BURUNDI: New online video highlights province's mission work
Episcopal News Service. November 1, 2007 [110107-02]
The Anglican Church of Burundi has launched an online video presentation, titled "Scenes from Ministry in Burundi," highlighting the province's commitment to peace and reconciliation, work with refugees and displaced people, community development, literacy and education, and those whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS. The video is available here.
"This is an exciting development for us and we are very grateful to all those who have helped to make it possible," a diocesan spokesperson said.
The Anglican Church of Burundi is composed of six dioceses and has been an independent province since 1992, although its roots go back to missionary activities in the 1930s.
"At the center of the church's mission is the message of Jesus Christ," the video underscores. "After many years of civil war people need to hear a message of hope, forgiveness and reconciliation."
The video resource emphasizes the church's ministry to widows, orphans, those with HIV/AIDS, refugees, and the displaced. "As the church seeks to share the message of Jesus, it is especially concerned to reach out to children and youth. For this, pastors and lay people need to be trained. Each diocese has its own Bible School for the purpose of theological education and training, and the province has a theological institute."
Churches destroyed during the civil war are being rebuilt and the construction of new churches is planned in order to give the community a place for worship, prayer, Bible study, and other activities, the video reveals.
According to the Anglican Communion website there are at least 625,000 Anglicans in Burundi out of an estimated population of more than 6 million people. "An Anglican presence was established through the work of the Church Mission Society in the 1930s and grew rapidly as a result of the East African Revival," the Communion's website notes.