Anglican Church ordains new Bishop for Kigali

From Rwanda-

The newly ordained Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kigali, Rev. Nathan Amooti Rusengo, has said that he will put emphasis on the use of digital platforms in evangelism as he sets sight on endearing the gospel towards the urban youth.  

Officially ordained yesterday by fellow bishops, Rusengo replaces the long-serving, Louis Muvunyi, who has been Bishop of Kigali for about nine years.

Muvunyi relinquished his position following a request from fellow bishops who requested him to pursue a PhD after which he will head a new theology school that the church plans to set up in about four years.

Rusengo has been serving as the bishop of Cyangugu Diocese. He is not new to the Kigali Diocese having served as a pastor as well as a secretary in the Diocese before he moved to Cyangugu.

More here-

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/anglican-church-ordains-new-bishop-kigali

Anglican Church raises red flag on rise in broken marriages

From Rwanda-

Marriages are crumbling and the trend is growing, raising concern, not only for Rwanda but also for the entire world, Rev. Canon Dr Antoine Rutayisire, a Senior Pastor at St. Peter’s Remera Parish of the Anglican Church has warned.

“All over the world, families are falling apart. People are getting wealthier, people are getting more educated, but families are falling apart, and [getting] miserable,” Rutayisire said.

He used the platform of the Anglican Church’s annual celebration of Father’s Union on Sunday to deliver a warning against rushing into marriage because of the desire for material wealth.

Rutayisire’s warning comes at a time when Supreme Court figures show that cases of divorce have been rising gradually, from 21 cases in 2016, to 69 in 2017, and 1,311 in 2018.

More here-

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/anglican-church-raises-red-flag-rise-broken-marriages

Renewed Call to Reveal Location of Remains of Genocide Victims

From Rwanda-

Twenty-five years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed the lives of over a million people, Rwandans have been called upon to volunteer information on the location of remains of the victims who did not get decent burial.

The call was made yesterday as hundreds of mourners gathered at Ruhanga Genocide Memorial site to pay their respects to victims who were buried there.

The commemoration event was also an occasion to offer a decent burial to remains of 65 victims at the site.

Ruhanga Genocide Memorial is located at the former Ruhanga Episcopal Anglican Church (EAR Ruhanga) and has a mass grave inside the former church.

This is the only Anglican Church parish in the country which was converted into a Genocide memorial site.

In the wake of the Genocide, thousands of Tutsi flocked to the church as they desperately sought to hide from their tormentors.

More here-

https://allafrica.com/stories/201904160080.html

Rwanda Restricts Fasting as 8,000 Churches Closed

From Christianity Today-

About 8,000 official and unofficial churches, as well as 100 mosques, have been closed in Rwanda for failing to comply with health, safety, and noise regulations. This includes 4 in 10 congregations belonging to a nationwide association of 3,300 Pentecostal churches.

And authorities indicate such shutting down of houses of worship in the East African nation will continue until congregations meet the strict requirements of a new law adopted by Rwanda’s parliament on July 27.

The latest requirement: Pastors must now have a degree in theological education from an accredited school. The law also prohibits church leaders from urging their followers to fast for lengthy periods—like Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness—in order to better secure God’s blessing; authorities claim this is a form of starvation.

More here-

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/august/rwanda-churches-closed-fasting-restricted-rgb-religion-law.html

Over 150 Genocide victims get decent burial in Ruhanga

From Rwanda-

Thousands of mourners gathered yesterday at Ruhanga memorial site in Gasabo District to accord a decent burial to 157 Genocide victims recovered recently from different parts of Rusororo Sector.

Ruhanga Genocide Memorial is located at the former Ruhanga Episcopal Anglican Church (EAR Ruhanga) and has a mass grave inside the former church.

This is the only Anglican Church parish in the country which was converted into a Genocide memorial site.

Currently over 36,700 victims massacred from both inside the church and from surrounding areas are buried at the memorial site.

Over 25,000 were killed at the church compound where they sought refuge, according to accounts by witnesses.

More here-

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/over-150-genocide-victims-get-decent-burial-ruhanga

Rwanda closes thousands of churches in bid for more control

From The Washington Post-

Rwanda’s government has closed thousands of churches and dozens of mosques as it seeks to assert more control over a vibrant religious community whose sometimes makeshift operations, authorities say, have threatened the lives of followers.

