MY SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY
My calling is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am willing to make Jesus Christ known around the world. My personal conversion experience occurred in 1987 when Jesus Christ Himself appeared in my room at night and showed me a light in three distinct periods. My conversion was transmitted to my Bishop, who, in 1991, asked the Annual Conference of the Rwanda Free Methodist Church to ordain me as a Pastor. In 2011, the USA Free Methodist Church recognised my Rwandan ordination. Since then, I have worked officially as a Minister at the Free Methodist Church in the USA. In 2016, I was assisted by the United Methodist Church in using their Building and Sanctuary in Huber Heights, USA, for my Ministry, where I serve as Senior Pastor.
The spiritual context is characterised by our way of life and our zeal for the Lord's work. Our religious context is that our ministry is committed to making Jesus known and evangelizing for the salvation of many people. In other words, our ministry is to teach people how to live a spiritual life so that it can become the centre of their hearts. They become familiar with the complexities of their inner life, as Henri Nouwen wrote in his Preface to Following…. “Spiritual formation presents opportunities to enter the centre of our heart and become familiar with the complexities of our inner life. “Our vocational identity is focused on making Jesus Christ known as Lord and Saviour for salvation. Faith in Jesus Christ is the key to salvation.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_0]]My father, Thaddeus Buhake, was one of the sons of Ntamuvurira, one of the sons of Kanyoni. Kanyoni was one of the sons of Ndorimana, and Ndorimana was one of the sons of Segatake; Segatake was a member of the Umugesera clan group in Rwanda. Segatake lived in Gisaka of Abazirankende in Kibungo. My father was born in Mugozi. The place of our ancestors was Gisaka of the Abazirankende, which was part of the Bagesera group. The oldest ancestor known to us is Segatake. My father’s mother was Nyirashyirambere, and her birthplace was Mubuga in Kibuye. I also attended Sunday school at Bweza of the Free Methodist Chapel in Mugozi. I attended kindergarten at Karambo–Mugozi, run by Frédéric Buguru. I attended primary school in Kigarama and continued my elementary education at the primary school in Musengesi, Rwamatamu. I spent the last year of my preliminary studies at Shara-Bugarama of Cyangugu Province. My high school studies took place at the official technical school, “E.T.O Don Bosco, of Kicukiro, located in the Kicukiro district. I obtained a Bachelor’s degree from France as an Electrical Technician and studied as a Radio-TV-HIFI Sono Engineer in Belgium. I also hold a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Religious Science from the National University of the Protestant Churches in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I pursued theological studies for the Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and later at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I graduated with a Doctor of Ministry (Theology) from the Unification Theological Seminary (UTS) in New York City. Also, I hold a PhD in Systematic Theology from IMC Theological Seminary in Ohio, USA, and a PhD in Educational Leadership from National University in California, USA. Later, I founded the Movement for Christ Ministry in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (also known as the Republic of the Congo), Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Cameroon. I also started the International Movement for Christ in the United States at 7505 Sulphur Grove, Huber Heights, OH 45424.
My Childhood
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_1]]While attending Sunday school and worship services every Sunday, I was unable to gain a sufficient understanding of salvation. I followed the sermons and the history of significant personalities in the Bible, such as David, Samson, and others. It was interesting to listen to, but the teachings did not show me the necessity of salvation. It was like a routine. I was a church member and liked attending my “Daddy’s “church. My Special Adolescence
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_2]]1st song. “Ijuru rizasuma, ibicu bizahinda, uko ni ukwrerekana uko idukunda” (I think here was the first encounter with Jesus in that way. I was attending Sunday school, and the song I received was probably one of the Adventist spiritual songs I did not know before, but the Lord inspired me to see how terrible the End of time would be. I envisioned the End of Time when I was singing this song. I saw a red cloud in the sky. The song means: “The sky will make a loud noise; the clouds will cry loudly. By this, God needs to demonstrate how highly He loves us”. 2nd song. “Simon Pierre était l’Apotre de Jésus Christ” means “Simon Peter was the Apostle of Jesus Christ” around the 1970s. The voice was an audio indicative of the German Radio “Deutsche Welle.” I had not heard of this German radio station before. I was only listening to the radio of my oldest brother, who lived in another province and was visiting us. He brought the radio, which I heard in this German radio introduction. The Lord inspired me with the words for the radio’s voice introduction above. Later, I worked at the same radio station. 3rd song. “Bakuye Umwami wanjye mu gituro, ariko ntituzi aho bamushyize”. These are also the Bible’s words. This means, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:2 [NOAB]).6Words of Mary when she was at the tomb of Jesus. The Lord inspired me with the voice and words of this short song.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_3]]In my young adulthood, I firmly believed in the Bible as the Word of God, which is why I was afraid of the fire that is reserved for sinners. So, I believed in the reliability of scripture. Since my childhood, I have always believed in the reliability of scripture. Even if the pilgrimage is sometimes complicated, I have continued to believe in the reliability of scripture. The Bible was for my protection because, since my childhood, I have felt a connection to what the Bible says. That’s why I was afraid of eternal fire. I was shaking when pastors preached about the punishment that awaits Satan and sinners. I did my best not to be among those who went straight to this terrible punishment. However, this fear of punishment has not been able to influence me to be saved. I was only in fear of retribution.