Our Story
It all begins with Rwanda. In 1994, this tiny East African country endured one of the worst genocides in human history. Nearly one million Rwandans were slaughtered in a one hundred day period of tribal violence. In the aftermath of the genocide the Church in Rwanda led a remarkable movement of forgiveness and reconciliation which set the country on the path to renewal. Out of the ashes, new life blossomed. You can discover more about the Rwanda Genocide here.
What does this have to do with us at Christ the Redeemer? In 2000 the Anglican Church of Rwanda heeded the call for help from some within the Episcopal Church of America, and sparked a renewal movement within the world-wide Anglican Communion. Two American priests were consecrated as Missionary Bishops of the Anglican Church of Rwanda (PEAR) and sent into America to replant an orthodox, missional Anglican church. In this way, the ethos and culture of the Rwandan miracle was transplanted onto American soil.
In the mid 2000’s Rwanda was joined by the Anglican Churches of Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and others establishing Missionary Jurisdictions in the USA seeking the renewal of the Church and the evangelization of the nation. The spiritual energy of the Global South began to take root in America.
In 2009, all of these Missionary Jurisdictions came together to form the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), recognized by the Global South as a ‘Province-in-formation’ of the world-wide Anglican Communion.
Christ the Redeemer was founded in 2005 as part of the initial Rwandan missionary venture. Our mission then was clear: We were birthed in Rwanda, planted in North America, and called to bear fruit in our communities for the glory of God. Our call was that we grow into a vibrant, orthodox, missionally-minded community of faith, which desired to give birth to other such communities of faith. We were called to plant a church and spark a movement.
Today, as members of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope (one of the many dioceses of the ACNA) our mission remains the same: to plant, build and equip disciple-making Anglican churches, their people and those who serve them.
By the grace of God, what began with Rwanda continues with Rwanda. We remain in partnership with our brothers and sisters in that great land with a sister-to-sister relationship with Mbyo parish in the Diocese of Kigali; we encourage the sponsorship of children in Rwanda through Compassion Ministries; we support the financial development of the country and the Church through Walk with Rwanda.
At Christ the Redeemer you will find a church that is birthed through the Gospel and who lives within the Story of the Scriptures; one which is passionate about and committed to discipleship, worship, authentic community, and effective mission and service.
We invite you to come and see what God is doing in, among, and through us.