The Free Baptist Church of Burundi held its first leadership training cohort from July 4 to July 12, 2026, in Kayanza Commune, northern Burundi, as part of efforts to strengthen theological education by equipping church leaders with biblical knowledge, leadership skills, and spiritual maturity to advance the Gospel across the country.
The nine-day program, held at Elijah Bible School at the headquarters of the Free Baptist Church in Kayanza, brought together 17 participants with the aim of strengthening the church spiritually and preparing a future generation for God’s ministry, in line with Matthew 28:18–20, where Jesus commands his followers to preach the Gospel to all nations.
“Our objective is to prepare God’s servants with a solid biblical foundation so they can faithfully proclaim the Gospel and effectively serve the church,” said Pastor Dieudonné Irambona, senior trainer and director of Elijah Bible School.
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Pastor Irambona, who is the vice legal representative of the Free Baptist Church, described biblical studies as a vital pathway to effective leadership, urging aspiring church leaders to embrace both commitment and education.
“Someone who is unwilling or unable to study cannot effectively lead,” he said. “Learning demands commitment and perseverance. That is why we encourage church leaders to pursue education, because learning is the foundation of leadership.”
Pastor Irambona also called on church leaders and believers to pursue spiritual growth, warning that a church lacking the guidance of the Holy Spirit risks spiritual decline.
“A church may grow in numbers,” he said, “but if believers are not growing spiritually, then the church is actually moving backward.”
In addition to leadership development, participants received training in a range of subjects, including introductory theological studies and the biblical understanding of the Church.
Participants Welcome the Program
Participants described the training as both significant and transformative.
One of them, Moïse Ntihemuka, leader of Nyamahongo Church in Rumonge Commune, southern Burundi, said the program greatly deepened his biblical understanding.
“It transformed us by helping us understand who we are and what salvation truly means. It gave us a much deeper understanding, which will enable us to make significant progress in church leadership and in God’s ministry.”
Another participant, Eric Sabushimike, leader of the Free Baptist Church in Tenga, Bujumbura, said the training significantly improved participants’ approach to preaching.
“In the past, we shared the Gospel based only on our own understanding. We didn’t know how to introduce a message properly, so our presentations often lacked structure. This training taught us how to communicate the Gospel more effectively,” he said.
The first cohort of the training targeted church leaders who had completed the seventh grade of high school. The second cohort scheduled in August will target those who had completed the ninth grade, including high school and university graduates.
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Despite the initiative’s progress, Pastor Irambona said the church continues to face significant challenges, particularly inadequate financial resources to sustain and expand the program. He noted that limited funding often forces organizers to conduct shorter training sessions instead of more comprehensive programs.
“As a result, the time allocated for training is often insufficient because of financial limitations,” he said.
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