Concordia Lutheran Mission Society occasionally receives a request for a special mission project. Last year the A-BC District’s President Rev. Glenn Schaeffer approached CLMS with a request for CLMS to accept a special project for Rwanda. Rev. Schaeffer assumed responsibility for raising funds for two teachers to instruct a week-long course to church leaders in Bible and theological training in the Beth Ammi Christian Fellowship and the Reformed Christian Fellowship Church of Rwanda.
Following are excerpts from Dr. Glenn Schaeffer’s report on his teaching trip to Rwanda in early 2019.
Greetings!
My wife Sandra and I just returned from a two week trip to Rwanda. It is amazing how the bonds of faith and the shared love we have for Jesus connect us to one another despite differences in ethnicity, language, and social class.
I led a four day conference on Romans 1-8 with heavy emphasis on the doctrine of justification – a doctrine that was “foreign” to them. There were about 35 church leaders present for the conference, mainly from the Beth Ammi Christian Fellowship Church and two pastors from the Reformed Christian Fellowship Church of Rwanda.
They are passionate about worshiping and serving their Lord, but most of the Christians, including the leaders, have a limited knowledge of the Bible and tend to live under the burden of the law.
They are eager and hungry to learn more. Our daily sessions at the conference started at 9 am and concluded at 4 pm with a one hour lunch break (during which they huddled to talk about the lessons). Otherwise, they listened, discussed, debated, and prayed…with no other breaks!
Both churches are requesting ongoing biblical/theological training. In fact, this matter is quite pressing as the government of Rwanda has mandated that all pastors of congregations are to have a theological degree/certificate from an accredited school.
I am thankful for the opportunity that Sandra and I had to travel to Rwanda. Aside from the conference we visited four additional congregations that are extensions of the Beth Ammi located in various regions of Rwanda. I also preached at a worship service there.
The congregation I now serve in Michigan is quite supportive of my work in Rwanda. Sandra and I plan to return to Rwanda to continue to develop relationships with them and to provide them with biblical and practical training.
In Christ,
Glenn Schaeffer
Dr. Schaeffer and CLMS are very grateful to the people of LCC who heard about this special project and supported it both financially and with their prayers.
