The Pentecostal Church in Rwanda, ADEPR, said it has officially dismissed around 35 pastors and evangelists from holding church responsibilities following their involvement in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
According to the official notice signed by the Church’s senior pastor, Isaie Ndayizeye on March 18, 2026, the evicted pastors and lays had served the church at different levels across the country-from local village churches to parishes and regional leadership- before the genocide.
The decision also targets individuals currently serving a prison sentence in Rwanda, those who live in the country and the individuals whose whereabouts are still unknown, the statement added.
One of the key figures evicted includes Pastor Joseph Nsanzurwimo, who served as the ADEPR’s spokesperson now reportedly dwelling in Belgium, according to local media.
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ADEPR stated the decision was made following the resolutions from the Church’s General Council of Pastors meetings held in October 2025 and February 2026. The statement added the council further examined the cases of ordained ministers with pastoral responsibilities who were convicted by national courts for crimes linked to the Genocide against the Tutsi.
The church’s top leadership added that the move followed the regulations governing ordained ministers, pastors, evangelists, and deacons in ADEPR issued on October 16, 2025.
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Forgiven, Yet Not Always Reinstated ?
Many people on social media platforms are asking a fair question: If someone has repented, been forgiven by God, and even served their sentence under the law, why should they not continue in ministry?
In response, a theologian contacted by The Baptist Chronicle explains that a person can be forgiven by God and welcomed again into the Church community, yet still not return to leadership.
He says that leadership requires public trust.
“In cases of serious wrongdoing, especially crimes that caused deep suffering, bringing someone back into leadership can reopen wounds for victims, weaken the credibility of the Church, and create confusion between grace and accountability,” he explains.”
He also makes it clear that this does not mean such individuals are rejected. On the contrary, they remain members of the Body of Christ. They can still serve in other ways and even share their testimony, as many have suggested.
However, the Church must also protect its integrity and the people it serves.
According to him, this is the narrow path Christians are called to follow.
“This is not a contradiction between forgiveness and discipline,” he says. “Rather, it is a call to hold both together. The Church must be a place where grace is real, but also where truth is not compromised.”
APEDR is one of the country’s influential churches having over 2 million believers and around 4,000 church workers in 2023.
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Keep up the good work. I am glad to read through this publication of what is happening in the body of Christ in Rwanda. God will continue to strengthen and uphold His Church in Jesus’ name Amen.
Angela Chihisam Chukwueke
First Baptist Church Mission Hill Umuahia
Abia State Nigeria.