Our Worship Team Connection With Rwanda

In July of 2006 we traveled to Rwanda to provide training for church musicians, a mission our worship team has been involved with for several years previously in Uganda. During our visit, we were invited by Bishop John Ruchyahana in the Shyria Diocese to return in 2007 for a large Evangelistic Crusade.  We agreed to do it and in July of 2007, seven members of our worship team traveled with instruments to lead worship at the Crusade where about 10,000 people were gathered. We were so blessed to be involved in such a great and powerful week of ministry. About 40 choirs from all over Africa came to share their songs and our team provided music for most of the choirs as they sang.

In July 2009 the team returns to Kigali Rwanda for a large worship conference. They are expecting 80,000 people to attend and our team will be one of the bands leading worship for this event.  Following the conference, we will be teaching a music workshop for church music leaders with a focus on basic theory, emphasis on reading and writing music.  Our team in 2009 has 3 returning members along with 3 new ones.  We are planning to bring and leave our instruments as has become the tradition.

Meet Emmanuel Turaturanye:

During our time we met a young man named Emmanuel Turaturanye. He is a genocide survivor and the choir leader of the Cathedral where the Crusade was being hosted. His Bishop, John Ruchyahana thought it would be a great idea to send him to our church for 4 months to learn music theory and formal instrument training to which we enthusiastically agreed. Emmanuel is a talented musician and singer and arrived in Florida mid January 2008. He completed his training in May 2008 and returned to teach others and continue in his ministry at the Cathedral.

Some of the Choirs:

"We were supposed to dress alike?"
		ArchBishop Kolini

If you would like more info on this Crusade, our mission trips, or Emmanuel, feel free to email David Mander at david@new-covenant-church.com.