Congregations worship in the shadows. A latch clicks. Sandals shuffle over tile. When the hymn begins, it comes out more mouthed than sung so the sound won’t climb the stairwell.
More than 7,700 churches remain shuttered following the Rwandan government’s August 2024 mass inspection of prayer houses. The government’s tightening regulations have not only burdened churches and driven some underground—by requiring extensive pastoral training and inspecting church facilities from toilets to noise levels—but also produced a chilling effect on pastors’ speech.
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