Capital City: Bangui
Year of Independence: 1960
Area: 622,984 sq km
Arable Land: 3.1%
Population: 4,444,330
Median Age: 18.7 years
Population Growth Rate: 1.509%
Infant Mortality: 82.13 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at Birth: 44.22 years
Literacy Rate: 48.6%
Ethnic Groups: Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
Note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Languages: French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Click here to view an article on a VCP training seminar held in Central African Republic.
VCP Statistics as of June 2011:
Members - 132,742
Churches - 1,286
Training Centers - 35
Coordinator: Fred Tengeudet
Fred Tengeudet is the country coordinator for the Central African Republic (CAR). He is married to Christine, and the couple has four children.
Fred was born in Bossémbélé, CAR, into a Christian home. From an early age his family instructed him in the ways of the Lord. The instruction from his family has played a major role in his life to the present. He decided to know Jesus better and serve Him. This led him to studies at the theological school in Bangui, Faculté de Théologie Evangélique de Bangui (FATEB).
Fred has been in the pastorate for six years in the church association named Communauté des Eglises Apostolique en Centrafrique. Because of his passion for the lost in the CAR, he joined Campus Crusade for Christ as a missionary evangelist.
In 2006, he connected with the Into Africa Project of OMS Africa. As a result, a new passion for the rural people was birthed in him. It is since then that he has been involved with VCP.
As of late 2008, the Into Africa Project counted 704 village churches in the CAR with a total membership of 42,260 and 22 trainers. He maintains two formal partnerships, with La communauté des Eglises Apostolique en Centrafrique (CEAC) and Association des Eglises de la Coopération Evangélique en Centrafrique (AECECA). In addition, he looks after two informal partnerships, with L'Association des Eglises Baptiste Evangélique en Centrafrique and La Communauté des Eglises Baptiste en Centrafrique (CEBEC).
See above for recent country statistics.
Testimony
A man named Jude Samedi lived in the village of Bogbom about eight km from Bossémbélé. He had been a government official, but lost his job and became an alcoholic. Life was never the same, as he didn't have an income. This made him decide to commit suicide. It was at this time of his life that our church planter visited his village.
After the ministry of the Word, Samedi was touched and decided to surrender to God. After this experience, he joined the discipleship and leadership training programs. Today this brother is a useful instrument in God's hands and is a positive influence in the entire village. Praise be to God!
Click here for a photo of a congregation in the Central African Republic.
