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Rwanda

Golf Fundraiser

By Rwanda

Over the summer, nine groups took to the fairways to enjoy a round of golf to support pastors in Africa. Players paid a small entrance fee and then donated the value of their score.

There were informal groups of friends and several church teams, all playing at various courses at different times during July and August. Players were aged from 11 to 84, and the individual winner was our youngest participant: Caleb Twyman, who scored 41 points playing at Princes Golf Club, Sandwich.

The overall team competition was won by Mr Zen and the Foxy Bunch, comprising James Keyte, James Putnam, Josh Stedman and Andrew Swindley (pictured) playing at Tudor Park Golf Club, Maidstone. They collectively scored 133 points. As they played, they were stalked by a fox who soon became their team mascot.

Thank you so much to everyone who took part! So far, this year’s golf competition has raised over £900 for APF.

Thousands of Church Closures in Rwanda

By Rwanda

The Rwandan Church is under pressure from the strict enforcement of new government building regulations.

Since government regulations on faith communities were first introduced in 2018, APF have been reporting on the impact of the rules and standards intended to ensure congregations worship in safe buildings and are led by properly qualified and well-trained faith leaders. Across Rwanda, churches worked hard to comply with the regulations and stay open for worship.

Further regulations brought in this August, however, have meant nearly 10,000 mostly smaller churches and mosques across the country have been forced to close, leaving many congregations without a place of worship.

This is particularly devastating for rural communities who have already made significant investments to comply with previous regulations. Furthermore, restrictions on religious meetings in private homes further limits the ability of believers to gather and practice their faith.

The August crackdown has meant that APF partner Église Évangélique de la Bonne Volonté au Rwanda (EEBVR) has now shut all its church buildings. Building regulations requiring churches to install lightning conductors, soundproofing, air conditioning, water storage and disabled toilets and be sited on at least half an acre of land are beyond the means of a small independent network like EEBVR.

APF recently sponsored the EEBVR’s legal representative Victor Imanaturikumwe’s theology degree. This helped the network comply with the 2018 regulations. However, the latest enforcements mean EEBVR churches are closed again.

Rev Emmanuel Gatera from Word of Life Church in Rusizi District on the Rwanda-DRC border has also been affected. APF sent funding so Emmanuel could help church leaders from across the region download, install and register on eVitabu, APF’s pastor training and resource hub app. The closure of the church building the training was scheduled to happen in, however, means the training is postponed.

Although the regulations have disproportionately impacted smaller, less well-resourced indigenous networks like EEBVR and Word of Life Church, large international denominations are also struggling to comply.

In Kigeme Diocese, for example, just twenty-three out of 239 Anglican churches remain open. Bishop Assiel Musabyimana held a retreat day for diocesan clergy to encourage them to continue in prayer and with regular pastoral visits while their church buildings remain shut. He worries for congregations unable to gather and is concerned that the end of the traditional Sunday offering makes raising funds to comply with the regulations even harder.

Anglican Archbishop Laurent Mbanda nevertheless takes some positives from the situation. He told Religion News Service, “I think what was introduced — not today but five years ago — is good for the Church. The government gave us five years to comply and kept giving us reminders. That ended last year in September. I think this was enough time to comply. We need to look at this from a positive side.”

One positive story from Rwanda is that the Rwandan Governance Board (RGB), the government department responsible for introducing the faith community rules and standards, recently announced a collaboration with Re-Forma. Re-Forma is a South African based organisation specialising in training African church leaders.

The agreement means that Re-Forma training certification now counts as evidence that a pastor had suitable theology training. APF are in discussions with Re-Forma about using eVitabu as a platform for sharing their training material with African pastors.

Speaking after winning his fourth term, Rwandan President Paul Kagame insists that the law must prevent “mushrooming churches” that “squeeze even the last penny from poor Rwandans.” He also hinted about taxing churches on their income to combat fraud and corruption.

Rwanda’s constitution protects religious freedom, including the right to choose or change one’s religion. Discrimination based on religion is punishable by law.

Around Africa

By Liberia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia

News from Liberia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania.

Liberia

Revd Aberdeen Gargli (on left in photo above), Principal of the Evangelical Theological College of Liberia and Revd Clinton Gbawah, Legal Representative of the Evangelical Church Network of Liberia, met to talk about eVitabu at the college in Monrovia. The two men have been connected through their shared links with APF and eVitabu.

South Sudan

APF partner in South Sudan, Saints Revival Committee, distributed Bibles to pastors from over twenty denominations in rural Aweil South County with support from an APF local language Bible grant.

