Strengthening Hope Among Refugee Leaders

Reverend Jean Pierre Gatera serves IAFR as our Refugee Church Consultant. On a recent trip to Burundi, he set out with some lofty goals:

• Provide development opportunities for a leadership program in Bujumbura.

• Visit with pastors in Gasorwe Refugee Camp to support them in developing structures that strengthen their organization’s vision and allow them to work with outside NGOs.

• Assess repatriation conditions for Burundians returning from Tanzania.

His work spans the breadth of IAFR’s values. And his own vision for displaced people is clear: strengthen relationships and encourage hope among refugee leaders and pastors serving in difficult situations. Below, he shares some of the ways he sees this vision coming to life in Burundi:

Even in displacement, God is at work

During the leadership training in Ngozi we had many fruitful interactions. One particular area I saw God working was through two pastors who were in attendance. They had been with me in Kakuma Refugee Camp many years ago. I was able to ask them what they are doing so far, now that they have returned to Burundi. I learned one of them is overseeing Four Square Churches in the Province of Buhumuza, and another one is overseeing Elim Pentecostal Churches in Kirundo Province. Hearing this was a testament to me that people who were repatriated home after many years away are now leading churches of their own. I realized that God has been at work, even in the midst of their displacement. They came back to their homeland with new knowledge, skills, and experiences that have equipped them to serve the local church.

Another way I was encouraged to see God working, is that after we finished the leadership training, one pastor who attended called another pastor with whom he had not spoken for some time. He wanted to ask forgiveness for going three years without talking. Seeing his humility showed me God is reconciling leaders and pastors who haven’t been working together. God is strengthening his kingdom and bringing healing. It is so important for local pastors to partner together to build up their communities and reach the vulnerable among them. That is how God is working through what we are doing in Burundi.

God is at work, restoring people and relationships

These moments are a testament to Pastor Gatera’s faithful and lifelong commitment to training and bringing up pastors who are equipped to love and serve their communities. Through his partnerships in Burundi, local churches and pastors are being strengthened and local believers supported and encouraged. God is at work, faithfully restoring people and relationships that have suffered under the weight of forced displacement.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the work in Burundi

CLICK HERE to learn more about Refugee Church Consulting