Pastor Jean Hakiza, originally from Rwanda and a Tutsi genocide survivor, credits God for his resilience and current position. "The Lord saved me," he explains. "I promised to work for Him wherever I am called to go."
One such pastor, Jean Hakiza, is making significant sacrifices to effectively minister to two congregations in the Lake Region Conference, serving primarily Congolese and Rwandan refugees.
Since the establishment of the North American Division’s Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries in 2009, the number of refugee language groups has doubled, and congregations have tripled. Membership in these congregations has grown from 2,087 to over 9,960, alongside a remarkable eight-fold increase in both annual baptisms and tithe collections. Terri Saelee, coordinator of the ministry for the North American Division, emphasizes that these refugee language groups have become the driving force behind growth in the church over the last 15 years. "These groups are responsible for most of the growth in the North American Division," Saelee notes.
Despite this explosive growth, conferences face challenges in hiring qualified pastors fluent in English, leading to the increased reliance on part-time pastors like Hakiza, who is employed full-time elsewhere. Hakiza, originally from Rwanda and a Tutsi genocide survivor, credits God for his resilience and current position. "The Lord saved me," he explains. "I promised to work for Him wherever I am called to go."
Since graduating from the Seventh-day Theological Seminary at Andrews University in 2008, Hakiza works as a supervisor in the Custodial Services department at Andrews University. With a heart for pastoral ministry, he began volunteering at the Bethel Community Church in Lansing, Michigan.
In June 2022, he started balancing his custodial duties at Andrews while serving as part-time pastor of the Goshen Kinyarwanda Church in Indianapolis and the Berean Kinyarwanda Church in Lansing, Michigan. He manages to serve approximately 200 worshippers at Goshen and 130-150 at Berean on alternating Sabbaths, commuting four to six hours round trip every weekend. His typical Sabbath begins very early in the morning, around 5:30 a.m., and he often returns home around midnight after providing pastoral care, including visits to the sick. "That is a personal challenge," Hakiza admits, highlighting the demands of his dual roles. But his pastoral role is the one he most relishes.
To support his ministry, the Lake Union and North American Division have collaborated with the Lake Region Conference to provide Hakiza with a stipend, although he remains part-time. Saelee notes, "Pioneer workers like Hakiza work with much sacrifice, but it means the world to the churches." Such partnerships typically last for three years and aim to sustain the vital connection between pastors and their communities.
While the part-time scenario is only designed to assist churches for a relatively short time, Carmelo Mercado, Lake Union vice president for multiethnic ministries said that one of the goals of the recently established multicultural committee at the union is to “help the refugee and immigrant churches through a strategy that includes applying for additional funding and providing the church members with stewardship training contextualized in their culture.”
Hakiza expressed hope for a soon transition to full-time pastoral status, citing concerns about the wear and tear on his vehicle from extensive travel. "I have reported this to the conference officers, and they told me they're trying to see how they can give me full-time status," he shares.
Lake Region Conference’s Multilingual Ministries Coordinator Eddie Allen acknowledged Hazika’s sacrifice, as well as the growth in both churches he pastors. “It’s amazing,” said Allen. “We are praying and intentionally looking for the opportunity as budget allows to bring him on as a paid fulltime pastor.”
In the meantime, Hakiza’s resilience and commitment reflect the dedication of many pastors serving refugee populations despite numerous challenges. "I know that God has a plan for us,” Hakiza concludes, underscoring the hope and faith that drive his ministry and inspire those in his care.
David Pluviose has worked as a journalist and served as a volunteer lay pastor. He is now enrolled in the master of divinity program at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University.
