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Rev. Rachel Doumbaye shares her journey with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic
(LWI) - Rev. Rachel Doumbaye was born into a Christian family in Baboua, in the west of the Central African Republic (CAR), not far from the border with Cameroon. Her parents were among the first Christians baptized by the American Lutheran Mission there.
In 2002, she became the first women to be ordained with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Central African Republic (ELCCAR), ten years after the Baboua Bible School opened its doors for women to study there alongside their male counterparts.
Since then, she has held many key roles in the church, in education but also as president of a synodal region and as vice-president of the ELCCAR. She talked with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Regional Secretary for Africa, Rev. Dr Samuel Dawai about her life and her journey of faith.
What was your childhood like?
As a child growing up, I learned about service from my parents. My father was a parish councilor and treasurer for a very long time, while my mother was a deaconess. She took care of the church's upkeep, provided stewarding and protocol during services, and served meals at church meetings.
My parents organized family prayer every evening, during which Bible stories were told and we prayed together. In our church, there was also a Sunday School held every Sunday morning, during which Bible stories were told. So, from an early age, I was immersed in an intense religious life of listening to Bible stories and prayers every evening. All this, in a way, prepared me for a full-time commitment to God's service as a pastor.
Tell us about your studies and family life
I went to primary and secondary school, up to the end of secondary school. Then I got married, but a tragic event turned my life upside down. After seven years of marriage, my husband died, leaving me with our four children. As traditional African culture was still very strong, my in-laws took all the property my husband and I had and even wanted to take my children away from me, something I strongly opposed. So, I had to move back in with my parents with my four children and no resources.
How did you get the idea of becoming a pastor?
As a housewife I didn't work, but as a young widow, I had to look after my four children on my own. My first idea was to take a training course in health, but a decision by the church totally changed my path. In 1992, the ELCCAR decided to open the doors of the Baboua Bible School to women. As that is in my hometown where I was born and raised, I didn't hesitate for a second and decided to enroll.
I worked hard both at Bible School and in looking after my children. In 1994, my church again decided to open the doors of the School of Theology to women, and in view of my performance at Bible School, I was encouraged to enrol. So I was among the first women to be admitted to both the Bible School and the School of Theology.
How did your family and friends react to your decisions?
When I decided to go to the bible school and then theology school, my parents didn't object. My mom was especially happy to see one of her daughters studying the Bible to be able to serve God.
What has been your journey within the church since then?
In 1998 I finished my theology studies, and my first job was at the School of Theology itself, where the Church first entrusted me with training the students' wives. I taught them Bible classes, sewing and other subjects of interest to them. Then I became a teacher at the Bible School, training catechists and evangelists. Not only did I teach the classes, I was also in charge of running the Bible School.
I've also been financial director of the ELCCAR's schools, in charge of the church's youth center, president of a synodal region and vice-president of the church. At present, I continue to teach at both the School of Theology and the Bible School, training pastors and catechists.
Tell us about your role as President of the Synodal Region?
I was elected President of the Central-East Synodal Region in 2008 during a very difficult period of political and security unrest in my country. Indeed, the Region was not functioning well and no other pastor wanted to take on this role. The church leadership sent people to meet me and ask if I wanted to lead the church there. At the time, I was in charge of the youth center in Bouar, but I agreed to stand for election.
During my term of office from 2008 to 2014, I fulfilled my duties with dedication, visiting churches and holding regular meetings even in times of great insecurity. I even managed to ordain pastors during my leadership, enabling the Region to flourish again. But I've had to face many challenges, especially insecurity.
I've lived with rebels in my neighborhood, and once during a trip as President of the Central-East Region, I and other travelers were taken hostage for a few hours, held down in the rain and robbed of all our financial resources. Fortunately, I escaped unharmed. The other challenge was that I led the Central-East Synodal Region without any salary, and I had to use my own small financial means for my travels.
Building on these experiences, I was nominated and elected to the position of church vice-president in 2015. What stood out for me during my two terms in office was the acceptance by people in the church. I was respected and recognized as a leader, so I felt strengthened to give even more of myself.
Where do you draw your strength from?
My strength comes from my intimate relationship with God, but I'm also a sociable person, open to everyone. This has enabled me to work together, even with Catholics, Baptists and other Christian women. I've even worked on inter-religious dialogue to promote social cohesion in my country between young Christians and young Muslims, as well as with Christian and Muslim women. I was also supported in this peace-building and social reconciliation activity by partners.
What do you say to young girls who admire and look up to you?
I've encouraged several girls to go and study theology, and I'm glad that some have been ordained and are now serving as pastors. But many girls are reluctant to study theology, because they say they see me working hard, but don't see me earning a good salary and that is not encouraging. Others cite the lack of support during theological studies as a reason for not enrolling to study.
What makes you happy?
I give thanks to God because this year, at the Church Synod in April 2025, I was replaced by a successor in my position as vice-president. I had come to the end of my term of office after 10 years of service at the head of the church alongside the presidents. I am so happy because God was with me in this service and with very little means, I was able to care for my family and raise my four children.
