Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Approval for the Bethlehem-Kibungo partnership was given at the Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly in Fresno (May 2009). Kibungo is one of about 17 sister-congregations that churches within the SPS are supporting in Rwanda.

The Kibungo Parish was started in 2008 by Pr. William Gerrard Mahirane and has over 30 members. The congregation now meets in one of the parishioners home and has purchased land to build a small modern church building that will accommodate about 100 people. Pastor Mahirane was one of the original five pastors who came out of the Rwanda refugee camps in Tanzania in 1995 that started the Lutheran Church in Rwanda. Kibungo is located about 100 km southeast of Kigali (the capital of Rwanda) along the main road to Tanzania.

Pr. Mahirane has several children. His oldest son Gerard Muvunyi received a bachelor's degree in November 2009 in community development studies in South Africa. He returned to Rwanda to work with Pr. John Rutsindintwarne, General Secretary of the LCR. Gerard is our principal contact with the Kibungo Parish has Pr. Mahirane speaks and writes limited English.

Kibungo is located about 100 km southeast of Kigali (the capital of Rwanda) along the main road to Tanzania.

The Kibungo congregation is very grateful that Bethlehem Lutheran Church has pledged to support them.