A law has been passed in Burundi which limits the number of churches that can be set up.
The African nations government agreed a bill that means for a Christian denomination to be recognised it must have at least 500 members and a proper building.
There are currently around 557 denominations of the faith in Burundi which is partly down to the increase of Evangelical churches during the long civil war which ended in 2005.
Once the bill officially becomes law churches would have a year to comply or face being shut down.
An international church would need to have 1,000 followers before it could set up in the country.
In recent years the country has seen scandals involving some preachers who are accused of manipulating followers.
It's reported in one case a preacher told women who were unable to have children they would conceive if they slept with him.
The bill is expected to face no opposition from the president who has to approve it.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
