Welcome to
MAHANAIM
REVIVAL CHURCH
A place of worship, prayer, and transformation — from Nashville, Tennessee to the Nations.
A place of worship, prayer, and transformation — from Nashville, Tennessee to the Nations.
People of God called to proclaim the Gospel of Christ — through worship, witnessing, and ministry to the needs of people in our church and community worldwide.
Mahanaim is a Biblical Hebrew name meaning "Two Camps" or "Camp in the Camp" — signifying that Jacob camped his tent in the midst of the heavenly army's camp. Jacob named this place while in deep distress, fearing his brother Esau. In that moment of vulnerability, the Angels of God visited him, comforted him, and blessed him. It was at Mahanaim that Jacob's name was changed to Israel — a turning point of transformation and divine encounter with God.
In Joshua 21:38, Mahanaim became a City of Refuge — a place where people found safety, intercession, and forgiveness. These cities represented Christ Himself: a refuge for all who run to Him. In II Samuel, King David took refuge at Mahanaim when fleeing his son Absalom, and from there he reclaimed his throne — a picture of God's restorative power and faithfulness that continues forever.
By seeing the conditions of our first members and the situation in which Mahanaim Church was born, we found a deep connection to these Biblical stories. Sometimes we find ourselves in deep distress — thinking we have been forgotten by God — while in truth, that very situation is our Mahanaim: the place God has prepared for us to take refuge in Him, receive His blessings, and be fully transformed.
We have blessings in Jesus Christ and life-changing encounters with God.
Gen 32:1–2 · Eph 1:3–9We serve God Most High and become a right connection between Christ and people.
Joshua 21:38 · Rom 10:14–15We are at the place where God wants us to be, so He may fulfill His noble plans.
Jeremiah 29:11At Mahanaim, we regain both Physical and Spiritual Life — fully restored in Christ.
II Samuel 24:27Every ministry is a hand extended — to the lost, the hurting, the young, the faithful. Find your place to serve.
Passionate worship and intercession that usher in the presence of God. We believe praise transforms lives and communities.
Deep, Spirit-led study of God's Word. Weekly sessions equip believers to stand firm and grow in faith and knowledge.
Strengthening homes and families through the principles of God's Word — building marriages, parenting, and relationships on solid ground.
Raising the next generation of Kingdom champions. Our youth programs inspire young people to live boldly for Christ.
Empowering women to become active members of the Church, rooted in faith and committed to upholding its values and mission.
Taking the Gospel beyond walls — community service, evangelism, and international missions that transform lives for eternity.
Regional pastors' seminars equipping church leaders through practical training, spiritual renewal, and community transformation.
Serving those in need with food, counsel, and support. We believe love is not just spoken — it is demonstrated through action.
Godly leaders who have dedicated their lives to serving Christ and building His Kingdom — from Uganda to the nations.
Visionary founder of MA.R.I.M., established in 2005 at Kyaka II Refugee Camp, Uganda. Led the ministry from under a tree to Nashville, Tennessee, transforming countless lives through the power of God's Word.
Co-founder of MA.R.I.M. Church who served alongside Bishop Rukesha in Uganda and joined him in establishing the church in Nashville, Tennessee in November 2016. A faithful servant of God and pillar of this ministry.
From a tree shade in a refugee camp to the heart of Nashville, Tennessee — this is the story of God's faithfulness through Bishop Joseph Rukesha and the people of Mahanaim.
Mahanaim Revival International Ministries (MA.R.I.M.) was established in 2005 at Kyaka II Refugee Camp in the Republic of Uganda. Founded by the Visionary Bishop Dr. Joseph N. Rukesha — himself a refugee — the ministry began as a small counselling outreach. Surrounded by people who had lost family members, homes, and hope, Bishop Rukesha felt a deep burden. People were harming themselves, falling into drug use, and losing the will to live. With zeal and compassion, he began approaching the hopeless and rebuilding their faith through the living Word of God.
As hearts were touched and lives transformed, people began gathering daily under a tree shade for fellowship and prayer. The congregation grew so rapidly that members built a small tent. When that was no longer enough, a local structure was constructed — enlarged year after year as more people joined. The fellowship declared itself a Church, able to officiate burials, marriages, and the Lord's Supper. MA.R.I.M. became a living source of water, spreading across many Ugandan districts and crossing the border into the Republic of Kenya, where new church branches were established.
In 2015, through the UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Program, Bishop Dr. Joseph N. Rukesha was brought to Nashville, Tennessee. In November 2016, together with his fellow minister Reverend Pastor Ruhimbya Mirama — who had served alongside him in Uganda — they established MA.R.I.M. Church in Nashville. Their focus: African communities who were non-English-speaking and could not attend American churches due to language barriers. These men of God gathered those communities and worshipped together in African local languages, making the Gospel accessible to all.
In 2019, MA.R.I.M. Church was officially recognized as a non-profit organization with its 501(c)(3) approval — a milestone confirming God's faithfulness from a tree in a refugee camp to a recognized ministry in the United States of America. The mission continues: reaching the lost, restoring hope, and transforming lives for the Kingdom of God.
Rooted in the Word of God, these are the foundational beliefs that guide everything we do at Mahanaim Revival International Ministries.
We believe the Bible — both Old and New Testaments — is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. The sixty-six books are God's complete and divine revelation, the final authority for faith and life.
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — co-equal in power, glory, nature, and perfection.
We believe Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man through the Virgin Mary, died for our sins, and rose again. Today He is alive, seated at the right hand of the Father, acting as our High Priest.
We believe the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, regenerates sinners, and transforms believers into the image of Christ — baptizing them into the body of Christ and giving gifts for the edification of the church.
Salvation is received by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It cannot be earned — it is a free gift of God, received by faith alone.
The Church is the body and bride of Christ, made up solely of born-again believers. Its responsibility is to glorify God and fulfill the Great Commission.
We believe in the personal, imminent return of Christ — who will rapture His church before the Tribulation and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom.
We believe that God instituted the marriage covenant as between a man and a woman — a sacred union that reflects His design and purpose for the family.
We recognize Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age.
Bishop Dr. Joseph N. Rukesha
Bishop Dr. Joseph N. Rukesha
Bishop Dr. Joseph N. Rukesha
Real moments of worship, baptism, fellowship, and revival — together as one body in Christ.
