Churches across Africa continue to face many challenges, from periods of disruption to limited access to training resources. In May, pastors and church leaders from across Rwanda gathered to explore how resilient ministry, intentional discipleship and the eVitabu app can help churches remain strong in every season. Victor Imanaturikumwe told us all about the gathering:
It was a privilege to welcome around 50 pastors and church leaders to Rubavu in north-western Rwanda for two days of training focused on strengthening ministry in challenging times.
Our theme, The Resilient Shepherd, encouraged participants to think about how churches can continue to disciple believers, nurture home-based fellowship and care for their congregations, even when circumstances make traditional church gatherings difficult.
One of the highlights of the training was introducing participants to eVitabu, APF’s offline digital theological library.
Together we installed the app on participants’ devices and explored how it can support sermon preparation, discipleship and home-based ministry. By the end of the training, every participant had installed eVitabu and was confident in using it as part of their ministry.
The event was also memorable because of the diversity of those attending. We were joined by a pastor from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, who shared the realities of serving the church in a region affected by ongoing conflict. His testimony reminded us of the importance of equipping pastors with resources that remain available even in difficult circumstances.
We were also delighted to welcome representatives from Rwanda’s deaf Christian community for the first time, supported by sign language interpreters. Their participation was an important step towards ensuring that APF training is accessible to all and highlighted the importance of building churches where every believer can grow and serve.
We thank God for these encouraging days together and are grateful to APF for making the training possible. Please pray that the pastors who attended will continue to use eVitabu and the other ministry tools they received, strengthening discipleship and helping their churches remain resilient for years to come.