ACTIVITY REPORT: CHURCH LEADERS TRAINING
Muzye and Rutana Centers – February 2026
1. Introduction
A church leaders training was conducted simultaneously in Muzye and Rutana centers from Monday, 23rd to Friday, 27th February 2026. The training focused on the study of the book Christianity and Islam. Two trainers facilitated the sessions: NITUNGA Francois led the training in Muzye, while NDUWIMANA Patrice conducted the sessions in Rutana. Both trainings were successfully carried out and well received by participants.
2. Aim of the Training
The main aim of the training was to equip church leaders with biblical knowledge and practical skills to better understand Islam, promote peaceful coexistence, and strengthen effective Christian witness among Muslim communities.
3. Objectives
The training pursued the following objectives:
* To help church leaders understand the basic beliefs and practices of Islam.
* To strengthen participants’ knowledge of the Christian faith in comparison with Islamic teachings.
* To equip leaders with tools for evangelism among Muslims.
* To help trainees clearly understand the difference between Jesus Christ and Muhammad, and deepen their understanding of who Jesus Christ is.
4. Course Content
During this training session, the first part of the book Christianity and Islam was covered. The main topics included:
* Basic Overview of Islam,
* Jesus and Muhammad
* Sin and Salvation
These topics provided a foundational understanding for further study.
5. Christianity and Islam - Reflection
As we went through the course, the trainees came to recognize that teaching church leaders about Islam is essential for fostering informed, loving, and effective engagement with Muslim neighbours. This training helps to correct misinformation and equips leaders to address theological differences with grace and understanding. It also enables them to clearly articulate key Christian doctrines—such as the Trinity—in today’s context, while promoting peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and awareness of the rapid global growth of Islam.
5.1 The trainees unanimously expressed the following conviction:
“If we want to see a strong and healthy Church, we must dedicate much of our time to teaching what Christianity is truly about. We need to emphasize discipleship, encourage believers to read the Bible and understand its message, and help them live Christ-centered and transformed lives. If we are not attentive and watchful, Islam may take the lead and influence our nation. Therefore, we urge that all Christians, in every local church and training institution, be equipped and motivated to understand Muslims and to minister among them.”
They further emphasized that training at the local church level should address both pastors and congregation members. The focus should include :
* Overcoming fear and prejudice toward Muslims
* Encouraging believers to build positive and respectful relationships with Muslims, including learning how to live as good neighbours
* Providing accurate and balanced information about Islam and the diversity within Muslim communities
* Equipping churches to welcome, support, and care for believers from a Muslim background
6. Training Methods
Various participatory and adult-learning (andragogic) methods were used, including:
* Group discussions
* Question-and-answer sessions
* Interactive teaching approches
These methods encouraged active participation, sharing of experiences, and deeper understanding of the topics.
7. Outcomes
The training yielded positive results:
* Participants expressed great appreciation for the course and showed eagerness to continue learning until they complete the entire book.
* Many testified that they discovered new insights about Islam that they had not known before.
* Participants acknowledged that their understanding had significantly improved, describing the experience as “an opening of their eyes.”
8. Challenges
Despite the success of the training, several challenges were encountered:
* The training period coincided with the rainy season, and frequent rainfall disrupted sessions.
* Some participants were unable to attend due to illness.
* The training also took place during the agricultural season, when many participants were occupied with farming activities, particularly searching for manure or chemical fertilizers for planting. This affected attendance and punctuality.
9. Testimonies from Participants
9.1 Testimony from Rutana center:
“Before this training, I did not know much about Islam. I used to fear engaging with Muslims because I lacked understanding. Now I feel confident because I It is better I have joined this training, because I was ignorant about what Islam is all about especially concerning their believes, as I knew that we are worshipping one true God. Now I am getting somewhere, as I have learned this first part of the course on the Basic Overview of Islam, Jesus and Muhammad, Sin and Salvation. My desire is to try to do my best to finish the whole course, so that I may engage myself in reaching out my fellow Muslims with proposer knwoldge, I am trying to go to Tanzania to see if I will get the Coran their book and read it thoroughly. I want to be equipped before I go to reach them. Because “If I don’t reach them now, they will reach my children, or my gran children, or my relatives and moreover the Christian I am serving ion my church. I want to be watchful. God help me”.
