The Rev. Brian Anderson, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, is currently on a Pastoral Visit to Africa. He is visiting Rwanda where the Leoni Family are serving with the Methodist Missionary Society. Ella Leoni is working in the local hospital and clinics as a physiotherapist, especially with children who have a disability, while her husband is working with homeless children. 

While in Rwanda the President hopes to visit the Genocide Memorial Gardens seeking to understand the tragic events of 21 years ago and to learn how the people have worked at reconciliation.

The President will move to Kenya where he will represent the British Methodist Conference at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the Methodist Church in Kenya. The theme of this Conference will be “Making Choice” based on Joshua 24:13–14. During the Conference the Rev Anderson has been invited to address the Ministerial Session as well as
addressing the full Conference.

Commenting before he left Dublin Airport the President said

“I am looking forward to meeting Bishop Samuel Kaynamura and learnig from him about the Free Methodist Church in Rwanda. I am also looking forward to meeting with the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya the Rev Joseph Ntombura and discover how as a Church they are witnessing to the people of Kenya.”

The Conference ends on 27th August. and he hopes to visit some projects in Nairobi sponsored by the Church.

On his visit the President will be accompanied by his wife Lesley and his son and daughter Michael and Nicola.