Renowned American evangelist, Rick Warren, will on Tuesday next week preach at a gathering in Kigali where nearly 2000 Rwandan leaders have been invited to discuss purpose driven leadership. At least 1800 leaders from across the country are expected for the gathering at which invitees also include 300 government officials, 300 business leaders, and 1200 church leaders. The meeting, dubbed ‘Purpose Driven Leadership Gathering’, was organised by PEACE Plan Rwanda, a network of church members through which local churches and leaders are empowered, as well as Rwanda Leaders Fellowship (RLF), a non-for-profit organisation known for organising the annual national prayer breakfast. The gathering will provide a platform for the leaders to interact and engage more in leadership issues and challenges faced, organisers said, and also create opportunities for learning and collaboration. Pastor Warren, who is among the first initiators of the PEACE Plan initiative, told journalists on Friday that the forum will talk about the skills that every leader needs regardless of whether they are in government, business, or churches. “The reason why we are doing this is that there are a lot of common skills that everyone needs to learn regardless of what your career is. For instance, everyone needs to learn how to manage their time better. Everyone needs to learn how to handle or resolve conflicts; it’s a skill that people learn and nobody learns it in a school,” he said at a press conference in Kigali. Organisers said the meeting will focus on character and vision in leadership, with the ultimate hope being that each leader who attends the summit will continue to embrace not only personal growth but also pursue passionately the national transformation which will in turn trickle down to the people they serve. Pastor Warren, who started the PEACE Plan after President Kagame invited him in 2004 to join Rwanda’s journey as ‘a purpose driven nation’, believes that a great nation comprises of three pillars; namely The Church Sector (Faith), The Government Sector (Public) and The Business Sector (Private). PEACE Plan stands for planting churches that promote reconciliation, equipping servant leaders, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation. Warren will use the leaders’ forum on Tuesday to encourage them to grow in character and vision within their respective sectors. The conference is expected to further push leaders to continue to embark on the journey of national transformation that leads to building a purpose driven nation through the services offered to communities by businesses, government, and religious leaders. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
