“You challenged me to align my values so that my talk matches my walk .. the teaching was so good that we
needed at least a full week.” Rev Patrick Situuma, Mission Co-ordinator, Mbale Diocese.

Bishop Mike and Bishop Lee spent the second half of November giving two leadership conferences in Uganda as part of our commitment to leadership development and our partnership with the Church of Uganda.

Nearly sixty participants from eight link dioceses in Uganda attended two conferences – one in Fort Portal in the west of the country and the other in Mbale in the east. Five diocesan bishops brought their senior teams.

In turn, it was not just the Bishops but a team from the Diocese of Bristol who brought the teaching and facilitated the learning.

The learning was based on the theme of “Developing Christ-like leadership” and asked the question, “What does it mean to lead and to serve?”

Starting from the foundation of holiness of life and character, the bishops focused on servanthood, seasons of leadership and the challenge to renew your passion for ministry and commitment to service.

2 Corinthian 4:1-12 formed a core text for the conferences, as participants explored how “the life of Jesus may be revealed in us”, as a result of his death and resurrection reproduced in our spiritual lives.

Revd David Hart, the Bristol Methodist Superintendent who joined the team, spoke about “leading through structures”, amongst other subjects. The model of ecumenism at work in the team also inspired the participants.

The visitors and host churches shared worship and prayer together and, despite some inevitable timing issues, the conferences were well organised and had a good spirit.

Canon Stuart Taylor facilitated prayer, worship and application of the lessons and Revd Chris Dobson, Ecumenical and Global Partnership Officer, who had navigated the challenges of organising the conferences in a cross-cultural context also gave input.

Bishop Sheldon from Ankole came expecting advice about budgets and went away lifted by the spiritual impact on delegates. He enthused: “This really exceeded my expectations!”

The conferences were made possible by a significant gift from a donor from outside the Diocese.

Listen live to further comments from participants:

• Bishop Sheldon Mwesigwa
• Bishop Alphonse Watho-Kudi, Nebbi
• Rose Ekirunga, Rwenzori
• Clovis Kyalimpa, Rwenzori
• Rev Charles Ahiriirwe, West Ankole
• Ketty Mushabe, Ankole
• Alfred Wanyaka, North Mbale

With Christmas approaching this story of transformation from TearFund from Janet May reminds us of the power of the Gospel to bring about social change.

“In September 2009, I was privileged to visit Tearfund partner, the Diocese of Kericho in Kenya.  One of the communities we visited, was Entiak, near Narok, where we met a Maasai couple called Mary and Joseph.

When Joseph introduced himself to us, he said, “Before the church came here, I was a bad man and a drunkard.  Then I met Jesus.”  As a result of meeting Jesus and giving his life to Him, Joseph and his family have been transformed. 

As a Maasai girl, Mary wasn’t educated.  However, as a result of the Church and Community Mobilisation programme that the local church has been doing, through Tearfund, with the community, Mary now has 17 certificates to her name. 

Church and Community Mobilisation (CCM) is a process where the local church first looks at her biblical mandate to love one’s neighbour and to use the resources around you.  Once the church has gone through this process, they engage the local community and together they identify the needs of their own community and do their own development.  Lives are transformed, not only materially, but spiritually and without the spiritual transformation, people are no better off than they were before. 

If Joseph had not met Jesus, he would still be a bad man and a drunkard and Mary and his family would be no better off than before.  However, as a result of Joseph becoming a follower of Jesus, his whole family has been transformed. 

Mary has taught Joseph to read and write.  She now teaches at the primary school, which the community built and she has seen one of her first students go to university.  This student is a girl.  Mary has taught every woman in her community to grow their own kitchen garden, so each household now has access to fresh fruit and vegetables, that they didn’t have before.  Joseph was the first man in his community to say that he wasn’t going to circumcise his daughters.  Mary has her own mobile phone charging business, which she does with a car battery and solar energy.  Almost every household in their community now has either a well or a rain water collection tank, so that each family has access to clean water.   

The number of achievements in this community goes on and on.  When the local church takes her biblical mandate to love one another seriously, the miraculous happens.  The changes that have occurred in Mary and Joseph’s community over the past 10 years have been miraculous.  The community acknowledge that so much of what they have achieved was not humanly possible, but that God has made it possible. 

