On a recent Sunday morning, a dozen people congregated in a house within the Nyabisindu neighborhood of Rwanda’s capital to ponder their next steps after the federal government shuttered quite a few churches for noncompliance with health and safety regulations.
“We are appalled by the federal government’s denial of our freedom to worship our God,” said a girl whose small Pentecostal church was among the many nearly 10,000 closed in late July and early August. “We are compelled to carry our services in secret and in silence. Our inability to wish aloud, sing, and express our devotion to God is a results of our fear of arrest.”
The woman, who asked to stay anonymous for fear of retribution from security officials, accused Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, who ordered the closures, of displaying dictatorial tendencies, warning that “God will punish him for opposing the spread of the gospel.”
The closures were carried out in accordance with a 2018 law that mandates that places of worship meet safety and hygiene standards, including proper infrastructure, parking, fire hazard equipment and soundproofing systems, and that they’re protected to occupy. The law also requires pastors to carry university degrees in theology, and churches to acquire legal registration and supply clear statements of their doctrine.
Human Rights Watch has cited Kagame as one in all the world’s worst offenders against freedom of expression and other basic human freedoms, reporting that those that criticize his government face repression, including killings, kidnappings, beatings, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention.
But the federal government has said that the crackdown will not be geared toward restricting religion, but a part of an ongoing effort to guard Rwandans from corruption and fraud. Kagame, who has proposed taxing churches, said after winning a fourth term in July that he opposed the “mushrooming churches” that “squeeze even the last penny from poor Rwandans.”
“This nationwide operation is devoted to upholding the rule of law inside churches,” said Usta Kaitesi, CEO of the Rwanda Governance Board, which oversees the delivery of services within the East African nation. “We are steadfast in our pursuit of proper standards for places of worship. It is important for people to understand that these guidelines are designed to advertise healthy and protected practices in worship.”
A church elder representing the Association of Pentecostal Churches in Rwanda, who also spoke to RNS on condition of anonymity, claimed that the authorities had targeted Pentecostal churches, closing a whole bunch without prior notice, because pastors didn’t have academic degrees or certificates in theology. “It’s God who calls people to serve him,” the elder said, “and never the extent of education or intelligence someone has.”
The elder said the federal government has effectively forced the association’s churches underground. “The closures have left us with no option but to collect in our homes and worship secretly,” he said, noting that security agencies were looking out for such gatherings. “The fear of arrest has forced congregants to be very careful while gathering, to make sure they do it secretly, and pray in low tones, in order that nobody hears, even their neighbor, because anyone can report you to the authorities.”
The elder urged the federal government to reconsider its abrupt motion and as a substitute discover a practicable solution with religious leaders. “There’s no way a church can fully comply with the required standards set by the federal government in lower than six years. We need more time. We want the federal government to grasp us and know that what we’re doing is the work of God, and we are usually not doing it for ourselves,” he said.
Christianity is the dominant religion in Rwanda, with Catholics comprising about 45% of the population and Protestants 35%. The country, roughly the dimensions of the state of Maryland, had 15,000 churches in 2019, in accordance with official figures. Only 700 were legally registered on the time.
Leaders of several Christian denominations have approved the closures, claiming that the restrictions will protect the poor from exploitation by untrained pastors. “It’s crucial to stick to the law and support the federal government’s efforts to make sure compliance inside churches,” said Esron Maniragaba, president of the Evangelical Free Church of Rwanda. “Implementing regulations is important to stop individuals with minimal theological knowledge from establishing churches arbitrarily.”
But other religious leaders say the federal government’s move encroaches on religious freedom by applying occupancy and noise standards unequally.
Pastor Patrick Iyakaremye, founder and president of Africa Bright Future Ministries and senior pastor of the Calvary Temple Church in Kigali, said the federal government’s demand for soundproofing in churches is unfair when noise from bars and entertainment venues goes unregulated. He also pointed to unequal demands for adequate parking spaces, which will not be applied to nonprofits corresponding to hospitals and clinics.
“It’s unfair for the federal government to treat churches like this. We have been forced to conduct our worship services secretly and sometimes do it online to make sure our congregants can proceed to receive the teachings of the word of God,” said Iyakaremye.
The pastor also criticized the deal with small Pentecostal prayer houses run by charismatic preachers, who often draw followers with guarantees of miracles. “It’s also shameful for the federal government to sentence the performance of miracles and prophecies by pastors without recognizing that these are spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit. The leaders of the federal government lack knowledge of the word of God,” he said.
© Religion News Service
