Many thousands saved in prison
There is a revolutionary revival going on in the prisons of Rwanda. Jesus has saved thousands of war criminals, and they are confessing their sins and being baptized. God is using a pastor who was imprisoned on false charges as a tool to share the message of forgiveness of sins to his fellow prisoners.
The genocide in Rwanda in 1994 extinguished one million human lives. This small Central African country was thrown into a period of deep darkness when suffering, poverty and lawlessness ruled. In later attempts to bring about justice, many were accused and arrested for taking part in the genocide. Today 120,000 prisoners crowd the prisons of Rwanda waiting for their sentence to be determined.
Pastor
falsely accused
Pastor Jean Serushoki is imprisoned together with over twelve thousand
other inmates in the capital city of Kigali. During the time of the genocide,
he heard that a family in his church had found themselves in a difficult
situation. In order to help them, another church member advised Pastor
Jean to borrow a military uniform so that he could more safely reach the
family and help them escape. He managed to borrow a uniform from a soldier
and the operation was successful. He saved the family, and they all managed
to flee the country. But when the pastor returned from his exile, people
who had seen him in uniform took that as proof that he had taken part
in the murder and violence. No amount of explaining could convince his
accusers of his innocence, and pastor Jean was put in jail. This happened
many years ago now, but to this day his case has not been brought to trial.
Imprisoned
and yet free
Pastor Jean has continued to preach the gospel during his imprisonment.
Today he has established a church within the prison. Last summer the church
included about 600 baptized members, but since then a great number of
those recently saved has been added to the church. Before the terrible
events of 1994, Pastor Jean had often used IBRA's cassettes for evangelisation.
Now, he sent a message to IBRA saying that he would like some cassettes
for use in the prison. In May of 2002, IBRA began producing cassettes
with evangelistic messages directed to the prisoners. The cassettes contain
messages about God's righteous judgment, reconciliation, forgiveness,
and other related subjects. Since last summer, 18,000 prisoners have listened
to the messages, and as many as 14,000 of them have accepted Jesus as
their Saviour. During 2002, 800 prisoners were baptized in the Kigali
Prison. This number only represents those who were baptized by representatives
from the Pentecostal churches. Other denominations have also had large
baptisms, since the prisoners themselves can choose the denomination with
which they feel the closest connection.
Choir
in the prison
The prison congregation meets for worship every Sunday, where the "prison
choir" sings, and the service is held as a traditional church service.
During the week, they meet in many different types of gatherings, such
as Bible studies and prayer meetings. They meet in small groups as well,
where cassettes provide the teaching. At times, the prison church has
been permitted to welcome guest preachers from the outside. The jail administration
has developed great respect for Pastor Jean, and due to his work it has
become much calmer within the prison. Since many prisoners have repented
of their sins, it is easier for the courts to pronounce fair sentences.When
the Lord is involved everything turns out for the best!
Eva Skog
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