The Story of Musagara Seventh-day Adventist Church
The journey of the Musagara Seventh-day Adventist Church began in November 2022 when a pioneer, Celestin Niyonkuru, arrived to support Egide Harerimana in preaching the present truth in the Musagara area. Egide was the only Adventist there, as Zephaniah, the first Adventist from the region, was studying in Bujumbura. Celestin was welcomed warmly by Egide’s parents, even though they were Anglicans, and they hosted him for more than three months despite the differences in religion.
Celestin immediately began sharing the truths Adventists teach, including the Sabbath. At first, many in the community ridiculed him, but there was one young man named Gaston Niyomukiza who embraced the message and got baptized. Together with Egide, they began holding Sabbath services with just the three of them. Even though their numbers were small, they faithfully carried out all the Sabbath services, including worship, Sabbath School, and offerings.
Despite their efforts to spread the message door to door, the response from the community was initially resistant. Celestin decided to adopt a different approach—becoming friends with the children and teenagers in the village. He would often play football with them, then accompany them to their homes. This made him popular, and he became a friend of almost every family on Mount Musagara. With this growing influence, Celestin used social media to reach out to other Adventists, asking for support for an evangelistic campaign.
The First Evangelistic Campaign
In the first week of April 2023, a group called Urunani, along with gospel workers including Zephaniah, came to Musagara for a special week of evangelism. Every morning, they preached door to door, and in the evenings, they held large meetings with a sound system. Despite being the rainy season, a miracle occurred: the rain stopped for the entire week, allowing the meetings to go uninterrupted. The community saw this as a sign, and by the end of the week, 17 people were baptized.
A month later, a group of prayer leaders from the local Anglican church, who had been listening to the Adventist teachings, began experiencing turmoil in their hearts. Among them was a woman named Mediatrice, the group’s leader. She and others in the group had dreams and convictions that led them to believe that the Adventist church was God’s true church. After inviting Celestin to teach them more about the Sabbath, 15 members, including Mediatrice, made the decision to join the Adventist faith and were baptized.
A Growing Church
In August 2023, Egide married an Adventist woman from Bisoro, drawing the attention of the local community, who came to witness the first Adventist wedding in Musagara. This event inspired two more people to join the church.
By the end of 2023, another evangelistic campaign was organized by the choir Guma ku Rufatiro from Gatumba SDA Church, with the participation of Umucyo w’Isabato. Once again, God performed a miracle: By the end of the week, four more people were baptized.
Inspired by this success, the Umucyo w’Isabato planned a two-week evangelistic campaign for the summer of 2024, held from August 10 to 24. This event, led by Umucyo w’Isabato in collaboration with Guma ku Rufatiro and Urunani choirs, was a remarkable success. Over 150 books, including Bibles, were distributed, and by the end of the campaign, eight more individuals had been baptized.
Current Status
As of August 2024, the Musagara Seventh-day Adventist Church had grown to 51 baptized members, becoming the largest and fastest-growing Adventist congregation in Bururi Province. The members of Umucyo w’Isabato thank God for the miracles He has performed and for everyone who has supported this mission. We also express deep gratitude to Celestin Niyonkuru, the Guma ku Rufatiro and Urunani choirs, and all who contributed to fulfilling Christ’s commission in Matthew 24:14 and 28:18-20.
The Musagara Seventh-day Adventist Church is located in Bururi Province, Burundi, on the mountainous region of Musagara. The church serves as a beacon of faith in this rural area, which is part of the broader region near Bisoro and Gatumba. This exact location will play a significant role in its outreach efforts, especially given the mountainous terrain and the challenges of access.
