As a priest in the Anglican Diocese of Rumonge in Burundi, the Rev. Bernard Nduwayo recognized an entire community of people along the shores of Lake Tanganyika whom the church was not actively including in ministry. Many of the people work as fishermen, support workers, cooks, and prostitutes. Nduwayo observed devastating living conditions, severe economic challenges, significant healthcare barriers, high HIV transmission rates, and limited knowledge about hygiene and health among the local people. Because of these hardships, those who live and work along the lake felt a a true sense of isolation from the nearby villages and towns. Through these observations, Bernard felt a strong call to do something to improve the lives of everyone in the region.
Through a grant from the Episcopal Evangelism Society, Bernard began to organize teams of people from the churches in the region, both priests and lay people alike. He also gathered community leaders in the towns surrounding the lakeshore, and together, they met for a series of workshops to strategize, to pray, and to reflect on what the church has done well in the past and what the church is currently ignoring or neglecting. To everyone’s surprise, participants reflected on how their own understandings of evangelism are beginning to change, from a transactional model to one which requires personal transformation as well as a broad-based community collaboration, in order to fully see the Kingdom of God in action.
First, the evangelists-in-training recognized a personal need to learn practices of compassion that mirrored the compassion of Jesus. In Bernard’s words, we identified “obstacles hindering the Church from fulfilling the great commission…Participants were challenged to love others as Jesus did, and they reflected on their shortcomings in fulfilling this responsibility.” Then, everyone embarked on comprehensive training which involved studying economic development, tools for spiritual growth, as well as practical ways to teach about hygiene and HIV prevention.
The group discovered that the role of women along the lakeshore continues to change. Many women are taking it upon themselves to begin to fish in the lake as a source of income. While this changes their role in the economy of Lake Tanganyika, it empowers them to seek better economic opportunities for themselves, so that their living conditions can continue to improve. In addition, the group began to recognize how badly the church has neglected to establish relationships with the people of the lake. This has not only hurt those who work in fishing and related industries, it has actually hurt the nearby communities.
This realization—that the church’s mission to unite people with one another and with God through Jesus Christ can only be fulfilled by embracing every member of the community as a neighbor in the fullest sense—has sparked a movement. Bernard reflects, “I have come to understand that evangelism should be inclusive and non-judgmental, just as Jesus Christ set an example for all evangelists of every generation. This [work] has inspired me to teach my church how to conduct inclusive evangelism in the local community because everyone everywhere needs God’s grace.”
The impact of Bernard’s vision is just beginning. As trained evangelists and community leaders continue to extend their outreach along Lake Tanganyika, they are not only bridging gaps that have long divided the church and the community, but also sowing seeds of hope and transformation. This project is more than a mission—it is a testament to the power of faith in action, where compassion and collaboration open the door to a brighter future for all. Bernard’s work reminds us that the true measure of evangelism is not in words alone, but in the lives changed, communities healed, and the lasting bonds forged along the way.
