My first time in Gahini was in the 2000s as a student. I knew that the school I was sent to belonged to the Anglican Church but little did I know the place was the birthplace of the Anglican Church, not only in Rwanda ,but regionally.

As students, we often heard stories from colleagues and lopcal residents about the fact that Gahini was the birthplace of the African church in the region which many of us, me inclusive, didn’t believe.

Early this month, The Most Reverand Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, declared Gahini Hilla regional heritage centre.

Welby described Gahini Hill in Kayonza District as the "most beautiful place and the birthplace of the Anglican Church in the Great Lakes Region.”

But what makes it special and a regional heritage centre?

According to accounts, Rwanda Anglican Mission movement established its first station at Gahini in 1925.

In 1936, the Holy Spirit manifested on the hill of Gahini before the historical spiritual movement spread through regional countries like Uganda, DR Congo, Burundi, and Kenya through to Australia.

Canon Mariam Kajuga, 95 was then a student at Gahini school, currently Groupe Scolaire Gahini.

She says that it was a spectacle when the Holy Spirit manifested as people started screaming and shouting without knowing exactly what was happening.

"We were in class when the Holy Spirit manifested, there were young girls who were praying and we heard a voice saying that people will go to hell if they don’t repent, it lasted for a long period and some people were taken to church for further prayers while others were taken to hospital,” she remembers

Kajuga, who was 12-year-old then says that from that period, Gahini became a a popular place and many Christians would come from all the corners to see the miracles of the Holy Spirit.

Other special sites  

For decades, Gahini diocese has had other specialties that make it more attractive for pilgrims and other people who may be willing to know more about the revival movement that started from Kayonza district.

The Fellowship House that is under construction in Gahini

For years, whoever has travelled to Gahini might have seen a grass hatched house built around Groupe Scolaire de Gahini and might have wondered what it is all about.

According to Bishop Alex Birindabagabo, It is a fellowship house where Christians gather, pray, read the bible, worship God and share testimonies.

Covenant place

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, says the scripture in the book of Romans. And having this in mind, Gahini Christians and visitors have a place where to reconcile with God whenever they feel guilty against God.

There is covenant place where people go to renew their vow with God whenever they sin. In this place, there is a stone where Christians put their thumb and vow that "I will never leave you God,” a vow which God says that after one’s being forgiven, they will always stick to God.

According to the officials, a house to host the Covenant place will soon be constructed so that pilgrims who will need to visit the place get a decent place to visit and get information.

The wall of Miracles

Other than specialties that prove the unity between Gahini and God that go back decades ago, there are others that happened earlier in 2000 and according to the officials, this proved that God still blesses Gahini with wisdom and still wants it to be awake.

It was in April 2004 early in the morning when passersby noticed that the wall of one of the gahini school’s premises was split into two and the cracks were from top to the bottom.

According to Bishop Birindabagabo, the crack was eight meters long and 5centimetres wide. Passersby informed the diocese management whor informed one, Jean Pierre Bugenimana in charge of infrastructure to repair it only to disappear after five hours.

Bishop Birindabagabo says it was a prophecy that the church would be seen as divided into two outside if nothing is done.

During his visit early last week, The Canterbury Archbishop Welby said he was impressed by the place and encouraged the pilgrims to keep visiting it to know God’s miracles adding he would do everything possible to publicize the place.

"I will talk about it when I am back in my country, I will write about it and I will talk about it to whoever I will meet,” he said

Apart from the sites, a new modern cathedral, which includes a touristic spiritual heritage centre is under construction and will be completed by May according to the officials.

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