David Parsons, Birlie Belay and the First Lady of Burundi

By: ICEJ Staff

Recently, ICEJ Vice President & Spokesman David Parsons was accompanied by Israeli-Ethiopian pastor Birlie Belay on a productive ministry trip to Tanzania and Burundi. Besides speaking in dozens of churches across Tanzania, Parsons also met with Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli and encouraged him to move his nation’s embassy to Jerusalem. The ICEJ team was then hosted by the First Lady of Burundi, Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, the only First Lady in Africa who is also an ordained minister. Rev. Nkurunziza invited Parsons to preach at the dedication ceremony for her impressive new 12,000 seat church in the capital city of Bujumburra. Overall, the speaking tour reaffirmed our sense that East Africa is experiencing a great revival which is also marked by a burning love for Israel among the people and their leaders.

PHOTO CAPTION:
David Parsons and Birlie Belay with the First Lady of Burundi, Rev. Denise Nkurunziza.