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_4]]Growing up in age has made me grow up in thought, word, and work, but spiritually, I did not grow up because I was not yet born again, so I had not yet been saved. My growth results are found only in my adolescent and adult years. My encounter with God occurred in July 1987. I was sleeping; it was around 3 AM. I saw a lovely man approaching me. He approached me. When I saw him the first time, he was about 70 Meters or 229.65879 Feet Away. He slowly came and approached me. He had a lamp in his hands when he came before me; he lit the lamp in his hands. When he lit the lamp, I saw a great light spring at the mountain where we were. I saw like I was up in the mountains of Israel, even though I did not get there! He showed me the light and returned where he had come from. Arriving where I had seen him coming, he came back to me, and he did the same thing as before, and he turned at the place of the beginning. He returned for the third time, showed me the same light, and returned from where he came. He did not return to me when he left for the third time. When I saw this, I was asleep, but not in a state of unconsciousness. Then I woke up. I understood that person to be Jesus Christ. I soon realised that I was a sinner and lost. I immediately asked for forgiveness of all my sins and decided to believe in Him as Lord and Saviour. Since that day, my life has changed, and I am proud to serve the Lord throughout my life. My Crisis of Faith and Spiritual Growth
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_5]]Sometimes, the same pastor from outside the school would come to lead our Protestant Sunday service. I was in a crisis of faith because I was studying religion only to have a good grade. Faith needed to be addressed more. I was spiritually cold during school, and the same happened during the vacations. Crises of faith marked the high school period. Fortunately, despite my spiritual situation, God has allowed me to study the Engineering Radio TV program formation in France, with headquarters in Liege, Belgium. I also followed the Emmaus Bible School program in Morsbach, Germany.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_6]]My relationship growth was also damaged because I had terrible company, and therefore, I was hostile to the possibility of making good friends, especially Christian friends. I did practically nothing for the Lord during that period because I was spiritually severely positioned. Instead, I needed someone to help me. Fortunately, as I mentioned above, the Lord rescued me. And he succeeded.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_7]]One of the most important things I cannot forget about this young man is that he gave me the address of Emmaus Bible School in Morsbach, Germany. He asked me to take these courses, which could help me spiritually. I started these courses, but I focused only on getting good grades and earning my diploma. Indeed, I studied seriously for grades, but in fact, I generally understood what these courses were saying; however, they did not change me spiritually. These courses were similar to the biblical courses I had received in the Adventist Church before, which did not change me. I also followed these Adventist courses to get my Diploma. I responded to the questions until I accepted the Sabbath, but did not have faith in it. However, upon returning to these Bible courses at Emmaus in Germany, I found that they had been of great importance, especially the Epistle to the Romans, which helped me understand salvation and faith. I understood who Jesus is and how to believe in Him as Lord and personal Saviour. So, I continued the Emmaus courses, especially the Epistles of Paul. After my salvation in 1987, I gained a deeper understanding of many spiritual things, and I was spiritually enriched at a very young age. Indeed, after my conversion, the Lord had already planned my spiritual food, including this German Emmaus Bible School course. My Spiritual Experience
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_8]]Despite that, I still drank beer some months after my conversion; it did not last because I finally took a few weeks to abandon this negative attitude a little later. To clarify, I did not drink beer directly after my conversion; it took a long time before I drank beer again. From that second abandonment of beer, I have not tried to drink alcohol anymore, and I have overcome the devil by the precious name of Jesus Christ. So, I do not drink alcohol anymore, and I do not even consider it an important thing to do. It is a forgotten affair; now, I hate alcohol with all my heart.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_9]]I was ordained a Pastor in 1991 in the Free Methodist Church. I led a parish until 1994. In 1992, I founded, in collaboration with other pastors and evangelists, a ministry called Movement for Christ in Rwanda, “MPCR.” It started in Rwanda and then in other countries such as Burundi, Congo DRC, and the United States.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_10]]I graduated with a Doctor of Ministry in Theology degree in New York City, United States of America. I earned my PhD in Systematic Theology from OHIO, USA; and a PhD in Educational and Organizational Leadership from National University, in San Diego, California, United States of America. I’m experiencing intellectual growth, and it is exciting to see myself developing in a field that interests me and aligns better with my spiritual aspirations. With my Doctor of Ministry, I will best serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who gives himself to redeem me from eternal death. During my adulthood, especially after being saved through faith in Christ and gaining extensive experience in the Lord's work, I have seen positive growth in my behaviour. I became more beneficial to my family, church, friends, and community, including universities, seminaries, and other institutions. The aspect that positively promoted me in all that is my salvation. My faith in Jesus Christ has had a profound impact on my character, and my behaviour has undergone significant changes for the better, benefiting both myself and society.
[[VOXFOR_PLACEHOLDER_11]]I will harvest at the right time. So, I noticed, probably with others, that I grew up in service day after day. Therefore, there is growth in the service sector. Concluding my spiritual autobiography, I have come to realise that the most important thing to do is to love one another. A relationship with low-income individuals is essential for a fulfilling life. Imitating Jesus Christ and sacrificing for another is the best way to live. To know that if you lose your life, you will find it. I live much more in the present now. I accept myself more fully and no longer strive to be anyone else. I have found a call that brings me great joy. Being a pastor, learning theology, and leading people of God in my Church and ministry brings me great pleasure. To serve the Lord is the highest privilege in a man’s life, and God gave me (like other pastors) that privilege.
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