Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa (10,169 sq.mi.) According to the 2022 population census, it has a total population of about 13.5 million, 94% of which are Christians (mostly Roman Catholics), 2% Muslims, 2% traditional religion practitioners, and the remaining 2% do not identify with any religious persuasion. On August 31, 2018 the Rwandan government passed a Local Government Law that was meant to regulate religious practices in the country with a five-year moratorium. Its provisions were updated through the “Regulations of the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Governance Board n°01/2025 of 03/06/2025 relating to additional requirements for faith-based organizations”, recently published in the Official Gazette n° Special of 03/07/2025.

According to these regulations, access to leadership and preaching positions requires holding a Bachelor’s degree in Theology or a BA in any other discipline plus a certificate in Theology delivered by an accredited institution. In addition, the law mandates places of worship – chapels and mosques to adhere to strict building codes and maintain very hygienic environments.

RWANDA 2018 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT

As a result, over 9,800 places of worship have been closed down in large part because many of the pastors of these churches do not have theological education. The aim of this project is to give opportunities to 1,000 Rwandan pastors to enter university and train for a post-graduate diploma or the Bachelor of Theology degree at the Protestant University of Rwanda (PUR) or Thousand Hills International University (THIU). In addition, these students would attend. Christ-centered Evangelical Ministerial and Spiritual Formation sessions to ensure that they are fully prepared for pastoral ministry as they leave school for the field.