The House of Bishops of the Anglican church of Rwanda has elected Rev. Christophe Nshimyimana as the fourth bishop of Butare diocese.
His appointment was announced on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 in a communique signed by the Most Rev. Dr Laurent Mbanda-the Archbishop and Primate of Anglican church of Rwanda and addressed to members, all Rwandans and the entire Anglican communion.
The bishop-elect will be consecrated and enthroned on 10th December 2023, according to the statement.
Butare Diocese was governed by Rev. Nathan Gasatura till 2021 when he retired from serving the church leadership. Since then, the Archbishop has been overseeing the diocese until 2023.
Who is Christophe Nshimiyimana?
Nshimyimana has previously held different positions in church leadership and has played an important role in the education sector.
He is married to Goretti Cyiza and his family is blessed with three sons: Allan Sangwa, Jesse Nziza and Alvin Mpano.
Nshimyimana accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and saviour in 2003. Six years later, he was ordained deacon while in 2011 he was ordained a pastor, which means he has been in pastoral ministry for more than 12 years.
He has served in Shyira Diocese for almost 9 years and also served as associate Pastor at St. John the Baptist Cathedral.
The newly elected Bishop has served as Principal of Administration and Finance for two years at Muhabura Integrated Polytechnic College (MIPC) alongside his responsibilities as a second legal representative of Shyira Diocese.
In August 2018, Nshimyimana moved from Shyira Diocese to serve in Gasabo Diocese and in the national office of the Anglican Church of Rwanda where he coordinated community bible study.
Currently, he is the Senior Pastor at Kimironko Parish in addition to his role as Dean of Faculty of Education and Assistant Lecturer at East African Christian College (EACC).
About his education background, Rev. Nshimyimana is a PhD candidate in Education Administration and Management at Uganda Christian University. He holds a Master’s degree in Education (Planning, Management, and Administration) and Post Graduate Diploma in Education from Mount Kenya University.
In addition, he has a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Uganda Christian University and a professional Certificate of Secondary Education Level A2.
Rev. Nshimyimana completed his primary school in the Democratic Republic of Congo where his parents exiled in 1959.
