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Jem Hovil: Uganda - the Potent Pearl
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It has been said that, in some parts of Uganda, if you lean on a walking stick for too long it will probably take root!
Much of Uganda is tremendously fertile - no wonder Churchill gave it the title: "The Pearl of Africa". International donors have continued to see this potency and, under Museveni, the economy has grown and the HIV rate declined. Likewise Uganda has enormous spiritual potential and so writing just a few hundred words on the possibilities for mission here seemed a tall order. But the future is always opening up from present involvement; from real people in real situations. Describing some of the individuals we encounter in our work here will provide pointers to a few of the areas of promise - areas that, if resourced effectively, will enable the Church to grow and develop in important ways ... Equipping refugees for ministry to their people: James Both Gatdet is Sudanese by nationality, Nuer by tribe, and a refugee through circumstances beyond his control. But he is determined to seize opportunities for the gospel and so, as well as being involved in church planting and evangelism in his refugee settlement, he is benefiting from ministry training and longs to move to stable areas of the Sudan where he can train others. He is a wonderful example of the unique role Uganda could play in equipping, and eventually facilitating the return of, those who have been forced to move here from less stable areas such as Rwanda/Burundi, the DR Congo and Sudan. Pioneering patterns of cross-cultural mission: Henry Maguzi is only 45 miles from his Kampala home as the pelican flies but, as the only Anglican priest on the eighty-eight Ssese Islands out in Lake Victoria, he is several hours away by boat. His family is operating sacrificially and cross-culturally amongst what is a mobile and multicultural society. While we in the West think about mission to Uganda the reality is that Henry is typical of a church which, from its very beginnings, has been thoroughly and indigenously cross-cultural in its own mission. But much could be done to encourage the Church to be a force for local, regional and global mission. Demonstrating the impact of local partnerships: Stephen Kewaza is the busy vicar of a cathedral a couple of hours to the west of where we live. In addition to his various responsibilities he longs to help reverse a leadership deficit in the diocese's 600 or so local churches. But as an enthusiast for sharing what he himself has received he recently set up a Veritas training workshop for pastors of other denominations in his area. At that workshop it was moving to discover what a breakthrough this represented, and to sense the longings of churches to partner together for the sake of the gospel. Surely Crosslinks, as an agency that is secure in its evangelical heritage, could have a special role in encouraging this sort of cooperation and partnership in the future. Seeking reformation and renewal: Edison Muhindo Kalengyo is head of divinity at the main training college for the Church of Uganda and is one of a number who are making the training curriculum increasingly biblical and practical. He has a vision for a Church reformed. Isaiah Sesebu-Koko, on the other hand, works as a Veritas trainer and Mission Coordinator in Mbale Diocese to the east. He is a significant leader in a renewal movement that is seeking to revitalise a recalcitrant historical church rather than just multiply new denominations. Here in Uganda there is a real desire to see God's word taught effectively and to allow his Spirit to move powerfully; the possibilities for partnership with the Church in this important work are many. Those who know and love Uganda will have their own dreams but to see the Church seize these particular opportunities is a longing that God has embedded in our hearts during our initial time here.
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If Crosslinks is not to be defined geographically, what are the mission possibilities for the twenty-first century? Richard Rogers considers South East Asia and Jem Hovil looks at Uganda
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Jem Hovil works for Veritas College, a South Africa based interdenominational training movement that promotes fresh approaches to leadership development - Bible based, church centred and skill orientated. His work is focused on creating teams of trainers for grass root leadership training and helping with initiatives in the Church's training colleges. Lucy's interest in justice and her human rights background has found a focus in research and advocacy for the Refugee Law Project attached to Makerere University. |
