Huambo: The governor of the province of Huambo, Pereira Alfredo, praised on Sunday the secular work constantly developed by the Evangelical Congregational Church in Angola (IECA) in the education, health, and social assistance of citizens. The governor was speaking at the inauguration service of the temple of the Pastorate Headquarters Academic Mission, with the capacity to accommodate 5,000 people, in a ceremony presided over by the secretary general of the IECA, Reverend Luciano Chanhelela Chianeque, in the presence of deputies to the National Assembly and other political figures in the country.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the governor emphasized the church’s noble mission and its indispensable partnership with the Angolan State. He reaffirmed the Executive’s strong commitment to continue working collaboratively to build more infrastructures that enhance the dignity of citizens. As a testament to this partnership, he highlighted the completion of the University Campus of the Evangelical Mission
of Dondi, in the municipality of Cachiungo, which reflects the support of President João Lourenço.
The governor underscored the importance of both the church and the Angolan Executive fulfilling their respective roles for the nation’s development, focusing on peaceful and healthy coexistence. Speaking about the newly inaugurated temple, he described it as an imposing infrastructure and a work of art that adds architectural beauty to the city of Huambo, instilling pride in its citizens.
He further mentioned that the new infrastructure requires the Government of Huambo to enhance the city’s urban aesthetic to complement the remarkable works of art being erected. The temple, whose construction began in 2007, cost over 900 million Kwanzas. It features 46 compartments, a school with 10 classrooms operational since 2023, two amphitheaters, a library, and support offices.
The IECA in Huambo boasts 215,000 members, 65 active pastors, 13 retired pastors, 387 deacons, 134 pastorates, and over a thousand congregation
s across 11 municipalities. Established in Angola on November 11, 1880, through the efforts of American mission board missionaries Bagster, William Henry Sanders, and Samuel Taylor Miller, the church was officially recognized by the Angolan Government on January 24, 1987.
