In Burundi, Christian leaders have small wallets but big hearts

A model evangelical alliance does amazing things with almost no money

Members of the Alliance of Evangelicals in Burundi at their first anniversary celebration. General secretary Edmund Gakiza is in the center, in the purple suit.

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. —2 Corinthians 8:12

After the chaos and distress of the last three weeks, it’s time for some good news. For the past year, my best news has come from Burundi.

This small east African nation, still staggering from a 12-year civil war, is one of the poorest places on earth. If not for South Sudan’s separation from Sudan, Burundi would have the lowest per-capita gross domestic product in the world. Two-thirds of its heavily rural population of 13 million live in poverty, and 80 percent rely on subsistence agriculture for survival.

In fall 2023, members of the Baptist Union of Burundi launched a national evangelical alliance, with the goal of improving collaboration and effectiveness among Christian groups in the country. Since then, the Association of Evangelicals in Burundi (AEB) has done incredible things despite extreme hardships and resource limitations.

Over two dozen denominations quickly embraced the effort, but some left when asked to pay dues. Others say they are too poor to make any contribution. Volunteer general secretary Edmund Gakiza, a Baptist pastor, walked 10-mile round trips to the AEB office for a year until a German friend helped him buy a small used car.

When several AEB members traveled to Uganda for a training conference, they had to pay a bribe to cross a border. (They couldn’t travel through Rwanda at all, because that border has been closed due to political conflict.) When the AEB held a youth retreat, it asked each participant to bring a container of beans so that everyone would be able to eat for three days.

Despite all these challenges, in its first year the AEB achieved government recognition, established solid governance, held major events for children and youth, and developed a women’s association. It sent 10 members to training sessions in Uganda and Tanzania held by Re-Forma, whjch assists the development of pastors with limited background. The AEB translated Re-Forma materials into Kirundi, the local language, and has started four training centers with 100 pastors participating.

When Frank Hinkelmann, president of the European Evangelical Alliance, visited Burundi last November to celebrate the AEB’s first anniversary and deliver governance training, he observed their financial integrity firsthand. He was supposed to stay at a Pentecostal guest house, but the denomination’s bishop had shown up unexpectedly and taken the only Internet-equipped room. As his hosts scurried to find lodging for Hinkelmann, he saw them rushing to track down the AEB president and treasurer, because any use of organization funds requires three approval signatures.

The AEB is a great example of what Christians can do if they use the resources they have rather than complaining about what they don’t have.

Q&A with Edmund Gakiza

I asked Gakiza to share more about his life in Burundi and the AEB’s operations.

How does Burundi’s extreme poverty affect your daily life?

Young people who graduate from high school cannot find jobs. We cannot import enough petrol or food for our people’s needs. Anything that comes from abroad is hard to get. Transportation is very expensive, and it’s hard to travel in rural areas, because the roads are so bad that jeeps can’t travel any faster than people can walk.

How did you perceive the call to form an evangelical alliance in Burundi?

I was called to ministry in 2018 while in high school. I attended a Bible college in South Africa, working as an Uber driver to support myself. When I returned home, I saw that on top of historical ethnic conflicts, we had denominational conflicts. Baptists thought they could not work with Methodists or Pentecostals. Each pastor understood “the church” as their own building. But the church is the body of Christ. I started to think about how I could unite them so that they could work together.

Why do you care enough about this work in Burundi as to serve without pay?

I understand that this is God’s work, not mine. No one who leaves home or family for the gospel will fail to receive God’s blessing [see Mark 10:29–30]. At the beginning, there were times when my family and I went to bed hungry. But since I committed my abilities to God, I have never lacked money for rent, food, or transportation. What I have needed, God has given me.

What successes are you most excited about?

Working with Re-Forma has had great impact. When I visit our training centers, I see pastors collaborating in unity more than ever. They are all smiling and there are no conflicts.

A few months ago, you could have asked many of these pastors how many books are in the Bible and they would have had no idea. Now they are being equipped to teach properly.

We have hundreds of young evangelists serving God throughout the country now, because the AEB youth ministry has planted the seed in them and we are seeing it grow.

What advice do you have for people in resource-poor countries who feel they can't do much because of their poverty?

First, understand that ministry is God’s work, not a business. If they get it in their mind that ministry is for the benefit of God who has called them, this will give them confidence to serve, knowing that they are planting seeds and God will bless them. Second, follow the advice of other successful leaders. Master Matlhaope [general secretary of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa] told me not to wait to do something until we got outside money. He said to start serving and then what you do will be supported. I have told my AEB colleagues the same thing. Don’t look for help from abroad, but from above.

If someone did give you more money, what could you do with it?

We have many practical needs. Our program directors have no laptops. Our training centers lack materials. We would like to cover transportation costs for our volunteers. Sometimes people don’t come to meetings because they have no money for petrol or the bus, or because we can’t provide food for them. Beyond that, we would love to invest in housing projects. I promise that if you give us money, we won’t get lazy.

To support the AEB, contact Edmund Gakiza at burundievangelicalalliance@gmail.com or on WhatsApp at +257 65 96 79 94.