I used to be just seven years old when Idi Amin’s soldiers arrested my father. He was a pastor in a small village in Luweero, Central Uganda and through that point, Christians were seen as a threat to Amin’s regime. His government persecuted believers, arresting, torturing, and even killing those that stood firm of their faith. My father was considered one of them. I remember being afraid, watching our community live in constant fear of military brutality. The bush war tore families apart, left homes in ruins and took the lives of 1000’s of Ugandans. It was on this environment, amidst chaos and oppression, that I first encountered Jesus.
Growing up, I used to be raised in a Christian family. Despite the hardships, my parents faithfully taught me about God and at primary school, through the Scripture Union, I gave my life to Christ. I used to be fifteen, the war had ended, but we were still struggling. My parents could barely afford to send me to highschool. It’s a reality many children in Uganda face — education is a luxury, not a guarantee. I used to be fortunate enough to finish secondary school but when it got here time for higher education, the doors seemed closed. My family simply did not have the means to support me any further.
But, not for the primary time, God paved the way in which for me, this time by providing a chance with Kiwoko Hospital, a Christian medical facility offering bursaries to young people like me. In 1994, I enrolled of their nursing programme and later trained as a pharmacist. Kiwoko was greater than only a hospital, it had a heart for mission, and I soon found myself preaching the gospel to patients and staff. On weekends we might exit to the nearby villages sharing the excellent news.
But something troubled me. Though people were initially giving their lives to Christ, there was no follow as much as proceed their discipleship. The local churches were overwhelmed, and most pastors lacked the training to guide recent believers. It was like planting seeds but never tending the garden. I desired to help, but I didn’t know what to do either.
In 2005, God opened one other door. I joined the Kampala Evangelical School of Theology (KEST), and it was there that every thing modified. Sitting within the classroom, I realised that what our village pastors lacked wasn’t passion — it was knowledge. They had the guts to steer, but not the tools. Even before I graduated, I knew I needed to do something. So, I began the Kiwoko Bible Institute. The idea was easy: bring theological education to those that couldn’t afford it. Pastors from surrounding villages could come and be trained to evangelise, pray, and lead their congregations more effectively.
The institute officially launched in 2008, and we began with a handful of scholars. Around the identical time, I used to be introduced to Christianity Explored, a Bible study programme that walks through the Gospel of Mark. It was exactly what our churches needed — a resource that might help recent believers understand the fundamentals of the religion. I began using it in small groups and shortly, it spread like wildfire.
The Kiwoko Bible Institute continued to grow but we faced challenges. Our first problem was finding a location. By God’s grace, we had already established a primary school in Goshen after adopting a boy we found near death. That one act of kindness led to us finding many other children and inside six months, we had 48 children under our care. We built a college for them, and shortly, it became a thriving community with over 300 students!
The primary school became the proper place for the Bible Institute to operate, using the varsity facilities during holidays. Pastors come for two-week intensive modules, where they study God’s Word, then return to their villages with coursework. I visit them personally all year long to see how they’re applying what they’ve learned of their weekly routines.
But the following hurdle got here quickly: we would have liked books. Our pastors did not have access to libraries or biblical resources. How could they study and grow without the proper materials?
That’s once I heard about Langham Partnership. In 2008, I attended considered one of their preaching conferences and it opened a complete recent world for me. Last yr, Langham provided books for our Bible Institute, which has been a game-changer. Now, our pastors can dive deeper into their studies and a few even return to borrow books to counterpoint their understanding further.
Langham’s Books for Bible Colleges (BfBC)Â campaign is crucial for leaders like me across Africa. It’s about greater than just books. It’s about equipping pastors with the resources they need to steer their congregations, preach faithfully, and disciple recent believers. Without these materials, many leaders are left to figure things out on their very own, often without sound theology or biblical grounding. Through Langham’s support, we have been capable of train over 500 leaders within the last 15 years, and the impact is spreading.
Christianity Explored has now been translated into six languages and thru these resources, we have reached hundreds of thousands. But there’s still a lot work to do. My vision is to see every pastor in Uganda trained to handle God’s Word with care and conviction. We’ve recently expanded our training to northern and eastern Uganda and even to refugees from South Sudan. The need is great, but I think God will provide.
If you are reading this, I ask on your prayers and support. Pray for the pastors we’re training, that they might remain faithful of their calling. Pray for the expansion of our programmes and for more resources to equip our leaders. Pray for the Books for Bible Colleges campaign and for those directly contributing to our work on the Kiwoko Bible Institute and Goshen School. Together, we will be sure that the gospel continues to rework lives across Africa.
For more information concerning the Books for Bible Colleges, visit: uk.langham.org
