domingos family as they transition back to Angola in April
• The souls in Bie Province who desperately need the true gospel
• Believers in Cuito-Bie who are seeking a biblical church
• Provision and gospel partners to support this work

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” – Romans 10:14-15

2. Give

Kitwe Church is seeking four churches to partner with and match our $300 monthly commitment to this work.

The monthly support need for the Domingos family and this ministry is $1,650:

Family Expenses ($1,000/month)
Ministry Expenses ($650/month)

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7-9

Take Your Next Step

Jesus promised, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). We have the privilege of being part of that unstoppable work in the heart of Angola.

Will you partner with Kitwe Church in supporting João and Bell Domingos as they plant Redemption Bible Church-Angola?

To give or for more information, contact Kitwe Church at: kitwechurch@gmail.com

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This blog post was compiled from the Angola Ministry Plan for Joao Domingos, appoved by the Kitwe Church elders.