Throughout Rwanda, there are only about 300 Episcopal clergy and it is estimated that fewer than 20 per cent of these have more than a secondary education. Many have only had a few months of theological training.
It is prohibitively expensive to send theological students abroad to study and Church leaders are committed to remaining rooted in their home communities while they educate themselves.
The college aims to raise the level of education of its leaders in order to strengthen the Church and equip ministers to serve their communities. In a country still experiencing the traumatic after-effects of the genocide, which saw almost one million people killed in just 100 days, the Church has an important role to play in meeting the material and spiritual needs of poor and marginalised people.
The Revd John Paul Ruzindana is a pastor in the Kigali Diocese who returned from exile in Uganda to serve the Church in Rwanda. He says, “This college is really coming for us at the right time. It will enable us to study and still not be far from our families. It will also greatly reduce our expenses and allow more students to be trained.”
Through Books for Life, the college was able to purchase relevant theological and educational books for their new library and begin offering their diploma course. In addition, they have sourced texts on community development, HIV/AIDS, and reconciliation and healing. The college plans to establish a centre for reconciliation and healing, which will help ordinary local people overcome their past trauma and build relationships across the Hutu and Tutsi communities..
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