8.2 Testimony from Muzye trainees:
“This training is opening my eyes. I now clearly understand the difference between Jesus Christ and Muhammad. I am encouraged to go back and teach others in my church what I have learned.”
8.3 Testimony from Muzye trainees:
“What I have learned is that, as church leaders, we need to understand Islamic beliefs in order to engage in informed and respectful conversations—especially regarding key differences such as the deity of Christ, the Trinity, and the authority of the Bible. It is also essential that all who call themselves Christians live authentic, Christ-like lives among Muslim neighbours, friends, colleagues, and contacts.”
9. Conclusion
The church leaders training held in Muzye and Rutana centers was a success despite the challenges encountered. The objectives were largely achieved, and participants were equipped with essential knowledge and tools for ministry among Muslim communities. There is a strong desire among the trainees to continue with the remaining parts of the course. Continued training and follow-up sessions are therefore highly recommended to reinforce and expand the knowledge gained.
Before ending the training, we had a good time to do a deep reflection on what we had learned so far.
I praise God that, that reflection demonstrated the deep impact of the training and the growing desire among church leaders to engage wisely, lovingly, and faithfully in their mission within a multi-religious context.
Francois Nitunga
TOP OF PAGE
Report on the Church leaders training held in Mishiha, Cankuzo and Buhiga January 2026
1. Introduction
In January 2026, a series of structured training sessions for church leaders was organized across three centres: Mishiha and Cankuzo from the 9th to the 13th, and Buhiga from the 23rd to the 27th. The focus of these sessions was the study of the first part of the book Christianity and Islam. This decision was made in light of both the considerable length of the text and the explicit request of participants to proceed at a deliberate pace. Trainees emphasized that the subject matter is of critical importance, as it directly relates to the challenges they encounter in their pastoral work, particularly in addressing questions surrounding Islam and its perceived expansion.
2. Participants
Leaders from different church denominations in three centers: Mishiha, Cankuzo and Rutana
This training served as a platform for leaders to engage deeply with the material, to strengthen their understanding of Islam, and to reflect on appropriate responses within their communities and ministries.
3. The course
During this first part of training this course, we looked and covered two major topics: the BASIC OVERVIEW OF ISLAM, JESUS AND MUHAMMAD then SIN AND SALVATION.
3.1 Why this course is needed in this particular time
Islam appears to be forever in the news. Islamic issues and Muslim politics feature in the media more often than not. And Islam is felt by many Christians to pose something of a threatening challenge. Or at least this seems to be the case. But why should this be so? In what ways might Islam be a challenge to Christianity? Our trainees asked themselves those questions.
3.2 Our reaction to their queries
We are going to try to see what the church can do using this good well researched manual from Jonathan Menn. We hope that at the end of this course many church leaders will change their worldview and began to engage in Muslim evangelism. Because if we don t reach them, they will reach us, if not us, they will reach our children, if not our children they will reach our grandchildren, at the end all our relatives will be reached.
3.3 Trainees followed attentively the journey of Mohamed
At Medina, Muhammad laidm down the basis for Islamic religious belief and practice belief in the oneness of God, and in himself as the last of God s prophets; the disciplined practice of prayer five times per day; the dawn to dusk daily fast during the lunar month of Ramadan; the paying of an annual charity tax for support of the poor and needy; and eventually the re-establishment of the Hajj as the annual great pilgrimage to Mecca, to be enjoined upon all Muslims at least once in their lifetime health and wealth, and nowadays also Saudi quotas and visas, permitting.
