Council for Mission11 Nov 24

Bringing encouragement from Burundi

Many members of our Church will have had the opportunity to meet with the Revd Arsene Mafurebe during his six–week visit to Ireland earlier this year.  Arsene trained for ordination at Bujumbura Christian University and was supported in his studies by several Church of Ireland parishes; his visit was itself sponsored by our central Council for Mission.

In this interview, recorded at General Synod 2024, he talks through his call and journey to ordination from a reluctant beginning to starting to study theology in 2017, and the kindness and support of his family and neighbours.  He has ministered in the Diocese of Gitega, which has recently signed a partnership agreement with the Diocese of Armagh – facilitated through CMS Ireland – and is a rector and community development co–ordinator with his diocese.

Almost one in five of the population of Burundi is Anglican and the economy mainly relies on agriculture, especially coffee and tea.  The diocese’s approach to ministry is that it has to be holistic: “We need to care for the spiritual needs of people but also the physical and material needs of the people we are going to serve.”

Missional project priorities include food security, access to clean water, education and empowering women with assistance from CMS Ireland.  The Church of Burundi invests heavily in church planting and Gitega has created two new dioceses through its growth over the last 15 years.

“I’ll take back many ideas and new ways of doing things to grow the ministry in Burundi,” he reflects on Ireland, as he encourages more initiatives here to enable and empower young people to bring the Gospel to their fellow young people.  Our historic buildings, he notes, can also be used as great assets for ministry to tourists.

Arsene’s interview, which forms part of the Council for Mission’s Mission Matters series, is available to play back here.  Please listen in for an encouraging and joyful conversation between two brothers in Christ.

With thanks to Stephen Fletcher, Diocesan Communications Officer for Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe, for production and planning for this and the other podcasts in the series.