An Historical Analysis of the Influence of Brethren Mission on Evangelism, Church Planting and Leadership: The Case of Inkuru Nziza Church of Rwanda, Nyarugenge Assembly (1962-2020)
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Johannesburg South African Theological Seminary
Abstract
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This dissertation is a study of the history of the Brethren mission in Rwanda, looking at the role it played in shaping Christianity in Rwanda through Inkuru Nziza Church, an umbrella of local assemblies that traces its heritage back to the work of Brethren missionaries. To analyze the Brethren mission endeavor in Rwanda, the study focuses on Nyarugenge, the longest-established local assembly within the Inkuru Nziza Church network.
By tracing the historical development of the Brethren mission in Rwanda, the study highlights three main phases that took the local assembly planted by early Brethren missionaries from an unorganized church to a recognized denomination. The first phase, 1962-1986, corresponds to the period when the church was operating without any formal denominational structures. The study shows that in this period the church did most of its ministry in Rwanda through radio and literature, and by providing a gathering place for Christians from different Protestant denominations in the city of Kigali. The second phase, 1986-1992, corresponds to the period in which some local leaders became convinced that the local assembly planted by the early missionaries needed to be organized as a denomination, and hence to be able to plant new churches and nurture their growth. In the third phase, 1992-2020, the Inkuru Nziza church planted several local churches around the country while continuing to have the Nyarugenge assembly as a meeting place for Christians from different Protestant denominations in Kigali through its Lunch Hour Fellowship Services.
The research points out that Brethren missionaries, whatever else they might have achieved, did not play a significant role in building church structures and in empowering local church leaders with the skills and knowledge they needed to be able to face contemporary challenges, in which church ministers are required to have a high level of theological education, and church gathering places are required to meet the building standards set by the government.
Keywords
Church history, Christian leadership, Missions, Evangelistic work