Congregation of 600

Communion is once a month in the Episcopal Church and in the rural parishes all the “daughter” churches gather together. Each parish only has one pastor, but in some parishes there are up to 8 churches, often scattered in the hills, accessible only by footpaths.
We were at Bweyeye, where a congregation of 600 gathered, including many children, of course. It’s quite daunting to have such a large number in front of you – I can’t remember the last time I was in church with so many people. The worship was enthusiastic, the choirs were excellent, the welcome was extremely warm and our re-telling of Jesus’ stories seemed to go down well. It was a real privilege to share communion with over 300 people who have been confirmed as Christians.
Whenever we visit churches like this we are expected to speak - re-telling parables seems within our competence and a “safe” option! Our theme was about God seeing our hearts, not being impressed by the outside (the stories of the widow’s 2 coins and the 2 men praying in the temple). It seemed appropriate for Bweyeye, a community which is far away from the rapid development and emerging wealth of Kigali, but which has a real depth of faith and a vibrant church amidst some terrible poverty. There is no electricity, no secondary school, no running water, 2 cars and a few motorbikes.