In response to their correspondence, an American Bahá'í living in Usumbura, present-day Bujumbura, went to meet these two men. Some time after they met, and after conducting the independent search for Truth, they decided to become Bahá'ís. This is how they began to spread the “new message” to their other colleagues at the Bank, all Congolese living in eastern DRC.

Very quickly, these two young bankers succeeded in finding souls receptive to the message of the Bahá'í teachings. They were 19 in all and constituted the nucleus called “Spiritual Sowers”, the founders of the Faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [bahai.org; bahai.org; A Remarkable Response Film 4:18]

The first leg took them to Samson Mungono’s post in Kamina, in the Katanga region of the Belgian Congo. They then took a grueling route to Brazzaville, where Max was dropped off and continued through the thick forests of French Congo and Gabon, hoping to pass through French Cameroons and finally reach the British Cameroons. The car broke down in the tropical forest of Gabon leaving the three remaining friends unable to continue. Enoch volunteered to walk to a town 50 miles ahead through the forbidding jungle to get help. Upon arrival Enoch was so ill he was hospitalized for two days and could not travel for a week. He told of a dream he had in which Shoghi Effendi took him in his arms to comfort and reassure him in his desperation. In mid-October they reached the British Cameroons on the very evening of the conclusion of the Holy Year.

Confirmations of the monumental efforts these first African pioneers made soon followed: Enoch, Max and Samson all successfully brought many local people under the banner of the Greatest Name. [A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p4]

Another example of a new African believer arising was the case of Dorothy Chivunda in Zambia. When word of the Faith reached the church Dorothy attended, it aroused the curiosity of the congregation. The church decided to send Dorothy to investigate the claims of this new religion. Within three weeks, she declared as a Bahá'í, promptly organizing a teaching trip to her native village in Kawiku, in Chibwakata area of North Western Province. This trip, and the others that followed, involved over 300 kilometers of travel over rough terrain. It set in motion a process that would lead to the enrolment of thousands of her fellow tribesmen, the Lunda of Zambia, into the Faith.

[A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p3]

At this time there was a large concentration of believers in South Kivu, there were Bahá’ís in Western Kasai, in Kinshasa and in Lubumbashi. The election took place in the home of Belgian pioneers Jean-Pierre and Anne-Marie Laperches. Hand of the Cause Mr Faizi was in attendance to represent the Universal House of Justice. [A Remarkable Response Film 26:55

To the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the World

SEVEN MONTHS AFTER LAUNCHING SUPPLEMENTARY TWO YEAR PLAN REJOICE ANNOUNCE FOURTEEN LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES IN SOVIET UNION, PLUS SIX IN ROMANIA WHERE THERE ARE NOW OVER 600 BELIEVERS, AND ONE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY EACH IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, HUNGARY AND YUGOSLAVIA. DEVELOPMENT FAITH IN ALL THESE COUNTRIES AS WELL AS IN ALBANIA, BULGARIA, MONGOLIA AND POLAND GOING FORWARD WITH EXTRAORDINARY SPEED, FORMATION MORE LOCAL ASSEMBLIES IN PROCESS OR EXPECTED SHORTLY.

The Universal House of Justice [Mess86-01p178]

Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum attended the inaugural convention as the representative of the Universal House of Justice. [Ridván 151]

She first encountered the Faith on board a ship from fellow passengers, Martin and Gerda Aiff and their children, who where on their way to Windhoek. She retuned to Germany after three years and accepted the Faith in about April of 1963 and after the opening of the Frankfurt Temple in the summer of 1964 she returned to Windhoek, eventually settling in Elizabeth Bay where she served by teaching children's classes. After four years he returned to Germany and locate in Ulm. While preparing to return to Windhoek she received the news of her appointment as an Auxiliary Board Member.

In 1971 she pioneered to Manaia, Romania where she worked as a tourist guide for 4 1/2 seasons. She did international travel teaching in Korea, Thailand, Rangoon, where she visited Daidanaw, known as Àbdu'l-Bahá's Village. [information from "Thursday Night@7PM" 7 December 2023]

The design, created by Wolff Architects in Cape Town, South Africa, was inspired by traditional artworks, structures and natural features of the DRC, as well as by the Bahá'í sacred teachings, particularly by the spiritual concept that God’s bounty is unceasingly flowing over all people. The patterns that will adorn the outside of the dome of the central edifice will express this idea in a style reminiscent of the artwork of various Congolese peoples.

Commenting on the design, the architects stated: “We were inspired by an image of 19th century Congolese architecture which showed the most beautiful structures that appear to have finely woven bamboo facades with a parabolic roof made of palm leaves. These houses were located amongst giant baobab trees. ... The undulating roof of the temple makes reference to this history.” [BWNS1438; BWNS1649]

A section drawing showing the temple’s interior (top) and an elevation drawing of the temple’s exterior (bottom).

Some team members of the firm Wolff Architects Nokubekezela Mchunu, Alexandra Böhmer, Bayo Windapo, Takalani Mbadi, Paul Munting, Temba Jauch, Matthew Eberhard, and Alex Coetzee.

The letter starts with the statement, "Your country is blessed with remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity." (para 2). Indeed, there are about 250 ethnic groups in the DRC and 240 identified languages, four of which have been chosen as official regional languages with French being the common language of Instruction, business, national administration and external relations. More than half the population live in a rural setting and just less than half of the population is under the age of 15 years. [Britannica]

More information about the Faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can be found in Bahaipedia and Bahá'í Media.