News > Africa

Makerere & Kyambogo UBF, Uganda

April 29, 2013

We give thanks to God for 2013 Easter Bible Conference

The conference took place from Mar. 30-31, 2013 at a place called Hope for Africa- African village located about 35 Km from Makerere University Bible centre . The venue itself inspired hope for pioneering the Africa continent in our hearts. We thank God who provided this beautiful serene venue with a good environment for meditating on the word of God.

The conference attendance was a record for our history with 102 attendants from three university mission fields: 80 from Makerere UBF; 16 from Kyambogo UBF; and six from the newly pioneered Nkumba University. Brethren from Nkumba university were attending an Easter Bible conference for the first time.

Altogether, we had 10 missionaries, 14 local shepherds, 23 apostle leaders, 11 children and 44 Bible students at the conference. 

The theme of the conference was ‘Jesus is the Resurrection and the life’ based on John 11:1-27. In verses 25 & 26 Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Through this theme, we prayed to receive resurrection faith again in our lives, to live as men and women of mission in this world, and avoid complacent nominal lives.

The conference began Saturday morning with group Bible study for main lecture 1 led by seven shepherds and three missionaries. Main lecture 1 was taken from the gospel according to Mathew 25:1-13 to help brethren overcome nominal Christian life that is very common in our nation and live lives  waiting for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The main Lecture 1 message “Therefore Keep watch” was delivered by Sh Daniel from Kyambogo University who also pioneers Nkumba University with Sh Patrick. Through Sh Daniel’s message we could learn not to live like the foolish virgins who did not carry enough oil in their lamps. Instead, we should overcome laziness,   invest in personal faith in Jesus through Bible study, prayer, and participation in mission life to keep our lamps filled with oil and burning brightly. Through this message, attendants could learn to live practical Christian lives waiting daily for the second coming of our Lord. 

After the main lecture we heard the graceful and life changing life testimony of brother Ronald from Kyambogo University chapter. In his life testimony brother Ronald told us that initially he considered Bible study a burden and did all things to discourage his Bible teacher Sh John. He strayed from the ways of God into the ways of the world in search of solutions to his life challenges. However because of Sh John’s persistent love and teaching of the word of God to him he could find new direction in Christ and now he takes his Bible studies seriously without missing. We prayed for him to grow and become a shepherd to many wandering campus sheep. 

Following the first main Lecture 1 and Bro Ronald's life testimony, campus students, apostles, shepherds and missionaries wrote testimonies based on the message and shared their testimonies in their Bible study groups. Five best testimonies out of the 10 groups were chosen and presented to the congregation during the Saturday night session. We then had a drama which was presented by Apostles and brethren based on the main Lecture 1 message and then we retired to bed after proclaiming the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Easter Sunday morning, we received a graceful morning devotion message by Apostle Nakato, who completed law school at Makerere university in 2011 and remained in the mission field. Her message was “The coming of the Lord” based on 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-10. She reminded us that as children of light, we cannot be like those who are asleep but we are called to be alert and self controlled. The message awakened us to live by our confession of Jesus our Lord and Saviour, overcoming the world’s deceitful ways and passions, being self controlled, putting on faith, love, and the hope of the gospel.

After the morning devotion message, Bro Abaasa from Nkumba University gave his life testimony based on  Isaiah 61:3. Though, he was initially a muslim and had a troubled childhood in a polygamous family, he has come to realize that God knew and cared for him. Even though he did not know Jesus and lived an aimless life, Jesus found him, lifted him up from ashes and gave him family in the body of Christ through UBF. He is now growing through 1:1 Bible study at Nkumba University and organizes his fellow students to attend Bible study every week. We thanked God for giving him hope and prayed for him to become an Abraham of faith for Nkumba UBF.

Easter Sunday worship service was celebrated with a powerful second main message “Jesus, the resurrection and the life” by Shepherd Allan Komaketch. Through this message we were challenged to have resurrection faith for every situation in our lives and to overcome the fear of death. We learnt that God works in impossible situations for his glory and we should have practical resurrection faith because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  After Sunday worship service we had lunch and then concluded with sports fellowship in the afternoon before we returned to the mission field.

We thank God who co-worked with us to organize the 2013 Easter Bible conference. This was the first conference organized entirely by our local shepherds and we thank God for guiding Sh John, Sh Julius, Apostle  Zachaeus, Sh Lillian, and Sh Patrick. We also thank God for using msn Livingstone Kang to advise the organizing committee and for the success of the conference.  

One Word: I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?

Reported by Lilian Ogwang