Jean de Dieu Nzeyimana and Pauline Mukeshimana
Reverend Jean de Dieu Nzeyimana is married to Pauline Mukeshimana and together they are blessed with two children, Moses Icyishaka and Grace Ishimwe. Jean and Pauline are dedicated to serving the Lord wherever He will send them, and in response to His call, they currently serve the people of God in the migrant communities of Louisville, Kentucky and people in Rwanda through Gate of Hope Ministries International.
Pauline Mukeshimana grew up in a Bible believing Church, and graduated from Mudende University with a B.A. in Education in 1991 before moving to Kenya and completing her M.Div. at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in 1999. In September 2001, Jean and Pauline moved to Portland, Oregon to further their studies at Western Seminary, where Pauline completed her Doctorate in Missiology with an emphasis in Intercultural Studies in 2005. In June 2016, Pauline and their daughter, Grace, became citizens of the United States.
Reverend Nzeyimana joined the Church as an adult, and has since longed for a deeper understanding of the Word of God. Although he had prior degrees in Mathematics and in criminology, he attended Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, where, in 2001, he graduated with degrees in both Biblical and Religious Studies, and in Community Development. At Western Seminary, Jean earned an M.A. in Christian Education in 2003. The family then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Jean de Dieu attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, graduating with a M.Div. in 2007.
While attending the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jean learned about the migrant community from East and Central Africa, and begun serving them through translating, interpreting, and generally helping them meet their physical and spiritual needs. Pauline was already involved in helping widows and orphans in Rwanda, organizing conference and seminars for women in leadership in Rwanda. In 2007, Gate of hope Ministries International received its non profit organization status and was focusing on meeting the physical needs. As days went by, the family was convinced that God wants them to meet the spiritual needs of those people they were already serving. Jean de Dieu began his pastoral work by serving in the evangelization department at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Louisville, and then as an associate pastor at ECWA. In 2009, ECWA leaders supported the family in starting the Second Evangelical Church Winning All.
… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of ages. Mathew 28: 18- 20
Dr. Mukeshimana says, “I was born and raised in a pastor’s home. I received Christ as my savior at my early age and decided that I was to marry a lay Christian and serve God as a lay couple without being in a full time ministry. God had a plan but He provided me with a husband who met my requirements at that time. In 1990 as I was finishing a Bachelor Degree in Education from Mudende University in Rwanda and enjoying life with my husband, the war broke out. It culminated in genocide in 1994 shortly before I finished my Master’s Degree in Psychology and Pedagogy. Although some of us made it to Kenya, my son, my father-in-law, two brothers-in-law and many other family members and friends were among those killed during the war and the ensuing genocide. God used those circumstances to prepare us as a family to share His heart and respond to His call of serving His children that are in distress.”
While in Kenya, Pastor Jean de Dieu started all over again with his education. He joined Daystar University and graduated in 2001 with a double major in Biblical Studies and Community Development. His wife joined Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in 1996 and graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 1999. They both served in the Rwandan fellowship that reached out to the Rwandan refugees who had just arrived to Nairobi during that period. Dr. Pauline and few of her friends met with women refugees and prayed together, listened to their stories and encouraged each other as they shared information about where to get help in order to meet their basic needs. In 1996-1998 the Rwanda refugee camps in the neighboring countries were destroyed and people were forced to go back home where they became refugees in their own country. In the meanwhile, Dr. Pauline was traveling back and forth from Nairobi to Kigali to encourage women to share their stories and teach them marketable skills.
It has been nearly twenty years since the war and genocide started. My country is still bleeding from the war. Today, we still have heartbroken widows and orphans from both genocide and HIV/AIDS. Today, a great number of men remain in prisons. Their wives live as widows and their children as orphans.
The Nzeyimana family learned from our Lord and Master Jesus Christ the healing power of forgiveness and the peace and freedom we gain from loving and striving for reconciliation. That is the message they convey as they serve God through Gate of Hope Ministries International. In 2001 God sent Jean and Pauline to the States for further studies. Pauline graduated in 2005 with a Doctorate in Missiology and Pastor Jean de Dieu graduated with Masters both in Divinity and in Christian Education.
Gate of HopeMinistries Intl. became a 501 ( c ) 3 in 2008, and Pastor Jean de Dieu serves as the Executive Director while his wife serves as a Program Director.