His Excellency Paul Kagame, the president of the Republic of Rwanda, and Ted N.C. Wilson, president of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, recently unveiled the new East-Central Africa Division (ECD) School of Medicine. 

Eustace Pennicook, founding dean of the medical school, highlighted the four phases of the school and explained to the attendees the first phase that has been completed. This phase is composed of four main parts, including a science complex which contains nine laboratories and smart classrooms, a modern cafeteria building, an updated complex for student dormitories and a modern guest house area. 

Blasious Ruguri, president of the Adventist Church in East Africa, thanked Kagame who promptly fulfilled his promise of providing a paved road that gives easier access to the campus. Ruguri shared the school of medicine was a project beyond local financial capacities. He thanked the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for the 2016 13thSabbath offering that was funneled to this project. He also thanked church members from 11 countries throughout the region, whose leaders were present. Each one contributed to the school and many others also extended their generosity. He expressed the need for land on which to extend other facilities for the school, mainly a training hospital.

Wilson congratulated the newly established institution and thanked Kagame for supporting the Seventh-day Adventist Church through infrastructure and religious freedom. He further commended Kagame for the confidence he had in the Seventh-day Adventist Church when he urged them to take on the project of a medical school. 

“What a privilege to be part of inaugurating the East-Central Africa Division medical school in Kigali, Rwanda---the seventh in the world church,” said Wilson.  “This medical school will be a tremendous blessing to east-central Africa as students obtain a quality medical education and combine it with a spiritual emphasis in a ‘blended ministry.’”

Wilson challenged ECD leadership to not only display splendid buildings but to strive for quality education inside them. He prayed for heavenly blessings upon the school and the country of Rwanda, reminding that pride and arrogance should have no room in successful projects. 

“God will use this medical school and its graduates as they follow in the footsteps of the Master Physician to further Comprehensive Health Ministry as the right arm of the Gospel in preparing people physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually for Christ’s soon coming,” said Wilson. 

Kagame, who was accompanied by his wife Janet, commended the Adventist Church for making health a pillar of evangelism and development. He further saluted the Adventists in Rwanda for contributing to the development of the country for 100 years. Regarding the medical school, he thanked the Church for being an honest partner with the government of Rwanda. He promised to provide land and money to build a training hospital for the medical school.

The brand new ECD medical school is hosted by the Adventist University of Africa (AUCA) on Masoro Campus in the city of Kigali. It becomes the second of its kind on the African continent and the seventh in the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide.