Earlier this month, Rev Sam Jones and Rev Steve Muneza spent time on the ground in Burundi, visiting Discipleship Training sessions with the Burundi Discipleship Programme (BDP) team. Over several days, they travelled through the dioceses of Makamba, Rutana, and Matana, sitting in on six training sessions.
It was a joy for them to meet trainees face-to-face, observe lessons in progress, and hear first-hand how this training is shaping lives and communities. For some participants, the sessions build on earlier Bible school studies, but for many, this is their first formal theological training. The impact is already tangible.
The BDP has completed just six months of activity, yet its impact has been extraordinary. Almost 4,000 learners are now in training across 247 centres in all nine dioceses. Encouragingly, every bishop in the Anglican Church of Burundi has expressed strong support for the programme, with some attending training sessions themselves.
Trainees spoke of repentance and salvation, reconciliation within families, and new hope taking root in communities. One group, led by Rev Yve, decided to divide into groups of three and spend a week going meeting people in their local areas, sharing the love of Christ. In just two days, they had visited 227 people, led 12 to Christ, encouraged 26 others to return to church, and prayed over 24 specific needs. The same group also keeps a rota for preaching, service leading, and Bible reading practice, preparing themselves for opportunities to serve in Sunday worship.
Participants are not only learning the foundations of faith but also putting them into practice. Sam and Steve heard stories that included:
Families experiencing peace in the home, with reduced domestic violence.
Husbands supporting wives to attend training and even sharing in household chores.
Cell groups forming for prayer and Bible study, often including neighbours from different denominations and faiths.
Trainees stepping up in their churches – leading prayers, preaching, and supporting priests.
Testimonies of personal transformation: from abandoning witchcraft to finding new courage to share Christ publicly.
As one trainee put it: “We were like people asleep – this course has woken us up.”
Something else that stood out was the innovation of local facilitators and trainees. In Makamba Diocese, one local leader has developed a simple preaching model now being adopted in other areas. Others are pioneering door-to-door evangelism campaigns, leading many to faith in Christ. Some are exploring how the programme might extend into new settings, such as police chaplaincies, with significant potential for gospel impact.
Sam and Steve were deeply encouraged by what they saw, both the dedication of facilitators and the enthusiasm of the trainees. They were grateful to share in times of teaching, encouragement, and prayer. God is clearly using the BDP to equip His people for ministry in Burundi, and the ripple effects are already spreading.
Please continue to pray for the BDP team and trainees, that they may remain faithful and fruitful as they serve.
