03/09/26 Exciting Days Ahead

Report from Fidele SHINGA , GBTF Africa Director: GBTF Karongi (Rwanda) Class

“The GBTF class in Karongi started with 67 students and ended with 96 students. The class was conducted from 2nd March to 6th March 2026.  The lesson taught during this period was a survey of the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The teacher who led the lessons was Mugirende Juvenal.

One of the challenges we faced during this period was heavy rain, which rained from morning to evening almost every day, and it is still continuing even now.

This is the Period when most churches are discouraged due to the government rules and regulations. But God, through GBTF, is doing greater things than what we could Imagine.”

Note: we decided to share Fidele’s report in his own words.  The government rules he mentions are happening all over Africa. Governments are placing regulations on churches. If the churches do not meet these requirements, the church is shut down.  This has happened all over Africa.  

One government regulation is that all pastors must have theological training.  Several years ago, God impressed on Bruce the need to register Global Baptist Training Foundation in each country.  This has taken a sizable investment of both time and money.  It is bearing good fruit, however, because in each nation, GBTF training is acceptable to the government to meet this requirement.  

Interestingly, one government regulation in Rwanda is for proper bathroom facilities. Churches have an outhouses.  That is not longer acceptable to the government.   The problem arises, however, when you examine the electrical and water infrastructures. They cannot support what we would consider “proper” bathroom facilities.  Instead the government now requires a concrete pad for the outhouse to be set on.

Please pray for our churches scattered all over Africa.  While God is doing an amazing work, the enemy would also use regulations like this to shut down the very churches who are bringing  tens of thousands to faith in Jesus Christ.  

One final note.  The teacher of this Southwest Rwanda class is Mugirenda Juvenal.  Bruce has not taught Juvenal in any classes.  He has been trained completely by our national trainers, including Fidele SHINGA, and is now training other nationals using GBTF materials. 

What’s ahead?  Bruce and Lex leave this Thursday for a large regional training meeting in Liberia.    Also, we have FOUR graduation ceremonies coming up in April and May (Central African Republic, Burundi, and two in Tanzania) with 153 new graduates!  Look for great pictures, interviews, and videos from all of these upcoming events!

Thank you for being a vital part of this great ministry of training nationals to train nationals. 

Bruce and Grace Snavely

Global Baptist Training Foundation
www.globaltrain.org