Tanzania

10Giving contacted APF recently wondering if we could help them distribute spare copies of the brilliant children’s book The True King by Nancy Guthrie and Jenny Brake. APF partners Love and Care for the Child Ministries, Faith Babies Home and Walubu Jude were able to distribute hundreds of copies to children in central Uganda. The book, written for children aged 3 to 7, is beautifully illustrated and introduces children to the big story of the Bible — the story of the True King who rules over his people in perfect goodness and a kingdom that will last forever.

Zambia

Bike grants were received by eight pastors in Zambia. Also, Lawson Limao from Word of God ministries received a grant to install solar lighting in the homes of pastors without access to electricity.

Uganda

Revd Esomu Francis (in pink shirt)is pictured here with local pastors from Karamoja Region in northern Uganda. Francis is the founder and principal of Atirir Bible School in Teso Region. APF supports ABS trains pastors and church leaders in theology to certificate level, and also helps Francis travel to remote regions to run workshops with untrained rural leaders. Francis told us:

“These native pastors are an active and vibrant part of the ministry in Abim and Otuke Districts of Karamoja. They are pastoring rural churches, doing extensive evangelism outreach into unreached areas and planting churches to expand the Kingdom of God. Since these church leaders make their living through farming, many struggle to meet the financial needs of their families, theological education for themselves and fees for their children. Ministry travel expenses and food are also challenging factors.”

Kenya

While Dave was in Kenya in April, he was invited to talk about eVitabu and Digital Theology at the Baptist Convention of Kenya’s general assembly. This is the denomination’s largest annual gathering where around 2,000 Baptist Christians come together.

Around Africa

By Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia

News from Malawi, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania.

Malawi

Central Bible School in Malawi was spotlighted here. The college’s library facilities are in need of improvement so a digital tools and training grant has been approved. This grant will equip each of the eight faculty members with a suitable smartphone, allowing them to install and utilise eVitabu as a valuable addition to the college’s physical library. To help the effective use of the platform, Dave or Geoff will be conducting online training for the faculty later this year.

Zambia

Pastor Lawson Limau is spearheading the development of an introductory course in theology and pastoral care, drawing from resources adapted from the eVitabu library. Recognising the potential impact of this initiative, APF has awarded Lawson an Africa Training Partner annual grant. This grant will enable him to deliver the pilot course to rural pastors throughout eastern Zambia during 2024.

Tanzania

Due to the ongoing demand for their teaching ministry, Heavenlight and Kesiah Luoga (pictured above with Victor Imanaturikumwe) have been awarded an African Partner Training grant for 2024. This grant will help them to conduct training workshops throughout the year, both locally and regionally. Recognising Heavenlight’s desire to expand his reach, APF has also approved funding for video recording equipment so Heavenlight can record training videos for social media and eVitabu. This includes a high-quality camera phone, basic lighting equipment, and a tripod.

Rwanda

The Let There Be Light solar project continues to shine brightly in Kigeme Diocese, Rwanda. By providing reliable light to clergy families and parishes, the project offers numerous benefits: brighter living spaces, opportunities for studying after dark, enhanced security, and even income generation opportunities. We recently sent additional funding to ensure the project’s sustainability by replacing batteries for some of the beneficiaries.

Our prayers continue for Rev. Victor Imanaturikumwe, the Legal Representative of Église Évangélique de la Bonne Volonté au Rwanda and a passionate advocate for eVitabu. Victor has a plan for competency-based training that complies with Rwandan government regulations for faith-based leaders. He is seeking funding to deliver this training programme and he is also assisting APF in finding a venue for a conference in September.

We also pray for Victor’s predecessor, Pastor Japhet Matugoma, who faces an urgent need to relocate his family home due to recent flooding and landslides (pictured above).

South Sudan

In recent weeks, APF approved a grant for the Saints Revival Committee in Aweil district to procure and distribute 600 local language Bibles. Also, Alex Sokiri of New Nation Church in Juba writes seeking support for the church school (pictured above). Founded for orphaned and underprivileged children living near the church, the school currently serves children in three classrooms. However, the classroom block front façade remains incomplete. With rainy season approaching, Alex is urgently seeking assistance to complete the front part of the school building to ensure the safety and well-being of the students.

Team ministry in Africa’s Great Lakes Region

By Burundi, eVitabu, Rwanda, Tanzania, Training

Victor Imanaturikumwe and Heavenlight Luoga met at an APF event four years ago and have stayed in contact ever since. Recently, with APF’s support, they met up once again to run training workshops for rural pastors in western Rwanda. Victor explains what happened.

