The Structure and Function of PEAR USA
Posted on February 12, 2014 by Joel under PEAR
If you look around the blogosphere for Anglican news you will
generally find surface level press-release journalism, particularly
when it comes to CANA, the REC, and PEAR USA. No one that I am aware
of is offering scrutiny or asking hard questions. If you want an
interview, you better be on the good side of bishop so and so. And
when it comes to Rwanda, the many experts on the country pay very
little attention to the Anglican Church there, despite it's role as a
propaganda arm of the State. This puts me in a unique position at the
confluence of Rwanda and PEAR, a spot that no one else is paying
attention to (as they ought to be). With that in mind, I want to
summarize how PEAR USA is structured for those who know about Rwanda
but have little knowledge about the Church.
Brief History
Before PEAR USA there was the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA),
which was also part of the Rwandan Anglican Church from 2000 to 2011.
The head of the AMiA, Chuck Murphy, defied the Rwandan House of
Bishops when they attempted to exercise authority over him. His
defiance led to the collapse of the AMiA, with churches either staying
in a now puny AMiA, fleeing directly into the Anglican Church in North
America (ACNA) or remaining under Rwandan oversight as PEAR USA. The
glorification of the Rwandan Church was the reason that many of us in
PEAR USA remained with Rwanda, setting a premium on the relationship
with them, which allowed Americans to maintain theological
distinctives1 and do as they please with minimal oversight from the
Rwandans.
Part of Two Churches
The bishops of PEAR USA are part of both the Rwandan House of Bishops
and the ACNA College of Bishops. How does this work? Who really knows?
American clergy in PEAR USA are canonically resident in Rwanda, which
place an onus of responsibility on them.
Figure 1
The American Bishops
There are five American bishops as of this writing, including:
Bishop Steven A. Breedlove, Presider of PEARUSA, and Bishop Ordinary
of the Atlantic Coast Network
Figure 2. Breedlove and Gasatura
When I asked Breedlove if the Rwandans showed any degree of self
critique or criticism for their government, he could not come up with
an example or answer of self criticism. He later worked with my parish
priest to censor a post I wrote which affirmed the UN reports of John
Rucyahana's fundraising for M23.
Bishop Ken A. Ross, Bishop Ordinary of the West Network
Fig 3. Bishops Rwaje, Ross and Rucyahana
Bishop Thad Barnum, Assisting Bishop of the Atlantic Coast
Network-Northeast Region
Figure 4. Bishops Rucyahana and Barnum
Bishop Quigg Lawrence, Assisting Bishop of the Atlantic Coast
Network-Mt. Virginia Region
Lawrence is good friends with Kagame sycophant John Rucyahana, and
even had him attend his consecration to bishop after Rucyahana had
been accused of M23 support.
Figure 5. Bishop Lawrence and Rucyahana
Bishop David Bryan, Bishop Ordinary of the Southeast Network
Figure 6. Bishop David Bryan
Americans Working in Rwanda
There are a couple notable Americans from PEAR USA working back in
Rwanda, one is Brandon Walsh and the other is Jay Greener. Bishops
Rwaje and Mbanda serve as the public face of PEAR to the West since
Kolini and Rucyahana retired and started their work supporting M23. It
is logical therefore that they have westerners working directly for
them to cultivate relationships with PEAR USA congregations.
Figure 7. Americans in Rwanda
Greener formerly served as Communications Officer for the Anglican
Mission in America and as such has experience with public relations.
Figure 8. Bishop Mbanda (second from left) with Jay Greener (right)
Meet the Bishops
The Rwandan bishops include:
Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje, Bishop of Gasabo.
Figure 9. Archbishop Rwaje with Rwandan Dictator Paul Kagame
Archbishop Rwaje was the co-author of a letter to the United Nations
protesting a report that the UN issued on Rwanda's involvement with
M23. This letter attacked both the UN Mapping Report and the Group of
Expert's report and said, "Overall, we think that blaming Rwanda for
the DRC crisis is a result of manipulation which leaves behind the
real issue of governance and the responsibility of the Congolese
government to solve this conflict."
