Bishop
Sadiki & Pastor Colin |
An
audience with Bishop Sadiki
Why
does a bishop of over 100 churches in Central Africa keep coming
back to Tavistock?
King's:
Well Bishop Sadiki, we're very glad to have you in Tavistock and
it's nice to welcome you back to the King's. But you're a Rwandan
by birth and you've grown up in the Congo. Why are you coming
to Tavistock?
Sadiki: I
come to Tavistock because I am a member of the church, of Tavistock
Community Church.
K: You
think of yourself as a member of the church at Tavistock? However
did that happen, because your home is in Rwanda, not Tavistock?
S: But the
vision which I practise in Rwanda and Congo, I catch that vision
from Tavistock church. That makes me think about and practice
the vision; I'm able to catch more vision from Tavistock, from
papa Colin.
K: So
you've come to Tavistock because it helps you see the way forward
for the work you're doing in Rwanda?
S: Yes.
K: How
many years have you been coming to Tavistock now?
S: Now I
think about 10 years and 5 months.
K: Then
that was 3 years after the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. What was
the situation like then in Rwanda when we first started the Tavistock
connection?
S: It was
a very sad time, very tough time in Rwanda. The situation was
very bad where we were, we had no schools, no medicine, no hope
for life. But when we met you, when we begin to work together,
I had some vision to work and go forwards. Now we have schools,
clinics, many churches now across Rwanda. You know that when we
met, we had few people in our church in Kigali, I think between
15 and 30 people.
K: And
what size was your church before the genocide?
S: We didn't
have a lot, between 200 and 300.
K: But
with people dying, and running as refugees, you were left with
15-30 people.
S: Yes.
K: I remember
talking to that little group of people and saying "How many of
you have lost loved ones in your family?" and every person put
their hand up. And I suddenly realised that bereavement, sadness,
the loss of loved ones had touched every person in the church.
And that was the time you felt it was aimless and people were
sad and it was difficult to go forward, and some vision came that
helped to encourage people to start going forwards again.
S: Yes
K: Now
I hear that you've got churches across Rwanda, the Congo, Burundi
and other countries. How did you grow so big so quickly?
S: Before
we met I had a vision but I think it was limited, the vision was
not of faith. I don't know if you remember, but when you came
I had troubles in the church between tribes, Hutu ands Tutsi,
and people left from the tribes. We had troubles and fighting
between people, but when we came here God told us to have the
Family of God, to accept everybody like he is, Hutu and Tutsi
together. And we began with few people, the Family of God, and
that vision grew and people understood the vision and a lot of
them came to join.
K: That's
good. So you found a love and acceptance at the King's at Tavistock
that encouraged you, is that what you're saying?
S: Yes.
K: Have
the people at the King's been out to see you in Rwanda?
S: Yes, you
come many times to see me and to encourage me in the ministry.
Every year!
K: And
others as well?
S: Yes. Pastor
David (Palmer), Mama Joy, Ken, Chris, the girls last year - many
have come to visit.
K: As
well as working with churches, I understand that you're helping
with schools and clinics and other things. Is that right?
S: Yes.
K: What
happened in the Congo? Did you have a clinic there?
S: Yes, we
had a clinic in the Congo, Bukavu. But the war destroyed the building,
and I know that you gave us money to repair and after repairing
we waiting for stuff to come from Tavistock to start again. We're
sorry for that because you help us and we have war many times
to destroy things and rebuild again, we're sorry for that.
K: Now
for the future in Rwanda and these other countries, Tanzania,
Burundi, Congo, perhaps Uganda - do you have a hope that you're
looking for in these countries and the work that you're doing?
S: Yes, I
think so. We ought to believe in Jesus.
K: Is
the work growing?
S: The work
is growing.
K: And
is this a denomination or is this a Jesus-focussed work?
S: We do
have a denomination because we must have addresses for the churches,
but the confederation of churches which we represent, we don't
work for denominations, we are open to all churches to work together
before Jesus, before God.
K: How
can Tavistock the town and how can the church at the King's help
you more?
S: We need
you more to visit us often and we still need you in many directions
- the supplies to help the clinics and the schools, the fellowship
and friendship, people that pray and are interested, we need very
much.
K: Well,
thank you bishop Sadiki, it's been good to have you with us. We
trust that we'll continue taking interest, people will pray and
will answer your desire to see more of us to come out and see
you in Rwanda. But God bless you and give you strength.
S: Thank
you very much. I am very glad to be here because Tavistock is
really in my heart, and when I go home and I'm back in Rwanda
I have good memory of this town and I like it. God bless you.
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