North-West Rwanda Field

North-West Rwanda Field is part of Rwanda Union Mission in the East-Central Africa Division of Seventh-day Adventists. It is located in the Ngororero, Nyabihu, Rubavu, and Rutsiro districts, and has a population of 1,386,040.¹ The field has a membership of 111,789 from 225 churches and 61 companies.² The Field was organized in 2011 from North Rwanda Field because of rapid growth resulting in a large membership.³

History

When the leadership of Rwanda Union Mission headed by Pastor H. R. Byilingiro saw that the number of members of North Rwanda Field was increasing rapidly, a decision was made to reorganize it into two Fields. Consequently, in April 2011, the new Field was organized and named the North-West Rwanda Association, with its headquarters in Gisenyi town in the Rubavu administrative district. The first president of the field was Pastor S. Setako, who worked together with Pastor A. Ngarambe as executive secretary and Elder E. Kayijuka as treasurer. The new field began with a basic church member of 55,935 from 25 districts, 202 churches, and 66 companies.⁴ In 2012, the Field was renamed North-West Rwanda Field.⁵

In 2013, the work in North-West Rwanda Field continued to expand, and the two new districts of Ngororero and Nyamyumba were organized.⁶ The increment of the number of districts resulted in the increase of churches, companies, and membership. In 2016, North-West Rwanda Field participated in a special evangelistic campaign known as Total Member Involvement (TMI) where it hosted Pastor Ted N. Wilson, the GC president, and his wife Nancy as preachers in two different sites among the 281 in the whole field. The harvest was 10,750 people baptized.⁷

In 2021, North-West Rwanda Field had 111,789 members⁸ from 55,935 there in 2011, the time the field was organized. This indicates that in 10 years, church membership had doubled.

In the area of infrastructure, the Field began without an office. It started working in one of the rooms of the Gisenyi Adventist Secondary School (GASS). Except for the land on which the school and local churches were built, the field had no other land in Gisenyi town from where it could operate. As the work continued to grow, land was acquired on which staff houses were constructed. Additionally, other activities like new churches, schools, and centers of influence have been put in place. In the sector of education and health, North-West Rwanda Field has one secondary school, and eight primary schools. In 2019, the field bought a school near Lake Kivu in the town of Gisenyi. That campus is being used temporarily as a boarding school of Gisenyi Adventist Secondary School (GASS). The field has one health center, the Kinunu Adventist Hearth Center.

Leadership

Presidents: S. Setako (2011-October 2021); N. Mutuyimana (November 2021- )

Executive Secretaries: A. Ngarambe (2011-2015); N. Mutuyimana, (2016-October 2021); M. Ndolimana (November 2021- )

Treasurers: E. Kayijuka (2011-2014); C. Nzayikorera (2015-2017); J. Cyuma (2018-October 2021); and J. P. Hagenimana (November 2021- ).

Sources

North-West Rwanda Association Executive Committee Minutes, April 6, 2011. North-West Rwanda Field records office, Rubavu, Gisenyi, Rwanda.

North-West Rwanda Field Executive Committee Minutes, January 4, 2013. North-West Rwanda Field records office, Rubavu, Gisenyi, Rwanda.

North-West Rwanda Field, Statistical Report, 2^nd Quarter, 2016; 1^st Quarter, 2021; Third Quarter, 2021. North-West Rwanda Field records office, Rubavu, Gisenyi, Rwanda.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Notes

1. “North-West Rwanda Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (2021),↩

2. North-West Rwanda Field, Statistical Report, 1^st Quarter, 2021.↩

3. Personal knowledge of the author as the former departmental director in the Field before it was divided into two.↩

4. North-West Rwanda Association Executive Committee Minutes, April 6, 2011.↩

5. “North-West Rwanda Field,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (2019), 57.↩

6. North-West Rwanda Field Executive Committee Minutes, January 4, 2013.↩

7. North-West Rwanda Field Statistical Report, Second Quarter, 2016.↩

8. North-West Rwanda Field Statistical Report, Third Quarter, 2021.↩