Brief History of the Damascus Trust Rwanda Mission
The Damascus Trust mission in Rwanda will be working with the Anglican Diocese of Byumba.
In 2008 Damascus Trust was invited to run the 'Support A Pastor' programme in
partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Byumba in the north of Rwanda.
The diocese is about an
hour's drive north of the capital Kigali, in a
very hilly area extending up to the Ugandan border. Most church
buildings are large and basic, and many pastors have
houses without
electricity. Most pastors walk or cycle everywhere
and it is rare for anyone in
the villages to own a car or a motorbike. The
pastors receive training in the
diocesan centre in Byumba but it is costly for them
to attend training courses and
difficult for some of them to reach the required
academic standard.
Pastors have to deal with a variety of issues within their parishes such as poverty, HIV/AIDS orphans, ongoing consequences from the 1994 genocide and a lack of secondary education. Congregations are large with often hundreds of children. The services have lively singing with guitars and drums, challenging sermons and lots of choirs and dancing. Communal feasts at times of celebration are popular.
Pastors receive a very small stipend which is insufficient to meet their basic needs so our extra support enables them to fulfill their ministry without financial worries.
Pastors have to deal with a variety of issues within their parishes such as poverty, HIV/AIDS orphans, ongoing consequences from the 1994 genocide and a lack of secondary education. Congregations are large with often hundreds of children. The services have lively singing with guitars and drums, challenging sermons and lots of choirs and dancing. Communal feasts at times of celebration are popular.
Pastors receive a very small stipend which is insufficient to meet their basic needs so our extra support enables them to fulfill their ministry without financial worries.
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