Background

Long before it became known as the United Methodist Church in Burundi, the church was called the World Gospel Church. As early as 1835, missionaries in Burundi divided the country geographically to enhance their evangelistic efforts. Friends (Quakers) took the central region, while the Free Methodists extended from the mid-southeastern part to the west, and the World Gospel Mission was assigned the east. The World Gospel Mission established its first mission station in Kayero, Rutana Province, in 1938. At that time, Rutana was still a district of Ruyigi Province. The mission later expanded its activities to Buhonga, Murehe, and Murore in eastern Burundi.

Missionaries led the church for four decades. After a long struggle for indigenous leadership, a national was elected and consecrated as Bishop of the World Gospel Church in 1980. To gain international recognition, the church changed its name to the Evangelical Episcopal Church, Burundi. Two years later, it sought to become part of the United Methodist Church.

At the May 1984 General Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, the Evangelical Episcopal Church in Burundi officially joined the United Methodist Church worldwide. In August 1984, the Burundi Annual Conference became part of the Africa Central Conference.

Following a military coup in 1993, Bishop and Mrs. Ndoricimpa lived in exile in Kenya, maintaining close communication with the church in Burundi through fax, telephone, and visitors. The exile community in Kenya opened a hospitality center for Burundi refugees, and Bishop Ndoricimpa took the lead in establishing a Burundi international peace committee. Despite the conflict between Hutu and Tutsi tribes, which resulted in over 200,000 deaths since 1993, the church in Burundi grew and expanded its mission into Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. These areas now form the East Africa Annual Conference.

The United Methodist Church in Burundi is the second-largest religious denomination in the country. With its multi-ethnic leadership and membership, the church has shown that conflict is unnecessary. Former South African President Nelson Mandela played a key role in negotiating an end to the civil war, and both leaders and members of the church continue to actively work for peace in their land.