Dr. Rainald Duerksen and Pastor Brett Phagen reside in Kinshasa, DRC and serve as ChOSEN’s in-country missionaries. They run the ChOSEN Congo Eye Clinic and Surgery Center in Kinshasa and oversee all of ChOSEN’s missionary activities in the Congo.
Dr. Rainald Duerksen is ChOSEN’s CEO in Congo and has broad experience in the practice of ophthalmology in the developing world. He graduated from the National University of Asunción in 1987 with a medical degree and then completed an ophthalmology residency in 1991 from the Elias Santana Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Rainald then practiced ophthalmology in Asunción, Paraguay and later founded the nonprofit Fundación Visión in 1999. Prior to joining ChOSEN full-time in 2025, he worked as a consultant for Christian Blind Mission in Latin America, which eventually led him to the Congo. Rainald’s wonderful wife Theresa resides with him in Kinshasa, whereas their children and grandchildren live in Paraguay.
Brett Phagen serves on ChOSEN’s Congolese board of directors and is instrumental in facilitating all of ChOSEN’s work in Congo through his extensive knowledge of the country. Brett is the lead pastor at the International Protestant Church of Kinshasa and has lived in Congo with his wonderful wife Marie and their children since 2012. Brett is a 4th generation pastor and grew up in Florida prior to entering the ministry. Before his move to the Congo, he served as a foreign missionary at the Praise Center in Brussels, Belgium for more than 16 years.
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