GABRIEL HATEGET'-IMANA NDABANANIYE
Gabriel has joined us at Central for a while and will be helping us in three areas:
- Coordinating contact between the different churches that meet on Central Baptist premises
- Arranging a conference for Fathers particularly from the Black community to look at best practice in parenting skills
- Setting up an evangelism team that will share the gospel with those who flock into Leicester each week.
Gabriel has penned a profile which is shown below:
I was born in Congo on 29th December 1955.
I trained initially as an electronics engineer in Zaire (Congo RDC) but my pastoral and ministerial skills were recognised by the evangelical church who sent me to Belgium for further training as a pastor, culminating in my becoming B.A as a Pastor / Missionary at a Bible Institute in Belgium in 1988. Then I went on to study for a further 3 years in Belgium to gain a master Degree in Protestant Theology in 1992. Two factors prevented my return to Zaire, the first being the deteriorating political situation, I am Tutsi. Secondly, my first wife died in 1986 and I met my present wife (Patricia), who is a British national, while she was working for the Belgium Evangelical Mission in Brussels. I subsequently returned to her home town of Leicester where we are established. I was granted British Nationality in 1999.
My Belgium ministerial qualifications are not recognised in United Kingdom so I have not been able to seek a pastorate within the Baptist denomination. I have sought to use my ministerial and pastoral skills in assisting in the development of ministries for French speaking people in London and Leicester. I have felt called for many years to work full-time in Christian ministry and feel that my experience of industry, languages and pastoral skills would be ideally used to support overseas settle in Leicestershire.
I am an enthusiastic, self motivated mature and experienced and tested lay pastor with good inter-personal skills and able to relate well to people of different age groups and background. Previous experience includes; work experience as Evangelist, and part time minister while studying part time for degree in theology, voluntary work and secular employment.
I used to run and prepare Bible studies and lead small group in Leicester's French community. I speak fluently French, Swahili, Lingala and English. I have offered pastoral leadership and support to a number of African churches in the UK including churches in London and Leicester. Leading a small team in direct evangelism and working with young people are my concern for also my particular concern for the well being of families.