The Free Methodist Church (FMC) in Rwanda now has more than 500,000 members, with a large population of young people who need solid Christian teaching. Late last year, the FMC chose to invest in this next generation through a Youth Leaders Camp at Kunbya Retreat Center. Seventy-seven youth leaders from 22 churches, along with eight secondary school teachers and chaplains, came together to receive training on discipleship through the lens of Methodism.

Each day, the retreat started with a devotion based on the theme of abiding in Christ using John 15:1-17. John 15:5 says, “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.” Leaders were taught that to bear fruit and make disciples of youth, they must first abide in Christ. Teaching times focused on the Methodist movement, with two courses covering the historical background, including key people in Methodism and the Protestant Reformation. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) was also presented as a call for leaders to make disciples of Christ.

Participants learned and grew during these days together. Pastor Alain Irankunda shared how he learned more about the Free Methodist identity and the beginning of the Methodist movement – how it started, key people, and John Wesley’s prayer life and devotion to studying the Scriptures. He also learned about B.T. Roberts and how the FMC started.
David Nuyonshuti, a theology student at Kibogora Polytechnic, said, “During the retreat, I was reminded of the benefits of staying connected to the vine, and how important it is to live for the Lord Jesus Christ as He called me to. I felt I must be accountable for studying the Scriptures, my prayer life, and my eagerness to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with my peers and friends. The camp inspired us to become godly agents of change in our churches and communities.” 
The camp concluded by introducing small-group tools and teaching the attendees about discipleship through one-on-one relationships, following the example of Paul and Timothy and David and Jonathan.

In addition to this retreat, the conference in Kibogora is making efforts for youth engagement through local evangelism, discipleship, continued leadership development and vocational training with the hopes of seeing a long-term holistic impact in local communities and churches.

The Free Methodist Church is intentionally choosing to invest in the next generation. Training those called to youth ministry ensures the young people they serve will grow and mature in Christ.*The conference would like to note that this retreat was made possible through a grant given by the Butterfield Foundation.