By Eric Yiga
More than 500 born-again bishops and pastors from across the country have benefited from a three-day discipleship training program facilitated by a team of volunteer pastors from the United States and Kenya. The event was organized by the Love, Peace and Unity Pastors’ Destiny Forum—an umbrella organization representing pastors in the Greater Mukono region, which includes the districts of Mukono, Kayunga, Buvuma, and Buikwe.
The six-member team of facilitators was led by Pastor John Privitt from Calvary Taos Church in New Mexico, USA. He commended Ugandan pastors for their eagerness to learn, noting that over the eleven years he has been involved in similar leaders’ retreats, Ugandan church leaders have always demonstrated a strong desire for spiritual growth and leadership development.
Pastor Privitt highlighted the significant impact these annual retreats have had on spiritual renewal, the revitalization of evangelism, and encouraging believers to develop a deeper and more comprehensive relationship with the Bible. He expressed optimism that, subject to availability of funds, the team will continue organizing the annual training sessions and plans to return next year to build upon this year’s work.
During one of the sessions, Pastor Privitt urged church leaders to remain vigilant against false prophets, emphasizing the importance of spiritual discernment to protect themselves and their congregations. He encouraged them to constantly seek God’s guidance in their ministry work.
Bishop Samuel Lwandasa, the host pastor from Mt. Lebanon Christian Centre Ministries, expressed his gratitude to Pastor Privitt and his team for their continued support in helping Ugandan church leaders deepen their understanding of discipleship. He encouraged the pastors to fully apply what they had learned and share it with their congregations, rather than keeping the knowledge to themselves.
Bishop Lwandasa also challenged the pastors to use the insights gained to help uplift their communities from poverty, thereby becoming more effective agents in spreading the Gospel.
Pastor Stephen Semusu, Chairman of the Love, Peace and Unity Pastors’ Destiny Forum, emphasized the timely relevance of the training, especially as Uganda approaches the election season. He noted that the sessions provided much-needed spiritual and moral guidance for pastors, who are often looked to for counsel by politicians and voters alike.
At the conclusion of the training, all participants were awarded certificates of completion.
