Butare Diocese of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, one of RDIS founding member got a new Bishop. The Right Rev. Christophe Nshimyimana was consecrated and enthroned in St Paul Cathedral in Huye District on 10th December 2023 as a fourth Bishop of EAR Butare Diocese. The ceremony was led by the Most Rev. Dr Laurent Mbanda, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda together with other Rwanda Anglican Bishops, and was attended by church members and church partners. The guest of honour, Hon. Musabyimana Jean Claude, Rwanda Minister of Local Government who emphasized on the fact that followers of the church are citizens of the country hence under shared responsibilities, reiterated that the government asks and ensures the continued cooperation with Butare diocese. In the Bishop’s strategic priorities, he pointed out the environmental safeguarding and holistic community development which is in line with the mission statement of RDIS.
In fact, Bishop Christophe was elected by the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Rwanda on 4th October 2023 after the Synod of Butare Diocese proposed him among two candidate bishops in its election on the 09th August 2023. This happened after two years and half without an owned Bishop where the Diocese were overseen by the Archbishop. He is the fourth Bishop of Butare Diocese after Bishop Nathan Gasatura who has been the Board Chairperson and Legal Representative of RDIS from February 2018 till his retirement March 2021. This Diocese which was officially founded on the 19th October 1975 when it was led by late Bishop Justin Ndandali from 1975-1995, was also led by Bishop Venuste Mutiganda (1995-2007), and Bishop Nathan Gasatura (2009-2021). In 1992, Butare Diocese gave birth to three dioceses of Cyangugu, Kigeme and Shyogwe, and later in 2022 Kigeme Diocese gave birth to Nyaruguru Diocese. Together the 5 dioceses are members of RDIS. In the 1960s the seed of RDIS germinated from Butare as Rural Development Service which grew to become the Rural Development Interdiocesan Service in 1992, before it became a local Non-Governmental Organization in 2015.
As a pastor who led several parishes respectively in Shyira and Gasabo Dioceses, Bishop Christophe, born on the 03rd August 1978, has been ordained Deacon on 20th December 2009 and ordained Pastor on 08th May 2011 in Shyira Diocese, where he also led the Diocesan Education Department, and later elected to be a Deputy Legal Representative of the Diocese. He worked in Muhabura Integrated Polytechnic College as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance. Being a PhD candidate in Education Administration and Management at Uganda Christian University, he holds a Masters’ Degree in Education (Planning, Management, and Administration), a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from Mount Kenya University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Uganda Christian University and an Educational Professional Certificate of Secondary Education from College George Fox Kagarama. He is married to Goretti Cyiza and his family is blessed with three sons.
The Board of Directors, the Management and the entire RDIS Community wishes him all the blessings in his new roles as a Bishop of Butare Diocese.
