This archive report was first published on 8 October 2019.
On October 7, 2019, the Rwandan government deported American pastor Greg Schoop, citing him as a prohibited immigrant.
The deportation comes after Schoop's Amazing Grace radio station had its license revoked by the Rwanda Media Commission following a sermon that sparked widespread outrage.
The sermon, which was aired on the radio station, described women as evil and prostitutes, sparking accusations of hate speech from women's rights activists.
Regis Gatarayiha, the Director-General of Emigration and Immigration, stated that Schoop was deported and sent back to his country.
Earlier, Schoop had been arrested and charged with 'disturbing public order' after he refused to pay a fine of Ksh. 223,000 (2 million Rwandan francs) and air a retraction and apology.
The pastor's deportation is part of a broader crackdown on rogue clergy in Rwanda, with the government requiring pastors to have a degree in theology before opening a church and imposing strict building codes.
Over 700 churches have been shut down in the country, with the government citing 'alarming proliferation of places of worship in dilapidated and unhygienic conditions, as well as troubling behavior of unscrupulous individuals masquerading as religious leaders.'
