CONGO - régulation du ministère de guérison par les plantes médicinales

Rev. Doctor Arsène NKOUNKOU, pastor of the Evangelical Church of Congo (EEC) since 2006 and consecrated in 2008, my journey is marked by a strong commitment to theological formation and ecclesial leadership. Holder of a Doctorate in Theology, option Practical Theology from FATEB (Evangelical seminar of Theology in Bangui), after a research stay at the Protestant Institute of Theology in Montpellier, France. I have held various positions of responsibility within the EEC, notably Pastor Coordinator of the consistory of Kindamba, Director of studies and acting Director at the Pastoral Training Institute of Ngouedi (IFPN), Director of the Master’s cycle at the Faculty of Theology of the Protestant University of Brazzaville, where I currently teach Practical Theology, and Secretary General of this same university from September 2024 until August 2025. Currently President of the EEC Servants' Mutual and President of the EEC Conference of Ecclesiastics, I am passionate about pastoral formation and the impact of theology in the Church and society.

My doctoral thesis on the regulation of the healing ministry by medicinal plants within the EEC is the result of a personal and professional journey. My Master’s thesis, focused on exorcism through so-called 'revealed' plants, revealed important issues within the EEC. This awareness was reinforced by my practical experience in therapeutic centers, where I noticed slippages and a lack of supervision. With this experience, my role as a teacher in Practical Theology and ecclesial leader, I have undertaken doctoral research aimed at proposing concrete suggestions for a reorganization of the ministry, focused on rigorous, ethical and effective practices.

This thesis has focused on examining the crucial issue of the lack of a regulatory framework for the healing ministry by medicinal plants called "revealed" within the Evangelical Church of Congo (EEC). The emergence of this ministry, fruit of the Spiritual Awakening of 1947 and divine visitation, has engendered a vast charismatic movement characterized by the gift of healing through plants. If this donation has contributed to the development of many therapeutic centers within the EEC, its unsupervised exercise has led to worrying drifts, such as syncretism, mercantilism, leadership conflicts, and the uncontrolled proliferation of centers.

This work constitutes, as far as we know, the first major academic research on the question of regulation of the ministry of healing by plants in the specific context of the EEC. It opens new perspectives for research and reflection on the role of African churches in promoting health and spiritual well-being.

Future perspectives include the implementation and evaluation of regulatory modalities, a comparative study with other churches, an analysis of legal aspects, the development of training programs, an in-depth examination of the relationship between traditional Kongo remedies and modern medical prescriptions, and future studies could focus on specific groups, such as female therapists or young patients, in order to deepen our understanding of their experiences. We hope that this research will contribute to a practice more in accordance with evangelical principles, for the spiritual and physical well-being of the faithful of the EEC.

I am determined to disseminate the results of my research within ecclesial and academic communities, through courses, conferences and publications. In this perspective, I wish to enroll in a postdoctoral training in order to acquire the necessary skills to mentor future researchers and actively contribute to the advancement of reflection on healing by plants in a religious context. My thesis work and my commitments testify to a deep desire to improve this ministry by combining scientific rigor, practical experience and theological commitment.