The Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) announced on Saturday, May 10, 2025, that it had suspended the operations of Grace Room Ministries, citing violations of laws and regulations governing faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Rwanda.
Speaking to The New Times, an RGB official revealed that Grace Room Ministries had "greatly deviated from the objectives it was registered for," prompting the decision to revoke its license.
The official elaborated, “Being a faith-based organization does not automatically grant permission to conduct worship and prayer rituals. Registration requirements and operational mandates differ based on the category. The law defines four distinct types of faith-based organizations.”
Rwandan law recognizes four FBO categories, including churches with permission to conduct worship services and provide religious teachings, and ministries that are limited to developmental activities. Grace Room Ministries was registered under the latter category—a ministry.
RGB clarified, “Churches are allowed to pray, hold worship services, and engage in community development activities. Ministries, however, are confined strictly to developmental projects and prohibited from organizing prayer gatherings.”
Highlighting further deviations, the RGB official stated, “For instance, a church leader must possess theological qualifications to teach religious content, whereas a ministry does not require this. Occasionally using prayer events to gather support for developmental projects is acceptable, but Grace Room Ministries significantly ignored these legal parameters.”
RGB also noted that the ministry breached its mandate by conducting unauthorized large-scale activities, such as a mass baptism ceremony at a swimming pool. Legally, baptisms for churches must occur on designated church property. The official remarked, “If hosting religious activities was their core focus, they should have registered as a church. However, they did not structure their organization accordingly.”
Grace Room Ministries had been functioning under the Jubilee Revival Assembly church, which is led by Stanley Kabanda. Its daily activities, however, were reportedly managed by Pastor Julienne Kabanda, his wife, who was absent from the legally registered leadership recognized by RGB.
The New Times, which first broke this story, attempted to reach Pastor Julienne Kabanda for comment. Unfortunately, she was unavailable at the time of publication.
RGB clarified that the delay in taking action was due to their process of gathering substantial evidence and observing the ministry's daily activities. They explained, “Through careful investigation, we uncovered numerous violations, many of which may not be evident to the public but cause serious consequences for affected individuals.”
The RGB official stressed that enforcement would continue for all FBOs to ensure compliance with the law. They stated, “Any organization found violating the objectives for which it was registered will face strict consequences, including suspension or revocation of its license.”
RGB highlighted unauthorized activities like baptizing over 500 individuals in a swimming pool as a key factor in suspending Grace Room Ministries’ operations.
Recently, Grace Room Ministries organized large-scale prayer gatherings at BK Arena, a venue with a capacity exceeding 10,000 attendees.
Pastor Julienne Kabanda, the founder of Grace Room Ministries, has now lost the legal entity's operational license due to law violations.