by Mike Randall
Does the gospel of Jesus Christ really change lives and people? Does missionary work make a difference? Are believers living in a primitive culture genuine? Should we invest in BBFI missionaries like Elmer and Mary Deal? An inspirational answer to these questions is found in the story of Gregoire (pronounced GREG’-wahr), the first significant conversion in the ministry of Elmer and Mary Deal.
The Deals were sitting in their first African home, eating their lunch on a fine April day in 1960, when a short, young African man came to their open window and asked if they were the missionaries. Elmer and Mary replied that they were and invited him in. He was very interested in the word from God and wanted to talk to Elmer about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He had walked about 150 miles over several days from his village on the west side of Lake Tanganyika. He was looking for the Deals, who lived in the country, five miles from Albertville/Kalemie, a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika, in what was then called the Belgian Congo. Elmer wasn’t fluent in Swahili yet, so he instructed him by looking up verses in his English Bible and having Gregoire find the same verses in his Swahili Bible. After several hours, Elmer had prayer with Gregoire and he left.
Gregoire came back for another session the next day and more on the days following. In this process, the Deals discovered that Gregoire was the son of a Batabwa tribal witch doctor and in line to succeed him. Yet, he was earnestly and seriously interested in the gospel. On his own each night, Gregoire reviewed all the Bible verses Elmer showed him. Soon, despite language limitations, Elmer was able to lead Gregoire to Christ. On the sixth day after this process began, Gregoire showed up at the Deal’s home carrying a large number of fetishes and idols. He gave them to Elmer and Mary, held up his Swahili Bible, and said, “I don’t need these fetishes and idols any more. All I need is the Word of God.” Deal described those animistic idols as small clay images that looked like strange animals. A fetish might be bird feathers tied together, or a small bottle with some liquid in it, or the petrified head of a rooster. Gregoire’s people worshiped these things, believing they had a spirit that could help or hurt them.
Immediately, Gregoire began telling people everywhere what he had learned. He went on his own to nearby villages, distributing tracts Elmer gave him and preaching. He won many to Christ. Elmer continued to disciple him one on one. Gregoire became part of Deal’s gospel team to evangelize villages, often being the featured preacher.
When Gregoire won his younger sister to the Lord, Elmer rejoiced, but Gregoire’s father was very displeased. He brought a band of his followers to Gregoire’s house and demanded that he renounce Christ. They chanted and danced around his house. They placed idols and fetishes on the ground. Gregoire responded by playing gospel messages in their native dialect on a hand-crank record player Elmer gave him. Finally, Gregoire came out of his house, gathered up the idols and fetishes, and dumped them into an open toilet hole a few yards away. Incensed, his father and his band cursed Gregoire. Then they left.
Gregoire witnessed to all his family. When his mother became ill, he brought Elmer to visit her. As Elmer talked to her, he saw that she understood more than he expected. Before the end of their conversation, Elmer led her to the Lord. She, like Gregoire, immediately shared her new faith with friends and family. Gregoire and Elmer were elated. Later she passed away and Elmer was able to share the gospel with a large group at her graveside funeral.
During a time of unrest, Baluba tribal warriors overran the area where Gregoire lived. A band of warriors confronted him at his house and demanded that he, a Batabwa, bathe in their tribal medicine and thus become one with them. If he didn’t they threatened to kill him, his wife, and young son. The Balubas believed that if they bathed in the “medicine” concocted by their witch doctor, they would be protected from harm in battle. By this means, the Balubas conscripted people from other tribes. Fearing the consequences, Gregoire submitted.
After that uprising passed, Gregoire was disturbed and confessed privately to what he had done. He asked forgiveness from God, from Elmer, and from the other Christians. He vowed never to do it again.
A few months later, the Balubas overran the area again, and when he refused to bathe in their “medicine,” they captured him. As soon as she could, Gregoire’s wife, Maria, told Elmer Deal. He immediately obtained a patrol of ten U.N. troops and began a search. Just before dark, Deal and the patrol located Gregoire, along with several other Christians at the back of a village. Balubas, with clubs, machetes, and other weapons, stood aside as a U.N. Major and his patrol freed the captives. Gregoire explained that they were captured because they told the Balubas, “We do not need your medicine because God is protecting us.”
In the dark of the next morning, Gregoire was captured again. This time the Balubas slapped, kicked, and beat him as he was taken away. They let him and the others go free after intimidating them and getting a month’s wages as ransom. Afterward, when Elmer questioned him, Gregoire quoted Matthew 10:17-20 and Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Gregoire grew in his faith and courage. He became a strong associate in Elmer Deal’s ministry. Besides village evangelism, Gregoire preached and helped Deal organize his first church in Lubeleyi village. He became the first African pastor of Central Baptist Church of Albertville/Kalemie. He taught alongside Deal in the city school and accompanied him to provide food and other supplies to refugees in the surrounding area. He was instrumental in beginning a gospel outreach to the Moba area and tribe of his birth.
When the Simba rebels took control of Albertville/Kalemie and the surrounding area in 1964, a Simba patrol came to Gregoire’s home at about 10:00 on a Saturday night and began to interrogate him about furniture he was storing for a neighbor whose house had burned down. The warriors accused Gregoire of stealing the furniture and took him prisoner. After beating him for a period of time, they were incensed by his response and carried him to the Lukuga River bridge. There, bound hand and foot, they threw him into the raging high waters.
Mwanangwa, a Christian that had also been taken prisoner with Gregoire, said he overheard the soldiers when they returned to their post. They said, “We have just killed a good Christian man. When we would beat him he would only pray. As we threw him off the bridge he prayed, “Mungu unisamehe,” (God forgive me). He went under and came up and cried this same prayer again. The last time he came up he prayed, “Mungu pokea roho yangu,” (God receive my spirit) and was seen no more. The turbulent, muddy, crocodile-infested waters of the Lukuga River claimed the life of a great, young Christian preacher. He had only been a Christian four years, but his life, his faith, and courage would have a lasting influence for Christ.
Since his death, the story of Gregoire has become an example and challenge to a whole generation of Christians in the Congo. Hundreds of other young Africans have picked up his mantle and carried the gospel to their countrymen. The Gregoire Memorial Baptist Church in Moba, which was established by a young man whom Gregoire won to Christ, is still going strong. Deal reports that a large number from Gregoire’s tribe have accepted Christ and numbers of churches have been established among them. In all, through Deal’s ministry, over 155 new churches have been planted in the Congo since Gregoire was martyred. Tertullian was right: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
Note: For more information about Gregoire and other inspirational stories about African Chris¬tians, read Elmer Deal’s autobiography, Out of the Mouth of the Lion! Order it at craigcountybaptist.com or phone 918-256-7255.