34 years of church partnership

This year 2019 marks 34 years of a church partnership between the Evangelical Church in Rheinland (EKiR), Moers Church District and the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda (EPR), Kigali Region, under the facilitation of the United Evangelical Mission, Wuppertal. On the 11^th of June a delegation from EKiR Moers and from EPR Kigali Region had a meeting with UEM staff at the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) in Wuppertal. This partnership has been active for many years already. During that time, Christians from both churches walked together. This enhanced a friendly life, faith and witness of sisters and brothers from Germany and Rwanda. There have been a variety of ways in which they shared their faith and experiences as international church partners. Both groups witnessed that partnership followed and was guided by the scriptures as in Ephesians 2:19: "You are no longer strangers or foreigners, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of the household of God." Walking together in partnership, the following aims were targeted:

To put a face on mission.
To build enthusiasm and "ownership" for holistic mission.
To give a clear picture of what support both churches are accomplishing.
To educate church membership about current holistic mission and challenges.
To educate and strengthen Congregations for mission education.
To encourage personal and congregational commitment to holistic mission, whereby the EPR Kigali Region initiated several welfare projects: water, orphans/widows support and initiating putting up a new church and administration building.

This church partnership sought to be more inclusive of the wider church in international partnership. UEM empowers church partnerships and companions to be a vibrant and faith-filled opportunity for members. It is witnessed that in the partnership relationship people walk together as brothers and sisters and in this companionship the face of Christ is revealed to them. There have been a variety of ways in which people shared their faith with as international partners. The following has been implemented:

Exchanges of delegations on yearly basis and currently after one year and half.
Since the 1980’s establish a relationship with very committed UEM ecumenical co-workers and missionaries who participated in implementing a very solid partnership.
Work camps for youth, shared Bible study
Specific project support to improve people’s lives in meeting the basic needs
Advocacy on related issues
Individual and group correspondence
Special days of prayer

The UEM staff supports international partnership interests and would like to make available expertise and connections with the worldwide church so that the local congregations can fulfil the call of unity in the one body of Christ. Rev. Dr John Wesley Kabango (UEM Africa Executive Secretary)