President Paul Kagame has said he was shocked by the high number of churches in this small East African country. “700 churches in Kigali?” he said of houses of worship in the nation’s capital in March. “Are these boreholes (deep wells) that give people water? I don’t think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories? This has been a mess!”

Kagame said Rwanda doesn’t need so many houses of worship, claiming that such a high number is only fit for bigger, more developed economies that have the means to sustain them.

More here-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/rwanda-closes-thousands-of-churches-in-bid-for-more-control/2018/04/04/1a758880-37f0-11e8-af3c-2123715f78df_story.html?utm_term=.3363f0f7cbc5

Archbishop-Elect Looks to Future with Past Successes

From Chicago-

Touting Sonrise School's national exam results, Archbishop-elect and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Laurent Mbanda, PhD, was well-received at a packed dinner/bowling fundraiser Feb. 25 and spoke of education, his accomplishments as Anglican Bishop of the Shyira Diocese and future goals as Archbishop.
"Sonrise is doing exceptionally well," said Mbanda at the Wilmette Bowling Center benefit sponsored by one of the school's founders, Church of the Redeemer, Highland Park. The proceeds from the night would support operating costs for the primary and secondary campuses in Musanze, Rwanda.


In the three placement exams, Sonrise is included in the top divisions of the nation. Additionally, one female student finishing high school "had maxed out" with a score of 100 percent, he said.

Students advancing from sixth to seventh grades all proceeded to divisions one and two (the best category). From ninth to 10th, "they all passed with good grades," in exams highlighting their individual strengths of study, Mbanda said. Already one student will be enrolled at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, for her college studies. Others are enrolled in various universities in different states.

More here-

http://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20180305/archbishop-elect-looks-to-future-with-past-successes

Who Is The Next Rwanda’s Anglican Archbishop?

From Rwanda-

The Rwanda Anglican Council of Bishops is scheduled to vote for a new leader in January 2018 as the incumbent Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje retires.

Corridors of speculation are buzzing over who will replace the 64 years old Archbishop Rwaje.

According to church leaders, in the Anglican Church, no bishop is allowed to serve beyond 65 years of age. Thus, many archbishops hold that title for less than ten years.

Born on June 6, 1953, Bishop Rwaje took over from Archbishop Emmanuel Korini on December 2010.

But who is his the potential successor?

Four bishops have been subject to suggestions. The current favourite is Louis Muvunyi, Anglican Bishop of Kigali Diocese, followed by Dr. Jered Kalimba, Bishop of Shyogwe Diocese, Nathan Gasatura, Bishop of Butare and Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo of Gahini.

More here-

http://ktpress.rw/2017/11/who-is-the-next-rwandas-anglican-archbishop/

Genocide: The mysterious case of 200 Tutsi killed at Midiho Anglican church

From Rwanda-

Sky-blue is associated with hope and a church extols belief. Put the two together and you have a powerful symbolism that won’t be missed from kilometres away.

St Peter’s Anglican Church of Midiho, in Mukarange Sector, Kayonza District, did just that. The sky-blue theme of its roofing would all but inspire profound belief.

However, to many survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and other citizens, the colour and church itself have done little to dispel the shroud of mystery surrounding the fate of some 200 people killed at the scene 23 years ago.

The church is now open to worshippers but survivors in the area everyday live with the grief of not having been able to accord a decent burial to their loved ones killed at the church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

There is no dispute that over 200 people were killed from the church in 1994, survivors and some Genocide perpetrators say, but no one seems to know where the bodies are buried.

More here-

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2017-05-24/213035/

‘I’m Going to Trust Him’

From The Living Church-

The Rev. Jacob Worley called a diocesan synod “an amazing experience of the Holy Spirit” when he was elected Bishop of Caledonia. He still sees it that way after a majority of bishops in his province rejected his election.

“I still believe that the Holy Spirit moved at the election, as do others who were there,” he told TLC. “And I believe that I am the Lord’s choice to be bishop. It’s clear that the House of Bishops didn’t think so. I’m not sure what the end result will be, where the Holy Spirit is ultimately moving, but I know that the Lord is orchestrating all of this. I’m going to trust him, because what is most important is that he has all the glory.”