3.4 Unanimously students said that in order to prevent the growth of Islam in our regions is to teach children
They said: It is very important to learn about Islam at the youngest age
Learning Islam from a young age builds identity, instills discipline, and strengthens the heart with faith. It nurtures values like honesty, kindness, and respect, ensuring children grow as responsible Christians . They added: We must be sincere in our desire to
to learn Islam. We are learning this Deen to rid ourselves, firstly, of ignorance and then to help others to rid themselves of ignorance .
Another student said that his very happy to understand that we Christians are not worshipping the same God as Muslims, as I was believing it and understanding it. From Now I know what mighty God I am worshipping and serving.
4. Christian-Muslim relations
In our study, while sharing in our open discussions we for sure found that those who have joined Islamic religion and those who are joining it today, are direct members of our families, close relatives, neighbours and our close friends as well.
Amazingly together with the trainees found that, early in Muhammad s life he viewed Christians as friends, and this is no doubt the situation many Muslims desire, however, near the end of his life, his great commission was different.
Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and do not forbid what Allah and his messenger (Muhammad) have forbidden, and do not acknowledge the religion of truth from those who have been given the book (Christians and Jews), until they pay the jizyah (terms of surrender) from their hand when conquered. The Jews say, Ezra is the Son of Allah , the Christians say, The Messiah is the Son of Allah. That is what they say with their mouths, like the unbelievers before them. May Allah fight them! How they are deluded. He is the one who has sent his messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail above every religion. (Qur an 9:29-33)
4.1 There is no specific mention of Islam in the Bible for the obvious reason that Islam was still 600 years in the future.
As we kicked of the training, the trainees were amazed to discover that the Bible does not say about Islam. There is no specific mention of Islam in the Bible for the obvious reason that Islam was still 600 years in the future. Responses to Islam might be derived from general warnings about false prophets in Matthew 7:15 and those who corrupt the gospel in Galatians 1 or under general statements that we all and thus, Muslims too need the We wanted the trainees to feel the weight of the specific preparation the Qur an gives the Islamic world about Christianity: the cross, salvation, the Trinity, incarnation, the fatherhood and son of God, hermeneutics, romance, and a political agenda.
5. Testimonies
Today I say no to ignorance
I have found myself from the beginning of this course we are studying now, that
Learning about Christianity is compulsory for Muslims, but learning about Islam is optional for Christians. The result is that when a Christian meets a Muslim, the Muslim is very often prepared, while, the Christian is not. This situation is both a challenge and opportunity. It is a challenge because the Islamic arguments are well resourced, and do lead some Christians to convert to Islam. Now I want thoroughly to follow this important course up to the end of this book because I don t want to remain ignorant. Today I say no to ignorance: Not knowing what to do and Islam is winning and converting our Christian. If we do not pay attention Mishiha , our locality will be soon Islamised. My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge (Hos.4:6).
We have un obligation to understand it in order for us to take proper action before it becomes too late.
During my minisirty as a church leader, I have spoken to hundreds of Muslims and they have never brought up the Five Pillars of Islam with me. Instead, they regularly bring up what the Qur an says about Christianity. This is where we should start with our training for Christians, precisely in our local churches. They will remember it and it is practical. Therefore, go slowly as you take us through in this important course until we understand it in order for us to take proper action before it becomes too late. We have no time to waste.
6. Conclusion
Learning about Christianity is compulsory for Muslims, but learning about Islam is optional for Christians. The result is that when a Christian meets a Muslim, the Muslim is very often prepared, while, the Christian is not.
This situation is both a challenge and opportunity. It is a challenge because the Islamic arguments are well resourced, and do lead some Christians to convert to Islam. But it is equally a great opportunity, because Muslims are meant to learn about Christianity!
Muhammad not only knew about Christianity, he made it a major subject in the Qur an
At the end, majority among our students requested us to try to do the best we can to look for them where they can get a Coran so that they may be reading it as many Muslims read our Bible.
In all, let the glory be to the almighty God.
TOP OF PAGE