Many local churches in rural Rwanda are fragile as pastors have few opportunities for training. This makes tackling the spiritual needs of the community a constant struggle. As I am a beneficiary of APF theological scholarship support, I am now committed to spending my time contributing to effective ministry here in Rwanda by running pastors’ conferences and trainings in rural contexts.

Recently, Pastor Heavenlight and Kesia Luoga from Deeper Life Church in Karagwe, Tanzania, travelled to join me in Rwanda and together we led a training conference for rural church leaders. Some of the leaders had received almost no in-service training so this is vitally important work.

I found APF’s eVitabu app a very helpful tool when I was studying for my theological degree. As textbooks are so hard to find in Rwanda, all the materials used during the conference came from eVitabu. Pastor Luoga and I selected and adapted resources on eVitabu and developed a conference programme to equip the pastors with skills in teaching and preaching the Word of God and in leadership.

We also trained the pastors on how to set up small income projects and adapt their farming practices to meet the challenges of a changing climate and poor soil. The overall theme of the conference was ‘Being a Good Shepherd’ and the leading Bible passage was John 10:1-21.

The conference hosted forty pastors and church leaders from different churches and communities in western Rwanda. We are already registering a lot of impact in their communities and churches and we want to continue to invest in them so they become agents of spiritual and community transformation.

I first met Pastor Luoga in Uganda at an APF regional leaders’ conference in 2018. Since then, he has become like a spiritual director to me. He is a very experienced pastor, ministry trainer, teacher, preacher and mentor. I believe APF is helping to break barriers by encouraging fellowship with other pastors from different backgrounds and cultures. We all benefit from one another’s insights and expertise when we work together in partnership.

I would like to thank all APF donors, friends and supporters who give generously of your money and your time in prayer to support APF and its partners in Africa. Know that your gifts are being used well and are making a big difference here in rural Rwanda and across Africa.

After training in western Rwanda, Heavenlight travelled south into Burundi to work with groups of untrained pastors serving in churches near Gitega. Gitega is the new capital of Burundi and it is the newest capital city in the world, replacing Bujumbura in 2019.

Fostering fellowship across Africa

By Rwanda, Zambia

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a very challenging time for many of our partners right across Africa. But tough situations inspire creativity and new ways of working. For example, instead of travelling to meet with the pastors and church leaders we work alongside, we set up monthly gatherings on Zoom. Now travel is possible again, our online meetings are continuing especially because they are creating a greater sense of fellowship between our African partners, something that was lacking before.  It’s great to listen to church leaders from Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Mali and DRC discussing and learning from each other’s experience. Recently, one of our partners from Rwanda spent several months in Zambia to study English. While he was there, he sought out a familiar face from the APF online meetings. Emmanuel explains…

My name is Revd Emmanuel Gatera from Kamembe in Rwanda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. I lead a network of churches called Word of Life Church.

I would like to share with you something about the connection I made while I was in Lusaka, Zambia.

Since March and up to June 2022, I was in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia at English language school. During the time I spent there, I had the privilege of creating friendships with pastors and organisations.

Through the connection with the APF Zoom meetings, I had already met Pastor Charles Mwampe from Zambia Youth Ministries online so we met in-person while I was in Lusaka.

Pastor Charles then invited me to attend the Zambia Youth Ministries conference. It was wonderful to speak at this conference on the theme “Why is it wise to trust in God not in men?” using Psalm 146:1-10 and Psalm 125:1-2. Many of the youth responded to the message and decided to put their trust in God.

There are many benefits of networking with pastors and organisations pan-Africa. It is so important for African pastors to grow in friendship and work together in growing the Kingdom of God by sharing the opportunities they have.

During the three months I spent in Lusaka, I was hosted in the home of a ‘bishop’ of a young Pentecostal church group. He is the Chairman of 100 different churches in this network and these churches showed me love as I ministered with them.

It was good to learn about their unity as churches. They meet each Monday between 4pm and 6pm for praying, sharing God’s word and helping each other so that each one can have a business of doing.

My prayer is that this fellowship can grow up.

Thank you!
Emmanuel Gatera

Faith in action in Rwanda

By Covid-19, Rwanda

In Rwanda, heavy rain and landslides have made life even more challenging for rural communities already struggling through one of Africa’s stricter Covid-19 lockdowns. Revd Mutagoma Japhet from the small rural Eglise Evangélique de la Bonne Volonté au Rwanda (EEBVR) network of churches shares his experience of helping communities affected by both lockdown and landslide.

“The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown has been a real challenge here in Rwanda. People have been suffering from hunger, the failure of their businesses and the loss of their jobs. Already we were seeing increasing malnutrition especially in younger children. This disastrous torrent has only worsened the situation.

“The Bible says, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). This verse reminds us that God remains faithful even in tough periods.

