Words from friends on COVID-19: Rwanda

From Rev Dr Pascal Bataringaya, President 

Presbyterian Church of Rwanda (EPR) 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

Please do receive our greetings in Jesus’ name our Lord and Savior.  

The COVID-19 which started in China in the end of 2019 continues to spread worldwide. The first case has been confirmed in Rwanda on 14 March 2020 and today 113 people are tested positive and infected but many others are isolated for being in contact with those who are infected. To stop the outbreak of the virus the Government of Rwanda has applied precautionary measures including avoid mass gatherings like Sunday services, physical meetings, all services and offices as well as the closure of all schools. People are staying in their respective homes. These measures have affected the activities at all levels and life in the country in general and in the church in particular, especially the life of poor people, people with disabilities, the elderly and others who are living of their remuneration after daily work which means that no work no payment. The Government of Rwanda has started to distribute food to poor people in their homes. Alongside the advocacy, the EPR has done its best with the limited means to help and assist the people, but still, the need is big.   

On behalf of the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR), I am writing to you this letter in order to call for combining our efforts to help the poor people in this COVID-19 crisis, people who are suffering from double struggle of lack of food and hygienic materials to fight the virus. I would, therefore, appreciate any support rendered in solidarity with those people and in order to save these people’s lives.   

For staying in solidarity with all Christians in the world we have decided this in our Church: Every day at 06:00 p.m. all church members in the family and in their houses, stand up and pray together the prayer of our Lord and recite our Christian faith, (Apostles’ Creed) as a sign of our solidarity in faith and prayer with the whole church in the world. So we can stay together in this difficult time.  

May the Lord keep you healthy and bless you!