Bishop Manasseh Gahima was on Wednesday elected to replace retired Bishop Alexis Birindabagabo as the Bishop of Gahini Anglican Diocese in Eastern Province, the Church said in a statement.

For the last one year, Gahima was serving as an assistant to the outgoing bishop.

The Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda said in the statement, signed by  Archbishop Dr Laurent Mbanda that Gahima was elected during the meeting of the House of Bishops held at the church headquarters in Kigali on August 1, 2018.

Gahima was consecrated bishop on May 28, 2017 in Kayonza District.

The Archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Dr Laurent Mbanda, was enthroned on June 11 this year, replacing Onesphore Rwaje.

On June 7 1992, the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda (PEAR) was formed with four Dioceses of Kigali, Butare, Shyira, and Byumba, and the Most Rev. Augustin Nshamihigo was the first Primate.

Later, five other dioceses of Shyogwe, Kigeme, Cyangugu, Kibungo and Gahini were added which brought them to  nine dioceses.

In 1926, Reverend Halord Guillebaud baptised the first converts at Gahini and started the translation into Kinyarwanda of Christian literature.

Gahini hill was declared a Regional Revival Heritage Centre in February 2017. The centre is undergoing redevelopment.

The Rwanda Anglican Mission movement established its first station at Gahini in 1925 and grew through the revivals of the 1930s and 1940s, spreading across the globe.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw