The House of Bishops in Uganda appointed Revd Reuben Kisembo to be the next Bishop of Rwenzori to succeed Bishop Patrick Kyaligonza. No date for his consecration has yet been announced.

Revd Reuben Kisembo is currently the principal of Bishop Balya Theological College near Fort Portal and has been a long time friend of the Bristol link.

Read a helpful and informative article from the Anglican Communion News Service about the recent conference of bishops from across Africa that met in Uganda. Away from the media driven headlines Jan Butter, Anglican Communion Office Director of Communications, finds much cause for hope:

Seven Days in Entebbe

“All anyone needed to do was strike up a conversation with any bishop from any country and soon they would be marvelling over what was happening in dioceses and parishes up and down the continent.”

Other articles of interest:

African Bishops draw a line in the sand

“Climate change will kill more Africans than malaria or AIDS,” Anglican church warned

Bruce Clifford spent July in Uganda as an ordinand on a church placement that was facilitated by our Diocesan link. Here he reflects on his experiences.

How can we help make poverty history in Uganda? This was a key question for me when I set out. Yet when I began to experience something of Ugandan life, the question turned on its head.

Certainly, I saw that by western standards many live in extreme material poverty. In the town of Lugazi where I was based, a family typically live in one room perhaps three metres square. They rely on candle, paraffin and charcoal for light and heat, and collect their water in plastic cans from the town supply.  They share a hole-in-ground toilet with others, and wash with a bucket. Tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS are too common; maternal and infant mortality are too high. Education is accessible to most children, but families have to pay the fees. Unemployment levels are way above those in the west; and of course no state benefits are available.

Yet in the midst of their poverty Ugandans came across as contented people. While in the UK we live as individuals, they live as community. When any has need, others ensure the need is met. They give gladly and almost automatically; and their generosity is often beyond their means. Loneliness is unheard of; depression very rare.

In UK society religion is seen as a private matter, if it is relevant at all. In Uganda people are hungry for God. Church worship is not primarily cerebral: it is vibrant and demonstrably from the heart. When walking around in the community with the vicar, I found people eager to hear words of encouragement based on scripture, and to pray with us about their particular challenges. Visiting the local hospital, whole wards – staff and patients – gathered to listen to us and pray. In schools, assemblies gladly responded to the good news of Jesus.

So though people are poor economically, I concluded they are socially and spiritually far more rich than our society. Most significant for me, they do not depend primarily on material goods, scientific knowledge, or medical help. They depend on God.

So I returned humbled by the inadequacy of my initial question. I now ask with equal urgency: how can we help make social and spiritual poverty history in the UK? I guess this is a responsibility for every one of us.

Bruce Clifford

Trinity College, Bristol 2010

From left to right: Dave Matthews, Clare Hayes, Andrew Hyde,  Natalie Berry, Joanna Hyde, Rev Susan Allman and Catherine Forman (not pictured) flew out to Uganda for two weeks from the 14th August 2010.

The group are being hosted by the Diocese of West Buganda and David (Romans) Serunjogi, known and loved by many in Bristol. While out in Uganda they will be learning from their hosts, sharing in outreach and planting saplings alongside Ugandan partners.

Read more news from the trip on the City Deanery Uganda Link Page

Mukono in the blood

Born, bred, schooled, married, re-schooled and working in Mukono District. Most of James’ life has revolved around the Diocese of Mukono. His father was one of the earliest indigenous priests ordained in the church of Uganda, some time in the 1920s or 30s, who served first in Namirembe and then in Mukono.

The great escape

One of 12 brothers and sisters growing up in a priest’s home James quickly decided he did not want to follow his father’s footsteps. As far as he could see a priest’s life was ‘a lot of work for very little pay.’ In his teens he left home to escape from the ‘rules and regulations’ of his childhood. The space this afforded gave him the opportunity to think for himself.

A word in season and out ..

Around this time James’ elder brother had found faith for himself, committing his life to following Jesus, and he used to take every opportunity to come round and share his testimony and experiences with his little brother. On one occasion he shared the story of a man he met at an open air event in Mityana. This man had been discussing faith, and was asked if he would like to come to God, after thought the man said, yes, but not now. On his way home that man was knocked over and killed.

As he reflected on this story James was profoundly influenced by the realisation that our lives are not our own, but utterly dependent upon God. Having run away from his earthly father he now surrendered his life to follow his heavenly Father and has never looked back.

Born again

From the moment he made that commitment James’ life was changed. In his words, “When someone is your Lord, you pay Him allegiance, you are no longer alone, but directed by Him.” He went to college in Entebbe to study surveying a different person, his new found faith growing daily. He soon became involved in leading worship and his heart was gripped with the desire to help others come to know the life of Christ.

