Gako, 5 March 2012
President Paul Kagame today at Rwanda Military Academy- Gako received the global head of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Ted N.C Wilson. President Kagame is at the military academy together with more than 250 participants for this year’s Leadership Retreat – a government management innovation established in 2003 aiming to chart Rwanda’s development path for the year. Pastor Ted with his wife Nancy Louise Vollmer and other delegates are in the country to see the progress of activities of the Seventh-day Adventists church in Rwanda.
The Seventh – day Adventist church currently runs 55 schools in Rwanda.Although their main aim in the country is evangelism, they currently run various development activities in the sectors of Education, Health, Community Development and Social welfare.
Pastor Ted expressed to President Kagame his appreciation for granting freedom of worship and allowing Seventh-day Adventists at the end of every month to go to for prayers on Saturday so that they could carry out their community service on Sunday.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Pastor Ted said;
“It’s been a privilege to meet with the president and share with him our activities and also to share a beautiful verse from the bible with him and pray for him and for those in government. I just wish God’s special blessing on the country of Rwanda.”
Minister of Local Government, James Musoni said;
“The President praised the work the seventh-day Adventists have upheld and pointed out that they have helped in bringing about development by working together with other Rwandans. He urged them to continue in the same spirit by upholding the country’s rules so that more development could be achieved.”
As part of his activities in the country, Pastor Ted took part in laying foundation at a stone ceremony on a proposed new eight storey building that will accommodate the Seventh – day Adventist headquarters. Together with Rt. Honorable the Prime Minister of Rwanda, the Pastor also laid a foundation where the Adventist University of Central Africa will be built. The two constructions are estimated to cost about 5 billion Rwandan francs.