A majority of bishops in the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon rejected Worley’s election, citing his past work on behalf of the Anglican Mission in America.

Worley, an American-born priest, was elected bishop on the eighth ballot April 22 in Prince Rupert. Worley is rector of Bulkley Valley Regional Parish, which includes three congregations in the northern interior of British Columbia.

More here-

http://livingchurch.org/i-am-going-trust-him?platform=hootsuite

House of Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC & Yukon registers objection to election of the Rev. Jacob Worley

From Canada-

The question of his views arose from a review of his exercise of priestly ministry when he served in the Anglican Mission in America under license from the Province of Rwanda in the geographical jurisdiction of The Episcopal Church without permission of The Episcopal Church.

As the Provincial House has registered its objection, the Rev. Worley will not be consecrated bishop in the Diocese of Caledonia in the Anglican Church of Canada. As outlined in Canon 4 of the constitution and canons of the Province of BC & Yukon, “the decision of the [Provincial] House of Bishops shall be final” in these matters. The Diocese of Caledonia will now begin the process to hold a new electoral synod according to its canons.

“The Provincial House of Bishops of BC & Yukon ask for your prayers during this extraordinary time,” said Archbishop Privett,  “especially for the Worley family, for the Diocese of Caledonia and all those who worship and minister there”.

More here-

http://www.anglican.ca/news/ecclesiastical-province-bcyukon-registers-objection-election-rev-jacob-worley/30019484/

also here-

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/worley-will-not-serve-as-bishop-of-caledonia-rules-provincial-hob

Shyira Diocese gets new bishop

From Rwanda-

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them,” reads John 10:11-12.

Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi invoked this scripture to call upon the newly-consecrated bishop of Shyira Diocese, The Rev. Samuel Mugisha Mugiraneza, to be a real shepherd and always take care of the congregation to purposefully serve God.

During the consecration of the bishop in Musanze District yesterday, the premier said Rwanda has had a lot of blessings and there is hope for more achievements.

More here-

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2017-03-06/208599/

Rwanda: Kigali Catholic Churches Yet to Fully Communicate Genocide Apology

From All Africa-

The apology letter penned by the nine bishops constituting the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Rwanda - the Church's supreme organ in the country - over the role of some of the Church's clergymen and faithful in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is yet to be read out in some of the churches as directed, The New Times can report.

The joint statement, signed by the nine bishops representing nine Catholic Church dioceses across the country, was released last week, with a directive that it be read out during mass last Sunday.

But some Christians who attended mass last Sunday have since told this newspaper the apology was not read out as expected, with many admitting they only heard about it in the media.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201611230083.html

The Catholic Church has apologized for its role in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide

From Quartz Africa-

In the spring of 1994, violence erupted in Rwanda after a plane carrying then president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down. Thousands of ethnic Tutsis, a minority group who became a target after Habyarimana’s death, sought refuge in the country’s Catholic and Protestant churches.

Hutu militia surrounded the churches, shooting into the crowd, throwing grenades into the building, and killing those inside with machetes. According to witness accounts, many died at the hands of priests, nuns, and clergymen. “More Rwandese citizens died in churches and parishes than anywhere else,” the group African Rights, wrote in an account of the violence in 1995.

More than two decades later and several calls for an apology, the Catholic Church in Rwanda has apologized for its role in the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 800,000 lives, one tenth of Rwanda’s population, local representatives from the Church have apologized.


More here-


http://qz.com/842332/rwanda-finally-receives-an-apology-from-the-catholic-church-for-its-genocide-role/

Mothers Union at 50: First Lady urges Church to uphold family values

From Rwanda-

Calls for church leaders and members of their congregations to uphold family values and pay particular attention to the most vulnerable ones in the community, namely children and the youth, took centre stage as the Mothers Union Rwanda chapter marked 50 years, on Sunday.

From the First Lady Jeannette Kagame, to Dr Onesphore Rwaje, Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda (PEAR) and Lynne Tembey, Mothers’ Union Worldwide President, one key statement was emphasised; a need for Church leaders to take lead in upholding family values and inspiring more responsible childcare practices.

While giving a keynote address, at the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Mothers’ Union at Kibagabaga Anglican Parish of Gasabo Diocese, Mrs Kagame noted that a good family allows children to live happily to exercise their full potential — consequently acting as a backbone of a more prosperous and peaceful nation. 