Bishop Alexis Bilindabagabo, Bishop of Gahini
Figure 10. Bishop Alexis with the Rwandan First Couple
Bishop Alexis heads the Barakabaho Foundation, an NGO.
Bishop Nathan Amooti, Cyanguggu Diocese
Quigg Lawrence's church in Virginia has a church building partnership
with Bishop Amooti; this church in Georgia did too. Amooti was
formerly an assistant to retired Archbishop Kolini. Like many bishops,
Amooti is from outside Rwanda, as he was born in Uganda.
Figure 11. Bishop Amooti
Bishop Jered Kalimba, Shyogwe Diocese
Figure 12. Bishop Kalimba
Bishop Augustin Mvunabandi, Kigeme Dicoese
During the 1990′s, it appears that Bishop Mvunabandi actually
participated in scrutinizing his government, as this government attack
blog lists him as part of an NGO in Rwanda: "A Kenyan section was
represented by an Anglican Bishop, Augustin NSHAMIHIGO who lived in
Nairobi, and Tanzanian section was represented by another Anglican
Bishop Augustin MVUNABANDI, and who was in the refugee camp in Ngara,
Tanzania."
The bishop is a representative of Rwanda Bible Society. This link
notes his preaching at a Business Funding Project in his diocese.
Figure 13. Bishop Mvunabandi
Bishop Emmanuel Ntazinda, Kibungo Diocese
Bishop Ntazinda has been developing relationships with Ireland. He
praises the Kagame government, particularly NURC, in this interview.
Figure 14. Bishop Ntazinda
Bishop Augustin Ahimana, Kivu Diocese
Bishop Ahimana has been a vocal defender of the Kagame regime in the
Western publication Christianity Today. One biography of him says that
he is "part of Pastor Rick Warren's PEACE initiatives, a member of the
World Vision Organization, and a contributor to Christianity Today
Magazine. Ahimana has an MA in Intercultural Studies from Fuller
Seminary, a BA in Business Administration, and a diploma in Law."
Ahimana attributes the actions of Christians during the genocide to
superficial faith, despite the massive influence of the East African
Revival:
We were nominal Christians without a life changed by the Gospel. It
was so-called Christians who rose up and killed other Christians. It
was church leaders betraying church members. People were butchered in
sanctuaries. How can you explain this in a country that was said to be
90 to 94 percent Christian? Only because of a superficial faith. There
was none of God's love in people's hearts, no faith in their hearts."
Figure 15. Bishop Ahimana
Bishop Nathan Gasatura, Butare Diocese
Figure 16. Bishop Gasatura at a prayer breakfast in Rwanda.
Gasatura is another face of Rwanda to the West. He was born in Uganda.
Bishop Gasatura heads the Rwanda Initiative for Sustainable
Development (RISD) one of the many NGOs that seem to work hand in
glove with the Rwandan government. As the RISD website says: "Rwanda
Government Ministries" are a "partner" for RISD, in particular, the
Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST)."
But perhaps more troubling is an event in 2010, when Bishop Gasatura
hosted an event for the Global Peace and Unity Foundation presenting
President Kagame The Service to Humanity Award.
Bishop Laurent Mbanda, Shyira Diocese
Figure 17. Bishop Mbanda (rear) at the recent appalling prayer breakfast
Bishop Mbanda was born in Rwanda but grew up in Burundi and spent many
years in the United States. Mbanda recently attended the prayer
breakfast at which Kagame boasted about his killing of Patrick
Karegeya and made promises to hunt down and kill other critics of the
government.
Mbanda praised the Rwandan government, saying, "The country enjoys
peace, security throughout and visionary leadership. It is a story of
success and model of good governance in the region. Reconciliation is
taking hold, the country and people are turning to the Lord."
In the 90′s, Mbanda wrote:
Hopefully, the new Kigali government will keep its hands clean in the
matters of the Church, just as they have so far. My prayer is that the
Church can divorce itself from the kind of church-state relationships
that seek favours from politicians in exchange for the Church's
prophetic voice.
