MUHANGA - Pastors of the Association of Pentecostal Churches in Rwanda (ADEPR) church in Gitarama region have called for the top church leadership to intervene after  a two-month long feud between pastors became unbearable.

It all started when a group of five pastors, accused the Gitarama Parish Pastor, Gérard Nyumbayire, for threatening to relieve them of their services and openly insulting them, referring to them as Banyamulenge during a pastors’ meeting two months ago.

In a letter, dated December 28, addressed to the ADEPR Gitarama Regionale, the pastors claimed that by calling them, Banyamulenge, Pastor Nyumbayire was disrespectful and hurting their being.

The Pastors, added that as a result, they are persecuted, and have been denied salaries, food and facilitation to conduct their duties.

Pastor Zacharie Mitabu, who is also a former Nyabisindu parish pastor, and has served that church for more than a decade, said that the new parish priest has denied them any sort of involvement in church projects and has not been accountable to the church leaders’ group on financial transactions.

The group says that Nyumbayire took a bank loan to purchase a vehicle with the consent of the pastors at an agreed rwf5m, but the receipts and mode of purchase have been kept a secret and unaccounted for.

"The parish pastor has literally thrown us out of the church and taken everything into his own hands. This is against the church regulations since the committee of church leaders is normally responsible for taking decisions on church projects and financial matters,” Mitabu said.

Pastor Nyumbayire downplayed the allegations and said that the parish had no problems with finances and administration.

"These are wild allegations and one needs to be careful otherwise there are some people misleading on church matters,” he said, adding that if there is any problem, it will be addressed by the top church leadership.

Ends