SOON

Rwanda Pentecostal Assemblies of God is a Christian denomination that began in 1990, just a few years before the tragic 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

 

During those dark times, starting new churches was incredibly difficult because the genocidal regime was working with some religious leaders to plan and carry out the genocide.

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Many church leaders were more focused on politics than on spreading the gospel, and the government had made it almost impossible to legally establish new churches and faith-based organizations.

 

Despite these obstacles, Bishop Gatabazi, the driving force behind Assemblies of God churches in Rwanda, sold his property to study theology in Tanzania. It was there he met his wife, Pastor Kaligirwa Christine.

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When they returned to Rwanda in 1987, they began serving in a local church in Kigali but were met with discrimination and rejection due to ethnic divisions. Refusing to give up, they started a small home prayer meeting in 1989.

 

This small gathering quickly grew into a larger congregation, where they witnessed miracles and baptisms in the Holy Spirit. With the acceptance of a multiparty system in Rwanda in 1991, non-governmental organizations, including churches, were finally allowed to register officially.

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By 1993, Rwanda Pentecostal Assemblies of God was officially registered. What began as a humble gathering grew from twelve local churches during the genocide to 179 local churches across the country today.