Celebrating 20 Years of a Faithful STEP Partnership
This year marks 20 years since a partnership began between McLaurin Community Baptist Church and Webster Community Baptist Church in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and a Baptist church in Butare, Rwanda through CBM’s STEP initiative.
What began with a single visit in May 2006 has grown into a lasting relationship marked by friendship, service, and mutual encouragement.
That first visit brought a team from the two Grande Prairie churches to Rwanda to explore the possibility of building a relationship with a local church. The Association of Baptist Churches in Rwanda (AEBR) directed them to the Southern Province, in the region of Butare, where they attended a church service and spent several days with the pastor and church elders.
At the time, Andre Sibomana was a university student and was invited by Regional Pastor Rev. Enias to serve as a translator during the visit.
Looking back, Andre reflects:
The Spirit convinced Pastor Bill, his wife Sandy, and two elders, Tedd Wood and Darrell Knapp to start the relationship with the Baptist church in Butare, even if no one knew where it would be landing.”
Over the past two decades, that relationship has continued to develop.
At least 65 church members from Grande Prairie have travelled to Rwanda, with several individuals making the journey four times. Together, they have preached, provided training for pastors and their wives, worked alongside church members on church buildings and classrooms, built homes for people experiencing homelessness, and visited CBM-funded projects. Those visits have also encouraged the two Canadian churches to continue supporting CBM’s ministry and its global field staff.
The partnership has also become transgenerational, with parents inviting younger generations to take part in the relationship and experience it for themselves.
Just as importantly, the exchange of church life and ministry has strengthened both communities. Andre shared,
The exchange of church life experience has been encouraging both sides and led to spiritual growth on both sides.”
The first 20th anniversary celebration took place in Canada this June. A second celebration will be held in Rwanda this August, when a team of 15 people from Grande Prairie will spend two weeks serving alongside the Rwandan church.
Reflecting on the journey, Andre simply says:
God is good. ALL the Time.”
