There’s a sudden surge in pastors seeking university-level accreditation in Burundi. GLO Partner, United Citizens for Change and Development, has been establishing pop-up internationally-accredited Bible schools for the past couple of years, meaning they are well prepared for this unexpected challenge. In 2022, they established 59 of these schools!
You might be wondering how they did this? We may imagine a Bible school as a permanent bricks-and-mortar structure – but UCCD think outside the box – they can start one anywhere there is electricity with a few hard drives and a projector! Over the past few years, UCCD has bought kits of all the materials needed, they move around the country as needed to serve remote communities. They have also set their office up as a print-house as they run off reams of workbooks for thousands!
People of all ages sign up to attain the degree. Over the past few weeks, graduations have been taking place all over the country as 4404 students graduated – here are a few snaps of the proud graduates!
One of the pioneering initiatives was setting up a school in a prison in Gitega. A group of ladies took it together in their cells, and were even allowed to celebrate a graduation ceremony for themselves!
One lovely moment was of a family of four, two parents and two children who both took the lessons together and graduated together! UCCD leader Isaiah commented: “It is a great thing to behold a family dedicated to gaining knowledge and growing in the faith.”
A greater sense of family was also felt in a national Burundian church network with over 300 branches. Keeping unity amongst such a large group is understandably tricky, and the network has been afflicted with many divisions and conflicts amongst the leadership. They decided to enroll all of their leaders in the program, and since then relationships have drastically improved. Now the church hopes they can move forward in greater unity.
Even more, schools continue to open around Burundi as a wave of education rolls across areas which traditionally have lacked access to such resources – people are hungry for knowledge! More people are taking the Facilitators Training than ever before in Burundi!
This is just one of the many different activities UCCD are involved in. They also engage in evangelism through gospel rallies and the showing of films; engagement with Muslims; capacity-building of church leaders; discipleship of children with training of Sunday school workers; entrepreneurial agriculture projects through creating cooperatives; and church prayer mobilisation and revival conferences.
Find out more about the work of UCCD here:
