The church resulted from the work of the Bethel Mission. After the departure of the German missionaries (1916) the work was taken over, after some years, by the small Belgian Protestant Missionary Society. In 1959 the church gained independence and adopted the name Presbyterian Church in Rwanda. At that time it strengthened its relationship with the Dutch and Swiss churches, and later with the Presbyterian Church USA and the Evangelical Church in Germany. The church experienced strong growth up to 1994. It maintained many primary and several secondary and professional schools as well as three hospitals and several local clinics. Three presidents have served the church since independence: Naasson Hitimana (until 1977), Michel Twagirayesu (until 1994), and André Karamaga (from 1995). Today, the church faces the difficult task of rebuilding its life, of consoling and reconciling its members, and of creating new confidence for Rwandan people both inside and outside the country. The tribal composition of the church corresponds to the proportions of the populations in the country.
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