More here-

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2016-08-01/202238/

Rwanda: Jesus, the Ancestors, or Both?

From Rwanda-

After she won re-election, she went to her cultural shrine to 'pay homage' to the ancestors. She felt obliged to thank them for guiding her through the hotly contested race for Speaker of Parliament in a country that neighbours our own; it was captured on a video clip that made the rounds and provoked all kinds of reactions that, on the balance of opinion, were downright hostile. It was worth a thought.

The Anglican Church felt cheated by the Speaker's belonging to it and to a 'rival' faith at once. The Archbishop voiced strong condemnation. The Speaker's actions, the bishop intoned, have created "confusion" and are likely to lead "others to stumble.

Moreover, the Speaker had betrayed and confused many Christians who had "rejoiced when the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ opened doors for her to serve [... ] again." He urged all bishops and clergy to "use this opportunity to proclaim the sufficiency of Christ" to their congregations.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201605300122.html

International recognition for Kenyan, Rwandan Anglican youth projects

From ENS-

Youth projects in the Anglican provinces of Kenya and Rwanda have been chosen by African Anglicans to receive the first of a new set of Anglican Communion awards in recognition of their success in youth discipleship.

Details of the new awards were announced in February: At each meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council the provinces of the region hosting the meeting will be invited to submit entries which will be judged by the provinces of the region.

One award will recognize the success of an existing project while the other will receive a cash grant of £10,000 GBP to support innovative and embryonic schemes.

The first winners were announced last night at a dinner hosted by Bishop of Lusaka David Njovu and the Diocese of Lusaka for members of the ACC and local Christians in the grounds of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/04/13/international-recognition-for-kenyan-rwandan-anglican-youth-projects/

Canadian Anglican Development Agency Begins Ambitious Maternal and Child Health Program

From All Africa-

The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is pleased to announce a new joint program with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD). PWRDF will contribute $2,654,612 over five years towards the $17,697,412 project that will focus on maternal and child health in 350 villages in Burundi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania.

"PWRDF is deeply satisfied that DFATD has approved an ambitious proposal to scale up the work we are presently doing with them in three countries--Burundi, Mozambique and Tanzania--and adding Rwanda. At the three-year mark in our current DFATD programs, we are seeing many of the five-year results we were aiming at, due to our partnership with strong local partner organizations who know their countries, their cultures and their people," said Adele Finney, Executive Director of PWRDF. "As we accompany partners, and they accompany vulnerable people making lasting changes in their communities, we see more mothers and babies living and thriving through pregnancy, childbirth and the first years of life. We see siblings, fathers and families growing their own food with confidence."
More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201507101474.html

Rwanda: Rucyahana Whips up Support for Girls' Education

From Rwanda-

A bottom-up approach in girls' education needs to be adopted if the country is to consolidate its current gains in achieving gender parity.

Speaking at an outreach programme aimed at drumming up support for girls' education in Kigali, yesterday, retired Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana said to do this, there has to be a radical change in the way society perceives girls' education.

"We must maintain and sustain what we have achieved as a nation as far as gender parity is concerned," said Rucyahana, who is president of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC).

NURC facilitated the session.

"To maintain the impressive numbers of women we have in Parliament, we have to go down to the grassroots, in the villages and in homesteads. We should make sure that from this level, we give girls as much attention as we do boys. We can't afford to continue treating girls the way we currently do."
More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201504220849.html

Rwanda: Christians Pray for Peace, Genocide Commemoration

From All Africa-

Clerics in various parts of the City of Kigali extended sympathy to the people of Kenya in their Easter Sunday messages yesterday.

At St Etienne Cathedral Kigali, the Anglican Bishop of Kigali Diocese, Louis Muvunyi, prayed for peace in Kenya and Burundi and encouraged Christians to keep praying for the two countries.

In Kenya, some 147 people, mainly students, were killed when Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab terrorists attacked Garissa University last Thursday.

Kenya is holding three days of national mourning for the victims of the attack, with Easter masses dedicated to the memory of the victims.

Tensions are rising in Burundi ahead of the upcoming general elections, due May, with some civilians fleeing into Rwanda last week.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201504061281.html