Visiting American evangelist, Rick Warren, yesterday urged leaders of religious denominations in the country to work together. Warren authored one of the most popular of Christian literature, the Purpose Driven Life, and is the founder of Saddleback Church, based in the US.He made the call during a meeting with over 100 senior church leaders from eight Christian denominations across the country.“Togetherness can bring health to this nation. Churches should, therefore, unite. Religious leaders should love one another since we are all on the same team and are one family,” he said.The famous evangelist was partly in the country to attend the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) which ended Tuesday, in his capacity as President Paul Kagame’s advisor. Warren also called on the leaders to reach out to other nations and tribes, adding that there are 3,800 tribes in the world without a church, with 400 of them in Sudan.The clerics were also called upon to think bigger and have a big vision despite the size of their churches or nation.He added that no one in the world is better qualified to preach the message of reconciliation than Rwandans because of what they had gone through.Warren said that God has his hand on Rwanda and can turn the pain of the Genocide into an army of reconciliation.Retired Anglican Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, who is also the President of the Rwanda Purpose Driven Ministries PEACE Plan, said that it was remarkable to see different religious denominations come together.“These days, churches are competing with each other and building small kingdoms, but our emphasis here is to bring the church in Rwanda to unity as one parish. There are no denominations in Heaven, so we should also serve as one,” Kolini said.He urged religious leaders to mentor young people who will be the leaders in the next generation.Elder Hesron Byiringiro, who represented the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rwanda, said the message of togetherness is an inspiration to the church in Rwanda.“Differences in churches are always there, but we should have one common message to promote which is love. The best church in the world is that of love, unity and reconciliation,” he said.
