The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr Jean-Damascène Bizimana, has urged senior pastors of the ADEPR Church to uphold leadership that promotes unity and to avoid anything that could divide Rwandans in their daily spiritual and social activities.

Bizimana made the call on Monday, October 5, at the opening of a one-week National Itorero programme for ADEPR pastors at the National Ubutore Development Centre in Nkumba, Burera District.

The training, which runs from October 5 to 10, brings together 50 pastors from across the country. It is organised by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) in partnership with ADEPR.

Held under the theme "Ndi Umunyarwanda" (I am Rwandan), the programme aims to deepen pastors' understanding of Rwanda's history, unity and patriotism, as well as the prevention of genocide ideology and other divisive ideologies, while strengthening the role of religious organisations in building a united and secure Rwanda.

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Bizimana told the pastors that their leadership comes with a responsibility to promote accountability, unity and reconciliation through their preaching and daily engagement with communities.

"We have a better country that thinks about its citizens. Accept that leadership comes with accountability, from spreading Scripture to serving society. Learn the history of your country; that is where you will understand how we ended up in the massacres of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi," Bizimana said.

He urged the pastors to approach the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi objectively, even when they learn that people from their own communities or families may have been involved.

"As you learn, don&039;t take it personally when some of the evidence mentions your relatives. Be the person who preserves history as you guide our society," he said.

According to Rev. Isaie Ndayizeye, senior pastor and legal representative of ADEPR, the pastors attending the training lead at national and district levels across more than 2,015 ADEPR churches in the country.

The church also oversees more than 300 schools and foundations that support children, with nearly 4,000 children benefiting from these initiatives, he said.

Bizimana commended ADEPR for acknowledging that some of its members, including pastors, took part in the Genocide against the Tutsi, and for taking steps to confront that history.

He urged the pastors to use the training to understand what led to the genocide and to strengthen the culture of unity and resilience in their communities.

"Your presence here does not mean I am ignoring the painful history our country went through. ADEPR showed courage by exposing those who were pastors but committed crimes, and by helping to ensure they were held accountable," he said.

"Build on that progress. Learn from this camp and try to understand what led people who held the same positions as you to commit genocide. Question yourselves, keep strengthening the resilience and unity we have built, and commit to spreading them in the communities you meet every day," Bizimana added.

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Ndayizeye said that over the past 30 years, ADEPR has expanded its unity and reconciliation programmes across the districts where it operates.

He said the church combines preaching with messages of forgiveness and peaceful coexistence, and also takes part in reintegration programmes that prepare genocide convicts who have completed their sentences to return to their communities.

"Pastors, you know that the good news of our Lord must go hand in hand with the wellbeing of the family. When we teach people to love their spouses as they love themselves, let us also be involved in promoting reconciliation," Ndayizeye said.

Bizimana also took the pastors through the role some religious institutions and their leaders played in the planning and execution of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, explaining how they became involved in the massacres and urging participants to learn from that history to help prevent similar divisions in future.

Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde welcomed the participation of senior pastors in the programme, saying that understanding Rwanda&039;s history is important for those entrusted with guiding communities.

"It is unusual to see pastors in this uniform, but for the sake of our country's purpose and direction, it is admirable. With the knowledge and understanding you gain here, we want you to help the government steer young people away from illicit alcohol, help rebuild broken families and, above all, promote unity and reconciliation," he said.

Pastor Justin Karangwa, one of the participants, said the training would help pastors deepen their understanding of Rwanda's history and align their preaching with efforts to promote unity and reconciliation.

"We have learnt about genocide ideology, but we expect to learn and understand more deeply where our country came from. This camp will also help align our preaching with the national direction of reconciliation and unity," he said.