Laurent Mbanda

The Most Reverend Laurent Mbanda
Primate of Rwanda Bishop of Gasabo Chairman of GAFCON
Church	Anglican Church of Rwanda
Diocese	Gasabo
In office	2018–present
Predecessor	Onesphore Rwaje
Other post(s)	Chairman of GAFCON, 2023–present; Bishop of Shyira, 2010–2018
Orders
Consecration	May 2010 by Emmanuel Kolini
Personal details
Born	(1954-10-25) October 25, 1954 (age 70)

Laurent Mbanda (born 25 October 1954)[1] is a Rwandan Anglican bishop. He was the bishop of the Diocese of Shyira when he was elected the fourth archbishop and primate of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda on 17 January 2018,[1] being enthroned on 10 June 2018.

Ecclesiastical career

He was born in Rwanda but spent a large part of his childhood in Burundi. He graduated at the Kenya Highlands Bible College, in Kericho, Kenya, before returning to Burundi, where he was ordained an Anglican priest. He moved to the United States in 1984, where he completed course work for an M.A. in Missiology at the Fuller Theological Seminary's School of World Missions, in Pasadena, United States, a Master of Arts in Christian Education at Denver Seminary and a PhD at Trinity International University, in Deerfield, Illinois.[2]

He was consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Shyira in March 2010. He was elected the fourth archbishop and primate of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda on 17 January 2018, among five candidates, during the meeting the House of Bishops at St. Étienne Cathedral, in Kigali, and his enthronement took place on 10 June.[3][4]

Archbishop of Rwanda Laurent Mbanda (second from right) consecrates the Church of the Redeemer (ACNA) in Highwood, Illinois, in 2019.

He has been a longtime supporter of GAFCON, since he attended the first Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem in June 2008.[5] He attended GAFCON III, in Jerusalem, from 17-22 June 2018.[6] In 2019, Mbanda was elected vice chairman of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.[7] In April 2023, Mbanda hosted the fourth quinquennial GAFCON event in Kigali, at which he was elected chairman of the Primates Council of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans.[8]

He published Committed to Conflict: The Destruction of the Church in Rwanda (1997), co-written with Steve Wamberg, about the Rwandan genocide, and his autobiography, From Barefoot to Bishop (2017).

Views on church-state relations in Rwanda

In his book Committed to Conflict Mbanda wrote:

The Hebraic model of theocracy, which would link spiritual leaders with political power, failed to become reality in Rwanda, but made a significant impact on the political leadership. Church leaders in Africa, and elsewhere, have to be careful to avoid combining religious and political functions. Church and mission leaders must watch the relationship between church and state, as these can be dangerous for the Church. In Rwanda they have demonstrated patterns of manipulation within the Church, and the abuse of governmental relationships by the Church.[9]

Views on politics

Mbanda defended the UK-Rwanda asylum plan saying that "Rwanda is ready to welcome people needing a home".[10]

Personal life

Mbanda is married to Chantal; they had three children. Their son Edwin Mbanda died unexpectedly in his sleep at the age of 33 in Philadelphia on April 18, 2023, during the GAFCON conference that his father was hosting in Kigali.[11]

References

1. "Musenyeri Laurent Mbanda yatorewe kuyobora itorero ry' Abangilikani mu Rwanda". Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda (in Kinyarwanda). 17 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
2. Archbishop-elect Laurent Mbanda "humbled" by the opportunity to serve Church in Rwanda, Anglican Communion News Service, January 19, 2018
3. Dr. Mbanda Is New Anglican Church Archbishop, KT Press, January 17, 2018
4. "Day of Jubilation" as new Primate enthroned for Province de L'Église Anglicane au Ruanda, Anglican Communion News Service, 11 June 2018
5. Bishop Laurent Mbanda elected Primate of Rwanda, GAFCON Official Website, January 19, 2018
6. GAFCON III largest pan-Anglican gathering since Toronto Congress of 1963, Anglican Ink, 20 June 2018
7. "Primates announce Bishops' 2020 conference". GAFCON. 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
8. Conger, George (April 22, 2023). "New GAFCON chairman elected". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
9. Mbanda, Laurent; Wamberg, Steve (1997). Committed to Conflict : The Destruction of the Church in Rwanda. London: SPCK Publishing. ISBN 9780281050161.
10. "UK asylum plan defended by Rwandan Anglican archbishop". BBC News. 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2022-06-19.
11. Ku, Hudson (April 18, 2023). "Archbishop Mbanda's son dies at 33". New Times. Retrieved 22 April 2023.

Anglican Communion titles
Preceded by Onesphore Rwaje	Archbishop of Rwanda Bishop of Gasabo 2018–present	Incumbent
Preceded by John Rucyahana	Bishop of Shyira 2010–2018	Succeeded by Samuel Mugisha
Religious titles
Preceded by Foley Beach	Chairman of GAFCON 2023–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Stanley Ntagali	Vice Chairman of GAFCON 2019–2023	Succeeded by Miguel Uchôa Kanishka Raffel