New Chaplain Describes Her Role as Enriching

Fighting Her Wars with the Bible

With just seven months in the role of University Chaplain, Rev. Maudy Muchanyereyi says that the assignment still feels like an adventure.

Muchanyereyi, who earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Africa University in 2005, returned to serve as chaplain in January 2019. She is the first female chaplain in the institution’s 27-year history.

“Working with the young people and helping to shape them through (spiritual) guidance, counseling and mentoring is so enriching in my personal Christian journey,” said Muchanyereyi.

As a teenager in high school in the mid-1990s, Muchanyereyi recalled being haunted by a dream in which people were enlisting in the army in preparation for war. In the dream, she joined the queue to enlist. But, when her name was called and she stepped forward, instead of being handed a gun as others were, she was given a bible and told that she would fight her battles with it. It

took several years of counseling and mentoring before she accepted God’s calling.

Muchanyereyi’s call story and journey convinced her of the importance of campus-based ministry. She describes interacting with the students, faculty members and administrators as she seeks to deepen and grow the spiritual life experiences of the Africa University campus community as humbling.

“I have learned to always have an open mind, to accept all and not to judge, to advise and trust (staff and students) to make their own decisions,” said Muchanyereyi. “The diversity here has opened my eyes to the wider experiences of life, and I can’t imagine experiencing this anywhere but at Africa University.”

On the cusp of her second semester as chaplain, Muchanyereyi is excited about what is ahead and confident that she is right where she needs to be.