Sixty leaders of Youth for Christ Ministries from around the East Africa Region gathered in Kigali for a six-day governance and leadership conference.
The East Africa Region is made up of eight countries, including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia.
The conference attracted members of boards of Youth for Christ in East African countries, National Directors of Youth for Christ ministries and key staff from the region and it aim to equip Youth for Christ board members in the region with governance skills and enhance leadership skills among national leaders (Directors and Coordinators) and key staffs in order to foster the great work the Lord has laid before them.
Its theme was taken from John 10:14-15, “I am a good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father –and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Opening the conference, on Tuesday, December 7, Edouard Bamporiki, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, acknowledged the efforts and contributions of the religious ministries in the development of the country.
Bamporiki noted that although leading youth is a difficult task, leaders should be characterized by humility, good values, accountability and leading by example.
“Young people have potential and to lead them requires more knowledge and potential than they have. A good leader should lead by example,” he pointed out.
A lack of positive values, he said, can ruin the people who are supposed to be looking after. He gave an example of poor leadership in Rwanda that ended up killing innocent people during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
He added that leading God’s people requires foresight, pray to God to provide wisdom to lead His people and know his plans for his people.
Minister noted that there are a lot of bishops and pastors in prison today because they did something different from what the Boss (God) called them to do.
Luc Dushimerugaba, East Africa Regional Director and Youth for Christ Rwanda Deputy National Director, asked the participants to serve wholeheartedly in order to glorify God.
Dushimerugaba explained the need to reach out to young people and preach the Gospel to them.
“The most searched questions on Google include whether there is a God, while others were about sex. Our intervention is needed to preach the Gospel to all these people. Let’s go, find them and bring them to God. They are not only leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders of today. We should help them to know Jesus,” he added.
The Governance and Leadership conference is also expected to help the participants develop into effective and godly shepherds of young people, and learn the importance of provision, protection, and presence for those they influence, both in governance and in leadership by helping them to acquire skills and foster effectiveness as godly leaders of the flock God has entrusted to their care.
