Meet the Enrights

To contact the Enrights: enright@coppernet.zm

John and Kendra Enright have been working as missionaries in Africa since 1973, but John was raised as the child of United Methodist missionaries and has lived nearly his whole life in Africa. He was actually born in Brussels, Belgium where his parents, Kenneth and Lorraine Enright were studying French in preparation to go to Belgian Congo, and he arrived in Congo when he was 6 months old. He grew up speaking several of the tribal languages and with an understanding of African culture.

With the idea of returning to work in Africa, John attended Taylor University in Upland, IN, and graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, IN with a degree in Philosophy. He also received a Masters' Degree from Ball State in Secondary Education. During this time he met and married Kendra Vance, from Earl Park, IN, who also felt God's leading in her life to work in Africa. Kendra graduated with a BS degree in Nursing from Ball State. Later John went back and finished his seminary degree at Anderson University in Anderson, IN.

John and Kendra were accepted to serve as United Methodist missionaries and spent the first three year term teaching at a secondary school in Botswana. In 1977 they were sent to Congo (then Zaire) where they worked until 1998. During this time John was involved in several areas of work: evangelism, church construction, pilot for the Wings of the Morning Flight Ministry, teaching at the Kafakumba Pastors' School, and economic development. Kendra was involved in setting up and running a central pharmacy for the 40 United Methodist clinics in their conference. They were involved in the construction of a Leadership Training Center when war started in the Congo in 1998 and they had to leave.

Lorraine Since 1999 John and Kendra have been working with the United Methodist Church in Zambia. They built the Kafakumba Training Center as their base, and from there were able to continue many of the same programs as they had in Congo, particularly the Kafakumba Pastors' School. John has also been able to get more involved in development projects, working in partnership with Zambians in the areas of woodworking, agriculture, and business. Since April 2007 the Enrights are no longer employed by the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, but they have continued to work with the United Methodist Church in Congo and Zambia in the same capacity as before.

John and Kendra have two grown sons, Brian and Nathan. Both boys are currently working with them in Zambia. John's parents continued to work with John and Kendra several months each year. Kenneth died in Zambia in 2006 at the age of 83. Lorraine has continued with her work in Zambia, spending more than 5 months there this year.