This Christmas, as we remember the birth of the Christ child and the story of a different Mary and Joseph more than 2000 years ago, let us also remember the difference that Christ makes not only in our own lives, but in the lives of people living in poverty around the world.” 

By Janet May, Tearfund Church Relationship Manager

Ricky Winn writes that the Bristol West Deanery Link had a wonderful evening and wants to thank all those who supported the event at All Saints, Clifton on Friday 14th November or gave auction promises.

“Andrew Morgan was tremendous as the auctioneer and we raised over £2000 on the auction alone.  Those who attended said it was a great evening. Guests were regaled with good short talks from Stuart Taylor and Kate Welham, and from David Morris with two of the Christ Church students who visited Nebbi in the summer. The whole thing was rounded off with a delicious supper. We are very grateful to Father Richard for welcoming us there.”

Book early to avoid disappointment

All Saints Church, Clifton is hosting a special evening on Friday 14th October 2011 at 7 pm as part of the Bristol West Deanery link with Uganda.

You are invited to join them for:

• Supper and a drink
• Great conversation
• An auction of promises
• News of recent visits to Uganda

Tickets cost £10 and can be ordered from Andrew Morgan, by phone on: 0117 973 6565 / 0117 974 1056 or by email: andrew@hollismorgan.co.uk

Promises needed:

We need things to auction. For example: Dinner for four, Drive in an E type Jaguar, good pottery, baby sitting, ironing, holiday home for a week, etc.

If you can help please contact Ricky Winn Tel: 0117 962 4723  or email: thewinns@blueyonder.co.uk

On visits to Uganda, I find that I can give as much energy as required if I can have a rest day now and again. Such a day was planned for June 3^rd. I arrived back in Kampala the afternoon before, and booked into a hotel where I could relax and wash some clothes. At 5.0.pm that evening I received a call on my mobile phone telling me to go to Namirembe where there was someone who wanted to see me. I took a taxi for the 20 minute journey and was greeted at my destination by Alphonse, Bishop of Nebbi, and Patrick who the following Sunday was to be consecrated Bishop of N. Kigezi. It was a happy reunion, but before our conversation had gone very far I realise that my plans for a rest day were about to disappear. Alphonse told me that I should accompany him to the celebration at the Martyrs Memorial in Namogongo the following day. It was an occasion not to be missed!

I arranged for a lift the next day and so we set off through quiet roads as the day is a public holiday marking the death of the Christian Martyrs in the 19^th century. But as we neared Namugongo the roads became choked with traffic and people walking towards the shrine.

Unfortunately Alphonse had left his Bishop’s pass with a friend so about two miles from the shrine we had to find parking with someone letting space in his garden. Then we set off, accompanied by our taxi driver, a Roman Catholic who was keen to be our guide.

What a celebration! The road was lined with stalls selling religious and secular mementoes. The whole world seemed to be in good humour, and the road seemed very, very long. In the end I found a boda boda (motor bike taxi) to take me the last mile.    

The space around the shrine was packed with thousands waiting for the service, presided over by Archbishop Henry. Bishop Alphonse persuaded the organisers to let me have a seat next to him, reserved for a spouse. I found myself sitting behind the Archbishop. This had two problems. Firstly I was not dressed for the occasion among all the bishops in their episcopal robes; secondly the service was being videod with frequent focus on the archbishop so I had to make sure I looked alert and interested as the 4 hour service progressed. A sleeping ‘mzungo’ on camera would not have enhanced my reputation with our Ugandan friends.

 Then came the rain! I was sitting just outside the awning, and began to feel uncomfortably wet.

The service was abandoned and we took shelter with the VIP’s in the church. Fortunately this meant that we missed the speeches by the local dignitaries. We then made our way to the house of the Principal of the theological college for lunch, meeting there some of the Nebbi ordinands.

They accompanied us back on the long and busy muddy walk back to the main road. By now this side road was filled with minibus taxis as well as people. Dodging wing mirrors as they sped by became a regular occupation. The stalls were doing well everyone was in a holiday mood. A Ugandan equivalent to a bank holiday celebration.

As we talked to our Roman Catholic taxi driver he showed great surprise at the staying power of Anglicans. What had amazed him most was the length of our four hour service. He declared that the Catholics manage to celebrate this important memorial with a Mass and a few prayers lasting about and hour.

Perhaps I shall become a Roman Catholic when I remember the Martyrs in future!

Stuart Taylor                                                                                     July 2011