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Over the past two months, authorities have closed more than 7,000 churches across Rwanda for failing to comply with health, safety, and noise regulations. As CT has previously reported: President Paul Kagame welcomed the shutdowns but was stunned at the scale: \u201c700 churches in Kigali?\u201d he said during a government dialogue in March. \u201cAre these boreholes that give people water? I don\u2019t think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories? This has been a mess!\u201d The government isn\u2019t clamping down only on what it deems to be issues of physical safety. Current laws allow Rwandans to open churches without requiring pastors to go through any training. A new law specific to faith-based organizations will require potential pastors to get a theology degree before they plant a church. Many Christian leaders aren\u2019t bothered by these increased regulations, including Charles Mugisha, the founder and chancellor of Africa College of Theology. \u201cThe government gets irritated when you start preaching the type of American prosperity gospel which many African preachers are learning from American television and YouTube,\u201d said Mugisha, who also is also a pastor and the leader of the nonprofit African New Life. \u201cThe government becomes protective of its citizens if a church or preacher begins to manipulate it.\u201d Mugisha joined associate digital media producer Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss why he believes the government is closing churches for good reasons, how Rwanda\u2019s excruciating genocide affected its faith, and how he became friends with Saddleback pastor Rick Warren.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices