“Kagame tightly controls the media, political parties, and civil society at large. The churches constituted the last open space. Kagame knows this … these churches were willing to open their doors to the hurting and to the broken within their communities. The churchgoers sang and praised God … Kagame, churches in Rwanda are not a mess. Far from it. They represent hope. I put it to you that the reason you closed Rwandan churches is not hygiene but fear of words and thoughts … Your paranoia is the real reason for your cowardly closure of Rwandan churches.” -Rwandan international development David Himbara
Will Maule : Mar 9, 2018 : Faithwire.com
[Faithwire.com] Approximately 700 Churches have been shut down by the Rwandan government for failing to comply with noise restrictions. Most of those closed by officials were small Pentecostal congregations located in Nairobi, but one mosque was also ordered to stop hosting services. (Photo: Sainte-Famille Church in Kigali/credit: Flickr/Adam Jones/CC/via World Watch Monitor)
There has been an increase in charismatic individuals starting up small churches, claiming the ability to perform miracles. Citing the dangers of this type of practice, a new law now requires all preachers must have theological training before opening a church.
Some church premises reportedly exposed worshippers to unnecessary risks and could “cause danger to those worshipping,” according to government official Justus Kangwagye, as reported by the BBC. Kangwagye told the BBC’s Focus on Africa that the Churches were required to meet “modest standards” with regards to training and noise limits.
In an announcement on Feb 21, the Rwanda Governance Board said it was seeking to review the original governing laws for Churches due to “irregularities” in the way various congregations functioned…
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