This has of course not happened, and Mbanda is silent in public about
the role of Kagame and the RPF in Rwanda. He claims that the country
has healed and is on the rise in this interview.
Bishop Louis Muvunyi, Kigali Diocese
Figure 18. Bishop Muvunyi
Muvunyi was principal of Kigali Anglican Theological College prior to
his elevation.
Bishop Emmanuel Ngendahayo, Byumba Diocese
Figure 19. Bishop Ngendahayo
Bishop Ngendahayo replaced Archbishop Rwaje upon his elevation. RPF
Government representative James Musoni spoke at his consecration,
saying, "A good Christian leader is one who preaches the word of God
while at the same time strives to promote unity of Rwandans, in
addition to working closely with government to spearhead development."
One Important Non-Bishop
One key Anglican figure who is not a bishop is Anglican Pastor and
Vice President of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission
(NURC) Antoine Rutayisire.
Figure 20. Rutayisire and Kagame
Funding
According to the most recent PEAR USA budget, $77,460 was given to the
Rwandan Anglican Church in 2014. I don't think this counts other money
that individual parishes might send directly to Rwanda, although I
imagine that most money is consolidated via the top level PEAR USA
budget.
Figure 21. 2014 PEAR USA Budget
What Rwandans Think About the Anglican Church of Rwanda
Getting Rwandans inside the country to speak openly about anything
political is difficult to impossible. I have the testimony of three
Rwandans, two who had been very high ranking and one former
journalist, about the Church. Their opinions are anecdotal and may not
represent what most Rwandans think, however, I think we can take them
as a fair indicator of public opinion.
1. Theogene Rudasingwa. Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa served as the
Secretary General of Rwanda's ruling party, the Rwandan Patriotic
Front (RPF), as Ambassador of Rwanda to the United States, and as
President Paul Kagame's Director of Cabinet (Chief of Staff).
I spoke to Dr. Rudasingwa about the Anglican Church in Rwanda and
asked him how it relates to the oppressive Kagame regime. He told me
that after 1994, the goal of the RPF was to make the international
community feel guilty for what happened – the "you did nothing"
narrative. He said that Kagame has co-opted evangelical churches, such
as the Anglicans, as tools of his own corruption. He specifically
mentioned Bishops Rucyahana and Kolini and how they talk to
"unsuspecting Americans" with their narrative. He mentioned that
Kolini was the head of the National Commission for the Fight Against
HIV/AIDS and how Rucyahana is now the head of National Unity and
Reconciliation Commission (NURC), government positions that not just
anyone gets.
Rudasingwa told me that Bishop Kolini was "very pro Tutsi" and that we
(meaning Kagame's inner circle) considered him to be "one of us." He
says that the bishops could not operate without the RPFs' permission
and that the RPF likely decides on who is a bishop, where they serve,
etc. I asked Rudasingwa how to explain that Archbishop Rwaje, a Hutu,
is Archbishop. He said that Kagame allows these kinds of things as PR
moves, more or less. He said that some of the bishops are good men who
are afraid, but he went on to say that there is no excuse for silence
or neutrality in the face of the evil occurring in Rwanda.
2. Gerald Gahima. Gerald Gahima was "central to the rebuilding of
Rwanda's justice system in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, first
as the chief of staff to the Rwandan Minister of Justice from
1996-1999, and subsequently as the country's Attorney General from
1999-2003."
He was asked about his opinion of the Anglican Church in Rwanda
regarding reconciliation, and this is what he said:
OK I have very strong opinions about the Anglican Church in Rwanda.
The Anglican Church in Rwanda, one cannot even say it has been
compromised by the State, it has basically made itself an arm of the
State. It has…you remember what the, the role that the Catholic Church
had during the Colonial period and the time of the monarchy? How the
Catholic Church was very close to the State and how this continued
even during the post independence period? The Anglican Church has
basically taken the role of the Catholic Church as being the chief
apologist of the RPF and that has taken away a lot of the credibility
that the Church should have and because of this the …I don't think the
Anglican Church would be a viable, a useful contributor to the process
of reconciliation in Rwanda because it has taken sides.
