Mark Gillmore: This is Mark Gillmore here once again with our GoMission podcast. After the pandemic here of these last months, about a year and a half, it sure was a huge blessing for me over the last couple of weeks to be traveling and training once again internationally.
For the very first time, I was able to travel to Uganda in Central Africa. And on this trip, God put on my heart the verse Isaiah 52 and verse 7, where the Scripture says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”
What a fantastic verse that reminds us that, in the midst of the turmoil and the trouble of our world, our God reigns, and especially He reigns as we join Him in publishing the Gospel, the good tidings, publishing salvation: “Our God delivers!” And He is still in the delivering business, and He wants us to be on-mission with Him in this way.
We were able to go up to the northwest region of Uganda called the West Nile Region. It’s really the region where the waters of the famous Nile River that flows up into Egyptーthe headwaters are in this region of Uganda. There’s 12 different districts or counties, if you will, about 7,000 villages and 5 million people, including a largely unreached Muslim people group up in that area.
We were with a couple of missionaries. Missionary Phil Prettyman and Missionary Joe Risinger and their families, two of the finest missionary couples that I knowーrearing their children, godly homes, wise missionary conduct… and it was just such a huge privilege to join them as they initiated the West Nile Bible Training Center.
We were there for the very first gathering of preachers and believers from that region, in this West Nile Bible Training Center, that really has the goal to train national pastors and preachers and local believers to have a Great Commission vision of regional church planting that will get the Gospel to every creature and get a church in every village.
The exciting thing is that these men are not operating alone. There are godly national men who are already leading churches, and are responding to this vision of multiplying disciples and churches in order to reach their entire region. Men like Pastor Stanley and Pastor David, Pastor Phineas, Pastor Richard, Pastor John, Pastor Martin, and young men like James and Dominic, who caught the vision of planting multiplying churches.
We had about 25 preachers present, another 60 believers, from Uganda and also Congo nearby, which was so very neat for me to be part of touching that land as well. Four or five different language groups were present.
One of the men, Pastor Ronnie, has given himself tirelessly to the vision of the West Nile Bible Training Center. The vision, not of making this a church, but making this a training and sending center, where men will receive Bible training and church planting tools on about a two-week modular basis and then be sent back to lead and multiply their own churches.
We took time to study the book of Acts and the principles of multiplication that are found therein. We saw that ordinary believers spread the Gospel and plant churches everywhere. We saw that ordained leaders oversee those churches and continue to teach and train.
And we saw that entire regions are reached so that every person hears the Gospel and every village has a church.
Here’s a testimony from Pastor Ronnie, who was present with us and is that key leader, and here is a testimony from him as he shares what God did in these days.
Pastor Ronnie: 2021 Gospel Advance Conference in Uganda came at a very right time when, for two years, there has been no services, and many pastors and church leaders have grown very cold in the ministry. The church is no longerーmany churches are no longer active, and this conference just came at the right time.
We had about 85 people in attendance. This included pastors and other church leaders. And many people were encouraged by the teachings in this conference.
Pastor Mark taught us through the book of Acts, and we learned a lot from the lives of apostles and the early believers. And we have… we learned a lot, and many people discovered that they can actually take part in the Great Commission, and even train new believers to share the Gospel and reach the unreached with the true Gospel of salvation.
This was so encouraging, and I believe that it will cause much impact in the region of West Nile in Uganda, because there is a lot of false teachings, and the rise of Islam, in particular, is going so fast in different districts in this very region of West Nile.
And we believe, because of this conference, many hearts have been encouraged, and they will take the Gospel seriously, and we will see the fruits. We will see people getting saved, and our prayer is that churches will be planted, and we want to see the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled in Uganda.
Mark: I’m glad to report that, already, the leaders and believers are obeying what they’ve learned. I heard of one man who has already, since the training ended just a couple days ago, he’s already led 11 people to Christ.
Another place has already begun 3 new Bible study groups with the view of planting churches in each of these locations. Another preacher baptized 12 people on Sunday.
One group of believers, as they went home on aーon just a public bus, were witnessing the entire eight-hour ride home So God really worked with us. And I want to just encourage you about the land of Uganda.
Uganda is the eighth largest nation in Africa. In 1950, there were only about 5 million people there.
By 1970, it had doubled to 10 million. But now in the last 50 years since 1970, it’s grown to almost 50 million.
The average age is 17 years old. It is a young nation loaded with a new generation; 25% live in cities, but 75% live in villages.
And there are 70,626 villages, according to a recent assessment in the land of Uganda. Think of that… 70,000 villages, and each one needs a local church.
Those villages are located in about 312 counties. What if, we sent out 300 church planting teams out of the existing biblical churches with the view of seeing the Great Commission completed in Uganda?
The country is open. There’s freedom to preach the Gospel and plant churches. Islam is present, but it’s a minority, although it is growing.
English has been the official language of the country for many years. So it’s very easy for us from America to take a trip over there to communicate with many, many people because of the common language that is there.
One man was sharing with me, how that he was just rejoicing after the training. He said that God had placed upon himーHis name is Pastor Martinーthe vision of planting 60 churches.
But up until this training, he didn’t really understand how he could ever reach 60. He knew how to plant one church, and then plant another. and he had no idea how he could ever reach 60.
And then with incredible joy, he shared with me, now he says, “I know how to plant 60 churches, and I can plant even more churches.” He caught the vision of multiplication and the simple church planting tools of the Gospel and Discovery Bible Study.
The people there have such a joy in the Lord, and one of the songs that they love to sing is “I Am So Glad That Jesus Loves Me.” For many of you, you’ll recognize the tune, but I recorded it, and I want you to just to hear the sense of joy that is in their hearts as they praise the Lord.
[plays a recording]
Well, as we conclude here today, I want you to be encouraged with Gospel advance in our day. If we’ll live on-mission, we’ll see the Lord use us.
And young people, even as we come into this Christmas season, Christmas season is all about the testimony of Jesus Christ. It’s an amazing thing to me just to hear the name of Christ being mentioned over the loudspeakers and music of public places. Still, the Gospel testimony is present in our culture, so let’s use this time of year to be a witness for the Lord, to be on-mission!
Be ready with your testimony. Be ready with a Christmas-oriented Gospel tract. Be ready to lead someone to Christ.
Remember, the only way to stay at peace in a world of turmoil and uncertainty is to stay on-mission with Jesus in His GoMission.
