Bishop Manasseh Gahima has been elected the new Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, succeeding Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, who has led the church since 2018.
Bishop Gahima, 56, was elected on Friday, September 11, by the Anglican House of Bishops, which comprises bishops from the church’s 13 dioceses. He currently heads the Diocese of Gahini and serves as President of the Council of Protestant Churches of Rwanda.
Bishop Gahima emerged after defeating Bishop Assiel Musabyimana of the Diocese of Kigeme in the election. The two candidates qualified for the position based on the church’s requirements that candidates must be between 55 and 60 years old and have served as diocesan bishops for at least five years.
His consecration as Archbishop is scheduled to take place on October 25 at Camp Kigali.
Who is Manasseh Gahima?
Bishop Gahima was born on December 12, 1970, to Pheneas Gahima and Donatille Mukarutabana. His family fled Rwanda when he was young, and he grew up in Uganda.
He began his education at Kasonga Primary School in Hoima District before attending Kololo Secondary School and St Andrea Kahwa’s College for his secondary education.
He obtained a Diploma in Secondary Education from the NTC Kakoba Campus of the then Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo in Uganda.
He later earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Umutara Polytechnic, now part of the University of Rwanda.
Bishop Gahima also holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Kabale University and a master’s degree in Theology from Wycliffe University. He subsequently obtained a PhD in theological studies from the same institution in 2018.
Before rising through the ranks of the Anglican Church, Bishop Gahima worked in Rwanda’s local government administration from 1996 and held various positions in the Diocese of Gahini.
He was consecrated Assistant Bishop of Gahini Diocese on May 28, 2017, before becoming the diocese’s second bishop on May 26, 2019.
Bishop Gahima is married to Rose Dusenge Gahima.
Gahini Diocese
The Diocese of Gahini was established in May 1997 after being separated from the former Byumba and Kibungo dioceses. Its Anglican history dates back to 1925, when Christian missionaries established a mission station in Gahini.
Bishop Gahima now succeeds Mbanda, 71, whose tenure began in 2018 and was extended beyond the church’s usual retirement age.
NewTimes
