In the shadow of the Virunga Mountains, where mist clings to volcanic peaks like hope to a wounded heart, Rwanda stirs. This land of a thousand hills, scarred by the unspeakable and refined by fire, now stands at a precipice familiar to all nations that have tasted both. What emerges here—a society meticulously rebuilt, its wounds bandaged by the relentless will of its leaders—offers a paradox: a nation simultaneously exemplary in its governance and perilously adrift in its spiritual void. To the Bible-believing Christian, this duality presents opportunity and a godly summons. Unfortunately, pain insists upon being attended to, and Rwanda’s pain, both historical and existential, cries out for the balm that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can provide.
The Rwandan Paradox
President Paul Kagame’s Rwanda defies African stereotypes with the discipline of a Prussian state. Streets gleaming and clean, bureaucrats arrive punctually, and corruption (that devours its neighboring nations) retreats before rigorous enforcement. Yet this admirable order, like a splendidly furnished house built upon sand, lacks the only foundation that guarantees permanence: the moral architecture of biblical truth. The nation’s progress, real as it is, resembles the “splendid virtues” CS Lewis once warned of—admirable yet destined to decay unless anchored in something beyond human ingenuity.
Recent legislation governing faith-based organizations, while ensuring accountability, risks reducing spirituality to another regulated sector rather than a transformative force. Herein lies the opening for discerning missionaries: Rwanda’s respect for order creates space for those willing to labor within its frameworks, manifesting that ambassadors for Christ need not choose between cultural sensitivity and spiritual boldness. Just understand, “terms and conditions may apply.”
The BIMI Model
My recent trip back to Africa with Baptist International Missions Inc. (BIMI) revealed a counterintuitive and promising pathway. Unlike the colonial missions of old—or their modern NGO counterparts, which often breed dependency—this approach embraces biblical principle to: “become all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:22). By respecting Rwanda’s legal structures while refusing to dilute the gospel’s offense, the gospel of Jesus Christ has an integral pathway into the country.
Consider the requirements for religious organizations: accredited degrees, notarized statutes, district collaboration letters and signatures, building requirements, and non-criminal records for leaders. To the hurried Westerner, these seem bureaucratic hurdles. To the biblical realist, they are threshing floors—winnowing out opportunists from those serious about long-term spiritual investment.
Beneath Rwanda’s polished surface linger Africa’s ancient superstitious shadows. Herein lies the missionary’s task: to affirm the inherent nobility of Rwandan cultural progression (at least the polished aspect) while liberating it from Satanic strongholds. We now know this is possible, but it must be approached with great care.
Kagame’s Gambit
President Kagame’s achievements are real but fragile. His war on corruption has made Rwanda an African anomaly, yet like Asa’s reforms (2 Chronicles 15:16-17), they address symptoms, not hearts. The nation’s stability hinges on one man’s vision—a perilous foundation. History whispers through Solomon’s plea: “Give me now wisdom and knowledge…for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?” (2 Chronicles 1:10).
Rwanda’s future pivots on a question: Will its leaders recognize that laws, however just, cannot legislate love, nor edicts enact repentance? The church’s role is not to politicize but to declare, as Amos did to another prosperous society, that true security lies not in military might or economic plans but in seeking the Lord (Amos 5:4-6). In Rwanda, this will be a delicate task that requires careful discernment.
The Missionary Mandate
Therefore, this is no call for reckless zeal. Rwanda’s traumatic past demands the sensitivity of a “certain Samaritan” binding wounds with oil and wine (Luke 10:34-34). BIMI’s approach—combining legal compliance with doctrinal fidelity—models this balance. Their careful service in divers fields around the world testifies that harvest awaits those who labor lawfully (2 Timothy 2:1-7).
Yet the fields groan with urgency. While Rwanda progresses, neighboring nations spiral—the East African Community fracturing, the Congo smoldering. We are reaching an oddity in East Africa, missions that have been so well received, now becoming increasingly complicated. Therefore, this is the time to pray without ceasing. I am greatly encouraged by this opportunity in Rwanda, but now that we have looked on the fields, where are the careful and tactful laborers?
Pastor Thomas Irvin
George County Baptist Church
Lucedale, Mississippi
Learn More About Rwanda:
A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It
