The Lutheran Church in Rwanda
The Lutheran Church of Rwanda (LCR), a member of the Lutheran World Federation, is a rapidly growing new Lutheran church body. Started by Rwandan refugees returning from Tanzania after the genocide of 1994, its 40,000 members and 17 pastors are organized into 18 parishes with 75 congregations.
The LCR and its local congregations work to renew Rwandan communities in the wake of the 1994 genocide, which left one million people dead, the nation collapsed, and the infrastructure destroyed. Rwandan Lutherans reach out to both refugees and those who stayed in Rwanda. The LCR engages in creating sustainable peace and reconciliation by coordinating and conducting seminars and workshops for community and congregational leaders. Rwandan Lutherans are building their church and renewing their country.
Through the church-wide ELCA Global Mission unit, the ELCA relates to and is in bilateral relationship with over 80 companion churches and institutions. The ELCA Global Mission unit stewards a church-to-church relationship with the Lutheran Church of Rwanda. This relationship is deepened and extended by the LCR’s relationship, through the ELCA Companion Synods program, with the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod.
Our Partner Congregation in Kagitumba
We partner with the Lutheran Church in Kagitumba, Rwanda in financial support, prayer support, and an exchange of stories about our ministries in Kagitumba and Rwanda.
Pastor Robert Mukundane was installed as Pastor at the Kagitumba Parish on January 7, 2018. The Lutheran congregation in Kagitumba numbers 86 people; 44 of those are under the age of 17. Kagitumba is a farming community; planting and cultivating beans and maize. They have 2 rainy seasons: the first from March to May and the second from Sept to November. The school year is from January through November.