By Our Reporter
The Rwandan government is considering imposing taxes on church collections, an initiative spearheaded by President Paul Kagame. The primary concern is that some evangelical leaders may be exploiting their congregations through their religious influence.
Rwandan journalist Athan Tashobya highlighted this controversial decision, explaining that several factors contributed to taxing church offerings.
These include growing concerns about exploitative practices, the lack of proper theological education for preachers, inadequate health and safety measures in places of worship, and the rise of cult-like behaviours within certain groups, a trend Tashobya notes is also evident in neighbouring countries.
“I think about four years ago, there was a growing number of cults not just in our region but across the area where people would go into caves, go on hunger strikes, and wait for the coming of Jesus and all that. The message itself was a bit controversial.”
“Then the government made a proposal that every church leader should have at least a degree in theology, and they were given about three to four years to complete the training. They were told that if they didn’t do that, their churches would be closed.”
The Closing of Thousands of Churches
Another contributing factor is the expectation that religious institutions, like churches, should assist the community. However, the government accuses them of doing the opposite, exploiting their congregants for financial gain and prioritising wealth accumulation over their social and moral responsibilities.
Despite the agreement that religious institutions signed with the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), the regulatory body for religious organisations, which mandates them to engage in meaningful outreach programs, such as feeding schemes and supporting other social initiatives, many churches have neglected these obligations.
According to Tashobya, this failure to contribute meaningfully to the community, combined with unqualified preachers and a disregard for safety and legal standards, has resulted in the closure of 8,000 churches nationwide.
“If you’re a church and you’ve been operating for 10, 15 years and you haven’t done that, it’s seen as a breach of the contract itself that you have with the Rwanda Governance Board, which manages non-governmental organisations. That is also seen as exploitation of the community, and that’s where the issue of justifying the proposal of setting up a taxation regime on NGOs, including churches, is justified.”
Tashobya confirmed that the bill to tax church collections is still under consideration and is anticipated to be drafted by the Rwandan government cabinet before being submitted to Parliament for review.
“If you’re a church, you’re required to have a community outreach. If you’re not doing that, it’s seen as exploitation after a certain period. That’s where that issue comes in. But also encouraging the church leaders to study so that they understand what they’re preaching to people and not be the so-called prophets of doom.”
“So there’s an understanding that, if you’re a church leader and you’re not exactly within the laws of setting up an NGO—that is, the church in this case—you’re not doing what the law says, and that is where the argument comes in. But, of course, it’s a controversial debate.”
