How does healthcare help evangelism?
Kathleen Burns works closely with pastors and church leaders in the Ssese Islands, Uganda, encouraging them to reach out to people with HIV/Aids.
80% of Uganda is engaged in agriculture. The healthy economy of the 1960s was crippled in 1972 by the expulsion of the Asian business community, and then virtually destroyed by tyranny and wars. It has steadily improved since 1992. Under previous government regimes there were restrictions on persecuted Christians, but there is now freedom of religion.
In 1918, as a group of AIM missionaries made their way to Congo from Kenya, they were held up in Uganda waiting for one of their members to recover from severe sickness. Whilst there the Church Mission Society (CMS) asked them to help feed those facing starvation during a famine that year as CMS had a shortage of personnel. Following this, the group was then asked to stay and help reach out to the people west of the Nile, where CMS were yet to share the love of Jesus.
So, AIM settled in Arua and baptised the first 26 new believers. Although the church in that area got off to a slow start, 40 years later, thousands had been baptised, hundreds of churches were in existence, and Ugandan Christians were being ordained as pastors in the West Nile area.
Now, in the 21st century, a 2002 census showed that approximately 80% of the country’s population said they were Christian. As a result, the work of AIM is directed towards encouraging believers to live their whole lives in a biblical way. We work together to share the love of God with those we come across and look to engage the unreached within Uganda, in neighbouring countries and throughout the world. Those who come to work with AIM in Uganda do so alongside Ugandans in many different situations, from youth work to hospital work, schools, hospitals, orphanages, businesses and farms.
Kathleen Burns works closely with pastors and church leaders in the Ssese Islands, Uganda, encouraging them to reach out to people with HIV/Aids.
The Karimojong are a people who have been marginalised, waiting to hear of the hope we have, and of their true value in Christ.
Marsali Campbell serves at Dwelling Places, a Christian NGO in Uganda. Begun as a calling from God to Rita Nkemba in 1996, Dwelling Places seeks to love and rescue children from the streets, based on the ‘job description’ of Isaiah 58.
Ruth Mahood, sent from Logie & St John’s (Cross) Parish Church, Dundee, shares about God’s call on her life.
This summer a TIMO (Training in Ministry Outreach) team will begin ministry among the unreached Ik people of Uganda. Here a few of the team members have shared about themselves and their thoughts as they prepare to go and serve.
I’m a physiotherapist in the local government hospital. Assisting with course administration, lectures and treating hospital patients.