Return to Mukono

Qualifying as a surveyor he was immediately posted back to Mukono by the Ministry of Lands and Survey. From the start he became involved in youth work starting a youth ministry at St Luke’s, Seeta which grew rapidly. (30 years later Bishop Lee visited the same parish to find that they still have over 600 young people attending the church on a Sunday morning!)

God calling

As the youth ministry developed people began to recognise a call to the ordained ministry in the young James, at first he tried to ignore it, but eventually he gave in and after two years study at Bishop Tucker Theological College in Mukono he was ordained in 1984. Over the next 20 years he was to serve in a number of parishes, but also as Diocesan Estates Officer and Diocesan Youth Secretary, often combining all three roles. Further study in youth work and social work amongst young people took him to Germany and Mindolo in Zambia.

Marriage and family

As a youth worker there were always plenty of young, pretty and available women around, so how to decide? James was very aware of the temptations and from early on determined to wait until God made it clear to him who was the right person to share his life. It wasn’t until 1987 when his sister in law had an accident leading to a prolonged spell in hospital that he met an attractive young nurse caring for her. Conversations on the ward led to a growing friendship, a discovery of a shared faith and common interests over the next four years. Tezirah, too, had clear ideas for the kind of man she wanted to marry so she was in no hurry to decide, but in 1991 they married in Mukono and now have four children from 10 – 18 years old.

Diocesan Secretary to Mission for All

James experiences and training had by 2002 made him the natural choice for the post of Diocesan Secretary which he filled until 2005 during which time he did a masters degree in Leadership and Management. Then in 2005 he was offered a five year contract to work for Mission for All (MIFA) a German backed NGO working to alleviate poverty, particularly amongst children on the streets of Kampala. It was as he was seeking to renegotiate his contract which ended on the 30^th June 2010 that he learned on the 2^nd July that he had been appointed the new bishop of Mukono.

Ready or not!

So begins a new period of life. There is, as James pointed out, no training period for a bishop, and “so you just have to trust that with all that you have gone through Go will make you ready to do the work.”

Please pray:

For the family

• James and Tezirah, their children, Joanne, Joy, Jonathan and Juliet as they move home and get used to a new life style.
• Tezirah as she continues her work as a public health nurse at Mukono District Health Department

For James

• That he may fulfil the purpose for which God has called him

For the Diocese

• The challenge of building a new cathedral over the next few years
• The challenge of keeping and discipling young people
• The challenge of calling people to Christ in a district which is renowned for witchcraft and child sacrifice
• The challenge presented to the church by the growth of Islam in the community
• The challenge for the church to understand how it should develop its worship and practice in a changing world, where increasingly young people are seeking out alternative forms of music

20th October 2010

Join thousands of others to have your say on Global Poverty and Climate Change – click here to read all the details on our Christian Aid page

Plus

Quizaid

Whether supporters in your churches are smart with sports facts, in the know with general knowledge or fanatical about film trivia, they can be a part of Quizaid between 13-19 September 2010 and help Christian Aid fight poverty. If another date is better for you then that’s fine too!  You can get quizzical at home, work, school, church or even ‘down the pub’ – and it’s easy to get involved, just register on our website for a pack.

June 26th representatives from all but one of our Link Deanery Committees gathered at St Peter’s Church, Frogwell, Chippenham to reflect on the life of the link from a Global perspective.

Please click on this link to read the full report.

Bishop Frederick Sheldon Mwesigwa was consecrated as the new bishop of Ankole Diocese on the 18th July, 2010. The service was attended by Julia Lettey and Carol Jones from Kingswood and South Gloucestershire Deanery and they presented cards and gifts from the diocese to the new and retiring bishops.

To read an article in New Vision about the service click here

Planning a link visit that will have a development dimension? Hoping to organise a project through your link that will educate people about world development issues / poverty, etc.? There are grants available from DFiD to help in such initiatives which will be distributed in July, September and November 2010. Why not visit their site to get some ideas or consider applying for a grant to help you with a link visit or project?

Updates on Grant Applications!

Grant Application deadline extended to 30 July 2010 with online applications!
The grant application deadline has been extended to 30 July 2010 so it ties in with our new online application function!
This means you will soon be able to complete your grant application online on the Global Community Links website and have the option of saving and amending it at a later date. With the launch planned over the coming week, watch this space! We will be in touch again when the online application system opens.

In the meantime, you can prepare in advance by downloading the latest Grant Application Form and Guidance Notes online at www.dfid.gov.uk/communitylinks/grants. Use this information to help you plan your application so you’re ready to apply as soon as the online system opens. We will let you know when you can update your information online so you don’t need to post your application.

As you have already registered your Link, you do not need to re-register your Link with us – so you’ve already completed Step 1 of the application process.
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are a registered charity; 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). We build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide.

This message is for the use of the intended recipient(s) only. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete it. The British Council accepts no liability for loss or damage caused by software viruses and you are advised to carry out a virus check on any attachments contained in this message.