3. Godwin Agaba. Agaba is a journalist and was a resident of Rwanda
until he was forced to flee in 2010. Agaba is Tutsi and an Anglican,
he attended the Remera parish in Rwanda pastored by the Rev. Canon
Peter Twahirwa. Agaba said:
Rwanda's context: The Anglican Church of Rwanda operates within
Rwanda's boundaries. It is subject to the socio-political
dispensations obtaining in Rwanda today. Its leaders are Rwandans –
pooled from the citizenry who are fed daily on the dangers of dissent.
Like other Rwandans, the civil society, the media, silence is a
survival instinct. The social, political, economic, and even religious
institutions of the society — outside of state control — have been
deliberately weakened, subordinated, and some replaced by new
regimented institutions used by the state or ruling party to control
the society. The population itself has often been atomized. The result
is predictable. Speaking out has a heavy price, and very few can pay
such a price.
Bishops can't operate without RPF permissions and indeed they are
chosen by RPF strongmen, in other words these are politicians not men
of God.
I think the Rwandan political culture has been corrupting church
leaders. In order to be influential church leaders have to be insiders
of the ruling party! The Anglican church of Rwanda can't address
injustice and human rights violations committed by the RPF because
they are insiders! It's not easy to challenge injustice when one is
not independent.
The same situation happened to the Catholic Church during
Habyarimana's regime, as a result the RPA killed the Catholic Bishops
and Priests in Gakurazo and Kabwayi! The Catholic Church in the DRC
showed its independence when they spoke against Kabila's controversial
election!
The churches are not as powerful as they used to be in Rwanda. The RPF
chooses bishops to have some influence similar to how other religions
choose a Mufti. Also note that the Catholic Church deliberately chose
Bishop Smaragde Mbonyintege as their spokesman because they think he
can talk to the RPF. It is a calculation that happens in almost all
African countries.
Conclusion
Americans who are involved with PEAR USA and ACNA have very little
idea of what they are signing up for when they affirm a relationship
with the Rwandan Anglican Church – I certainly didn't. They should
educate themselves before the relationship openly blows up in their
face.
PEAR USA is notionally more Reformed in theology than ACNA proper.
Logically, they should be part of the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC)
but their style of music and liturgy is not a good fit with REC, so
they stay away from it. ↩
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9 Thoughts.
Robert Cordova
February 12, 2014 at 3:34 pm
I thank God daily for the witness and support of the Anglican Church in Rwanda.
They are a Godly church with the mission of Christ at their center.
Regards
R. Cordova
Reply
Joel
February 12, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Robert, they fail to speak up against evil that their government
inflicts on the population and violate Romans 1.32 and Ezekiel 3.18,
as well as GAFCON's Nairobi Communique. This is not Godly, but is a
failure of godliness, akin to what the pre-genocide church did.
Reply
Robert Cordova
February 12, 2014 at 8:16 pm
when was your last visit to Rwanda?
Reply
Joel
February 13, 2014 at 12:14 am
I've never been. So what.
Reply
SG Rindahl
February 12, 2014 at 3:35 pm
Thank you for the quick review of the info. It proves the adage that
there is more to the story than what meets the eye.
Reply
Donald Philip Veitch
February 12, 2014 at 4:43 pm
Concur with the observation that news outlets aren't providing news.
The problem is far wider than PEAR too. Thanks for this.
Reply
Joel
February 12, 2014 at 6:30 pm
Thanks Donald.
Reply
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe
February 12, 2014 at 6:12 pm
This article's intention must have been to tarnish the image of the
Anglican Church of Rwanda. I am thankful for the working relationship
between the American churches and the Anglican Church of Rwanda and
the people of Rwanda are grateful.
Reply
Joel
February 12, 2014 at 6:31 pm
The article's intention is to tell the truth, something Rwandan
Anglicans have not done about Kagame.
http://alivingtext.com/the-structure-and-function-of-pear-usa/
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