Scottish pastors hail Rwanda’s reconciliation process

MUHANGA /KAMONYI - A group of Scottish pastors and Christians have commended the progress achieved among the Rwandan Christian community towards unity and reconciliation. The group was on Friday visiting Christians who have been able to attain unity and reconciliation in Muhanga and Kamonyi Districts with the help of Pilgrim Centre for Healing and Reconciliation Ministries (PCHRM). Pastor Bill Thompson, the group leader, said that the role of churches in Rwanda has been a very important catalyst in providing practical healing and reconciliation and gluing communities together after the 1994 genocide. “The message of local churches is the hope of the community to realise the importance of forgiveness, and this has to be holistic. This is what we have been helping with in the Rwandan community and there are good signs so far,” he said. Pastor Paul Ndahigwa, the director of PCHRM, revealed that the Scottish Christian communities and churches have been supportive in the process of giving hope to Rwandan communities “So far we have managed to build 39 houses for genocide survivors, with the help of former genocide perpetrators and 40 pastors trained by the International College of Glasgow,” Pastor Ndahigwa revealed . “A Vocational Training School (worth over Rwf 100 million) is under construction, among others,” he added. The group is on a two-week national tour and will visit various communities and activities run by the Living Church of Jesus Christ and Pilgrim Centre for Healing and Reconciliation Ministries (PCHRM). Ends