Safari Ruben was raised in a solid upcountry family. The nearest church was far away but his parents made him attend. It was the social centre of the community. Church was a duty but with limited options in terms of pastimes, he made the most of it. It was at secondary school in 1979 that he moved from being superficially engaged to all in. His own personal transformation led two of his sisters likewise becoming committed. He started a choir which still operates to this day. And once at university he was President of the Christian Union.
Preaching Ministry in Burundi exists to equip church leaders to minister the Word of God faithfully and engagingly. The reality is that out of the cities, pastors usually only have primary-level education, which means they are woefully ill-equipped to teach their congregations effectively. False teachings abound, and so this ministry seeks to nip them in the bud. It acts as a mobile Bible-school, traveling around to groups of pastors, meeting in their locality. These pastors lap up the opportunities for equipping, and all the more as they see the evidence in their strengthened congregations. Preaching groups are left in each place so that the network of church leaders continue to meet regularly to encourage and sharpen each other in their roles.
