My name is Tumaini Nkunda Young. I live in Goma City DR Congo. My wife’s name is Mugoli Rachel and I have three children, Kenny, Kevin and Ketia. Here is my testimony.

I would like to ask “What is the most important day in our life?” “For some, it is the day they were born; for others, it is the day they graduate; for the wandering foreigner, it is the day he receives new citizenship and can settle down in a new country; for many, it is their wedding day. What day does God consider the most important in our life? It is a day that actually combines all of the above events: birth, graduation, citizenship, marriage, death, resurrection, and a happier life. Is that all possible in one day?” See biblewell.org. This is what I want to share with you.

I was born and grew up in a humble family with modest parents in East Congo where, after my high school, I joined the Jehovah Witness Organization (Watchtower Society). For me it was a pleasure to study the Bible. I was very happy to preach to my neighbours, believing that I had all the truth according to God’s word. I did not know it at that time, but unfortunately it was mingled with errors.

I then got married and things started to change. I started to be interested in the Protestant churches. I especially wanted to know more about Christ. What the Watchtower Society believes and teaches is what I also believed and taught to many people with zeal.

Here are some of their false teachings I unknowingly taught, with Biblical references that I now have discovered as to what the truth is.

Watchtower Society teaches that Christ was created. Jesus was the first creation of God the Father. They believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god (Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 209, 282–283).

The Bible teaches: Jesus is eternally God (John 1:1; 8:58; Exodus 3:14) and has the exact same divine nature as the Father (John 5:18; 10:30; Hebrews 1:3).

The Watchtower Society believes that when Jesus was born on earth, He was a mere human and not God in human flesh. This violates the biblical teaching that in the incarnate Jesus, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossian 2:9; Philippians. 2:6–7).

The Bible teaches: The word for “fullness” (Gk. plērōma) carries the idea of the sum total. “Deity” (Gk. theotēs) refers to the nature, being, and attributes of God. Therefore, the incarnate Jesus was the sum total of the nature, being, and attributes of God in bodily form.  Indeed, Jesus was Immanuel, or “God with us” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1, 14, 18; 10:30; 14:9–10).

The Watchtower Society teaches that Jesus was resurrected spiritually from the dead, but not physically. Jesus’ body was not resurrected. He was resurrected not as a human but as a “spirit person.” (Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 334; What  does the Bible Really Teach? p. 73–74).

The Bible teaches that, the resurrected Jesus asserted that He was not merely a spirit but had a flesh-and-bone body (Luke 24:39; John 2:19–21). He ate food on several occasions, thereby proving that He had a genuine physical body after the resurrection (Luke 24:30, 42–43; John 21:12–13).  This was confirmed by His followers who physically touched Him (Matthew 28:9; John 20:17).

The Watchtower Society teaches Christ will not come with an audible and loud event but that He is already here, being established since 1919.

The Bible, however, teaches of a second coming as still in the future and it will be a physical and loud event, (Acts 1:9–11; Titus 2:13), and will be accompanied by great commotion in nature, such as earthquakes  (Matthew 24:29–30). Every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7).

The Watchtower Society believes there are two peoples of God: (1) the Anointed Class (144,000) will live in heaven and rule with Christ; and (2) the “other sheep” (all other believers) will live forever on a paradise earth.

They teach that a heavenly destiny awaits all who believe in Christ during the 1000 years before living in the restored paradise forever. Those who did not know or serve God (“the unrighteous”) will undergo a bodily resurrection on earth and will have a second chance to learn about God (What Does the Bible Really Teach?  p. 73).

The Bible teaches that, God’s word states clearly that the great multitude, which began with Adam and goes through the close of probation, is to be saved as well as a group of 144,000 in number from 1844. The sealing work of the 144,000 began with the proclamation of the third angel’s message. The sealing work will continue until the close of probation. Spiritual Israel will be gathered from all nations, kindreds, and tongues (Revelation 7:2–8; 14:1–5; Ezekiel 20:12, 20; Daniel 12:1–2; Revelation 1:7). The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation.

