GATO MUNYAMASOKO APPOINTED PEACE AND RECONCILIATION SPECIALIST
Mississauga, Ontario – Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) is pleased to announce the appointment of Gato Munyamasoko as National Field Staff, effective immediately. Based in Kampala, Uganda, Gato will serve as CBM’s Peace and Reconciliation Specialist and provide support to CBM’s partners throughout Africa. Gato previously served in Rwanda, formerly as CBM Field Staff and then for the past five years as the General Secretary of the Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda, CBM’s church partner. He concluded that role earlier this year.
In his new role with CBM, Gato will serve alongside Ugandan churches and communities in fostering peace, especially in areas that have a strong refugee presence. In consultation with local leaders, he will develop a training curriculum on peace-building and integral mission, which will benefit CBM’s partners throughout Africa and beyond. He will also mentor and disciple Christian students and professionals through fellowships associated with the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity.
Gato brings to this role a deep passion for peace-building and reconciliation. He has worked with CBM’s partners in Rwanda, South Sudan, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the growing refugee population in East Africa. He has a wealth of experience in pastoral leadership training, conflict resolution, chaplaincy, and has worked alongside leaders in the Great Lakes region to build lasting peace initiatives. Gato has been internationally recognized for his work in this field. In 2015, he was the recipient of the prestigious Baptist World Congress Human Rights Award.
Born in the DRC, Gato grew up in a refugee family – his parents left Rwanda in 1959 to escape the growing bouts of ethnic hatred and violence. Gato’s experience has given him a unique and deeply personal insight into the conflicts and tensions that linger on in the Great Lakes region well after the 1994 genocide.
Says CBM Executive Director Terry Smith, “I have known Gato since 2003 and have been so blessed by his unwavering commitment to peace-building and reconciliation. Over the years, and through his leadership, a new generation of believers in Central Africa have learned to look beyond ethnic and national borders and distinctions and see themselves as God’s children together in mission. We are eager to see how God continues to use Gato in this new ministry, based in Kampala.”
For more information and/or a photo, please contact communications@cbmin.org