“This is our experience. With funding from APF, we donated significant grants that helped our communities fight against Covid-19. We provide soap and hygiene stations in four different communities.

“Using the bicycles we received from APF in 2018, we transported clean water from long distances to people living with disabilities during the lockdown.

“Following the flooding, we led displaced people to safety, sheltering them in churches and schools. We provided basic items like cooking pans, blankets, food and clothing. Overall, we supported 73 displaced families in two camps in Musanze District with 200 kg of maize, and also provided fruit and toys for 63 children. But the effects of the landslides have made worse the devastating impacts of the lockdown in one of the poorest parts of Rwanda where people live hand-to-mouth and face extremes of hunger and poverty.

“After receiving food for her children, one parent, who had lost her home to flooding, said she now understood that you cannot separate your faith from your deeds. One comes out from the other like the crops from the soil.”

Please pray

For marginalised communities in DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda that have seen crops, property and goods destroyed by torrential rain, floods and landslips

Give thanks for the local responses being initiated by APF partners that have received Covid-19 Relief Fund grants, especially Pastor Japhet Mutagoma, Revd Charles Munyamahoro and Revd Emmanuel Gatera, all in Rwanda

As the lockdown begins to ease in Rwanda, pray for life to normalise with churches being able to gather safely, training conferences resuming before long and communities to remember the help they received from Christian neighbours

For Pastor Victor, the new Legal Representative of Eglise Evangélique de la Bonne Volonté au Rwanda, as he combines teaching, ministry and academic study

Spotlight on Rwanda

By Rwanda

Rwanda is a landlocked country in east-central Africa. With breathtaking scenery, it’s known as the land of a thousand hills. Read on to find out about some of APF’s partnerships in this small but densely populated corner of Africa.

Victor Turikumwe

Eglise Evangélique de la Bonne Volonté

In 2018, new government regulation for faith-based organisations came into effect. This was very difficult for Eglise Evangélique de la Bonne Volonté au Rwanda as none in the small church network had sufficient qualifications. Victor explains: “We were not even able to pay for one pastor to study theology to degree level. Then APF intervened, paying for my theological studies at the Rwanda Institute of Evangelical Theology. I have recently completed the first of the three-year course. I have studied church leadership, discipleship, youth ministry and foundational Bible teachings. I am enjoying studying and eVitabu has given me access to many books to support my learning. Many African churches forget about preparing young people for leadership. During my internship I have gone through different schools in Musanze District, starting youth Bible clubs in ten schools. The children regularly meet at break time, lunchtime and at home as well. When we were studying Genesis, I enjoyed visiting pastors and talking about Christian attitudes towards creation. I prepared training material for pastors and the community showing how the Bible teaches that we have a responsibility to look after the world God gave us.”

Emmanuel Gatera

Word of Life Church

Rev Emmanuel Gatera from Kamembe heads-up Word of Life church network. Based near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Emmanuel is a highly respected and qualified theology lecturer and APF have been supporting his teaching ministry by funding a bee-keeping project. Selling honey provides a sustainable income for his family and means Emmanuel can focus on teaching. “We got a harvest of 20kg,” he reported recently. “We sold it and got 90,000 Rwandan Francs (about £75).”

APF also helped Jane Niyonsaba from Word of Life run training for children and youth leaders in Kamembe, Western Region. Teachers came from 15 different local churches to learn new ways to make the Bible come to life and appeal to the youngest generations.

Charles Munyamahoro

Wisdom Bible School

As churches struggle to fulfil government regulations, APF have allocated £15,000 over three years to Wisdom Bible School. WBS was started by Free Methodist pastor Rev Charles Munyamahoro and runs extension learning courses from Gekenke and Rulindo Districts, Northern Region. It gives poorer rural pastors access to vital training so they can keep their churches open. Around 50 leaders from Methodist, Baptist and Anglican churches are currently enrolled at WBS on certificate and diploma courses.

About 10 years ago, the Rwandan government switched the language used for education from French to English. Many older people, however, speak only French and Kinyarwanda which makes accessing education very hard. As part of the WBS curriculum, basic English lessons are offered so no-one misses out.

Please pray

For Word of Life church delivering training for pastors and youth leaders.
For Victor Turikumwe, studying for a Theology Degree and preparing to become Legal Representative of Eglise Evangélique de la Bonne Volonté.
For Revd Charles Munyamahoro, pioneering Wisdom Bible School and delivering certified theology training.
For Bishop Assiel and Kigeme Diocese continuing to implement Let There Be Light in remote village parishes.
For Revd Andrew North, APF Trustee, overseeing activity in Rwanda.