Thousands of Christians gathered in Rwanda’s Amahoro National Stadium Saturday for the launch of a global initiative to tackle five of the largest problems facing the world today.

The Global P.E.A.C.E. Plan, which mega-church pastor Rick Warren officially unveiled in April at the 25th anniversary of his Lake Forest, California-based church in the US, intends to mobilise more than 10,000 believers in the next three years to tackle the five pervasive problems that affect billions of people – spiritual darkness, lack of servant leaders around the world, poverty, disease, and ignorance.

At Saturday’s launch in Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali, Warren said much as the world had struggled to overcome these problems to no avail, the church, which he described as a major ingredient has been sidelined. According to the Kigali-based New Times news agency, Warren said in his plan, he would advocate for greater partnership between the church, businesses and governments.

Warren also said he was confident the Global Peace Plan would spread from Rwanda to all parts of the world, caring about those in need.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame, who invited Warren a year ago to come to Rwanda and help build a purpose-driven Rwandan church and society, extended his gratitude to Warren for choosing to launch the Global Peace Plan from his country.

Kagame said lack of spiritual guidance was responsible for the 1994 Rwanda Genocide that left an estimated 800,000 people massacred in just three months, and called on religions to assume greater role in the country's reconstruction, reconciliation and healing processes.

"The Church is strategic because it involves people of all ages and social class. We are hopeful that our local church leaders will borrow a leaf from Pastor Warren," the President said, according the New Times.

"Rwanda is committed to the Peace Plan. There is no room for failure any more," Kagame added.

Earlier, Warren met with Kagame, cabinet ministers, business leaders and the clergy, and their discussions centered mainly on how to make do their work with purpose. Warren’s crew included his wife and 46 other members.





Kenneth Chan