São Paulo, May 03, 2018
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular," 1 Corinthians 12: 27.
Support for our brethren in Rwanda
Since the beginning of March this year, our Reform family has suffered a heavy blow in Rwanda. The president of that country has ordered that over 1,000 churches be closed. Included in this number are our churches. Hundreds of our brethren are without the possibility of worshiping God in our churches because they have been closed (today we have 776 members in Rwanda). Around the world, our members have prayed ever since they received the news of the closing of the churches, for mercy from the Lord and asked Him for a solution to the crisis.
A little less than a month ago we received a list of government requirements for our churches to be reopened—a list that is very large and expensive. We realize that we need to do a little more than pray. We have already sent financial aid to be used to make sure our main churches meet the new government demands, but we need more resources. We need to reopen more churches, and for that, we are calling on your offerings for help to solve this important problem.
Dear brothers and sisters, you who have been praying for this matter for several days now, we want to appeal to you that you can put a generous offering at our disposal to deal with this difficult situation. If we collaborate with joy and give our best, we will surely have enough to reopen our churches in that country!
Rwanda is a very punished country, and our brethren suffer a lot there. This country was the scene of a grim experience during the genocide in 1994, and although the people are very friendly, they live under a dictatorship and under the regime of fear. In the midst of all this, our churches are a beacon of light, illuminating that country with hope. Our work has grown steadily there in the last few years, and we need to support our brethren so that this trial is won!
The time when our resources will be confiscated by the powers of the world is not far, and we will be unable to attend to such requests. It will be very sad to think that the money we do not apply to the advancement of God's work will be used to persecute the people of God!
May the Lord give us a generous and grateful heart to dedicate our abundant offerings to this noble cause in Rwanda.
Contributions can be made by the following means:
PayPal:
Via your local church:
The money must be delivered to your local church, or to the treasury of your Field/Union, to be forwarded to the General Conference.
In the name of the General Conference,
Pastor André Devai
Welfare and Stewardship Department