There are many other teachings that led me far away from the narrow path of the Heavenly Kingdom. I call them fictions but not facts.

Fiction: to drink alcohol is not a sin, so long you are not drunken.

Fact: the Bible is very clear about the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, and thus forbids the use of any addictions such as alcohol (Isaiah 5:20; Proverbs 20:1)

OTHER FALSE TEACHINGS

The wicked will not be resurrected at all. They will cease to exist (What Does the Bible Really Teach? p. 73).

The Millennium reign of Christ supposedly began in 1873, and the Kingdom of God was “invisibly” established in 1914.

Jesus was supposed to have overthrown all political governments and set up his earthly kingdom in 1914, but they had to change their interpretation after the passing of that time and it did not happen. It is not proper to worship Jesus. Only God the Father is to be worshiped (Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 282–283; Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 1329).

After I got married, I attended a Protestant Church for a while and I got baptized on 25 December 2018. It was in that church that I got some clarifications, especially about Jesus, which was different, but Biblical, from what was taught by The Watchtower Society. I then met Brother Victor Shumbusho and his family as well as Brother Timothe Weragi and I learned much from them. We had Bible studies, and I visited the church many times since I met them in 2013. I did not heed the truths they taught me until I saw how the IMS believers from Rwanda and locally around here in Goma city, East Congo, were running away from the COVID-19 vaccination. They left their beautiful homes, jobs, families, and stopped everything they could do to enjoy life. They went to farms, retired villages where they could find quietness and refuge. We received 43 more souls from the neighbouring country. This shook my soul, and increased my curiosity to know much about the eschatology and prophecy of last day events as taught in the Bible and explained by the SDA Reform Church.

I was surprised to see how the Bible explained the Sabbath so well. Finally, I surrendered, and decided to follow all the truth I had been taught. I started by asking some questions in my church, but they tried to tell me that we are living in the time of grace. The Ten Commandments are not necessary today. This I could not accept by God’s help. I then began to distribute the pamphlet “100 REALITES AU SUJET DE LA QUESTION DU SABBAT” (100 facts about the Sabbath).

I learned much about the Sunday law, the USA in Prophecy, the Sanctuary and the judgment, the immutability of the Ten Commandments, the health reform, the Spirit of prophecy, the specificity of the Remnant church, and many other topics.  The two topics that have awakened my mind are: “Why are there so many religions?” “What is the most important day in our life?” I also studied from the booklets “At the Feet of Jesus.” biblewell.org

I was baptized on the 25th  of September, 2022 into God’s remnant Church, The International Missionary society, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Reform Movement. What happiness I have found!

I thank God for all the opportunities and steps that helped me to be where I am today. I also thank all brothers and sisters near or far, including Brother Ivan Jitar from Argentina, who encourages the work also. My wife is not yet with me in the same faith, but I pray and trust that the Holy Spirit will continue working in her life.  I continue to learn and do research every day with Sister Maombi Ellen, the current treasurer of the local church.

After my decision to be baptized, I met many challenges: open opposition from my family, loss of my job (I was head teacher at one Primary school). Critics and visits from the church leaders of my previous church to bring me back to their apostasies. Please pray for me. I have a little family renting now the two little rooms in Goma near our chapel.

Dear readers of this page, pray for my family also. I hope God will open the way forward. I am happy to be a member of the big international family, and hope to meet you in heaven. Before my baptism I told the former church affiliation leaders to come and attend the baptism ceremony, and I withdrew my membership from their organization. After my baptism, I visited many of my relatives and my wife’s family to share with them the things I learned from the Bible.

I have, however, decided to be supporting the gospel by lay activities in giving Bible studies to my relatives, friends, and new contacts. I know it is not easy but it is the burden the Lord has laid on me. I praised the Lord very much when I saw that the International Missionary Society, Seventh-day Adventist Church Reform Movement preaches using the house-to-house method and many others. I would like to be a canvasser if books were available. I hope that your end and mine will be in this faith that we meet one day, sooner or later.  Pray for me, Amen.

Tumaini Nkunda Young, Goma DR Congo