Planting churches, raising hope

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MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming next on The World and Everything in It: A report from East Africa.

Much news out of Africa lately is focused on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and the battle between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Recently I traveled with a team to the region that borders those two warring countries. Here’s my report.

SOUND: [ISLAMIC CALL TO PRAYER]

You expect to hear the Muslim call to prayer in countries where Islam is the dominant religion. But this is Uganda, a predominantly Christian nation.

Population: 48 million. Anglican and Pentecostal Christians make up a combined 43 percent of the population. Roman Catholics, another 39 percent. Census data puts the Muslim population at about 12 to 14 percent. But the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council that represents Islam in Uganda suggests it’s much higher than that.

ROBERT NABULERE : We knew our battle is not against flesh and blood.

Pastor Robert Nabulere was born in Uganda. He says he doesn’t pay much attention to demographic statistics. But he knows his people need Jesus.

SOUND: [CHURCH MUSIC IN LUGANDA LANGUAGE]

In 2005, Pastor Robert, as he’s called, planted Miracle Centre Church in Kawempe, a busy metropolitan area in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala.

NABULERE: Somebody clap your hands to Jesus….

Wooden beams, covered with sheet metal, support the one-story sanctuary. The large room is filled with colorful plastic chairs. The church sits atop a steep hill with uneven terrain. On rainy days, the hill can be difficult to navigate. But Pastor Robert says the more difficult barriers keeping people from hearing the Gospel aren’t physical.

NABULERE: This place before we came here, people told me, is a Muslim stronghold. They told me the witchdoctors and the Muslims had had a sacrifice service to sacrifice any pastor that would come in this area. Me, I was sent by heaven. Whatever is there we have the victory. Jesus has overcome the world. So, we came.

Pastor Robert and his wife Rose have boldly planted three additional churches.

SOUND: [CITY SOUNDS]

The road leading to one of those church plants is congested with minivans, motorcycles, pedestrians and open-market merchants. It soon gives way to dirt roads surrounded by fields of sugar cane and cabbage. The locals call this “the Bush.” We drive as deep into the lush greenery as we can.

TEAM MEMBER: We’re going to walk?

Then we follow the praise. About two dozen men, women and children are celebrating the blessing of their new church building…right now, it’s a simple, wooden skeleton frame.

NABULERE: Jesus said on this rock I’ll build my church

SOUND: [INTERPRETER TRANSLATES IN LUGANDA LANGUAGE]

Pastor Robert addresses the small crowd in English. But his protege, Pastor Michael translates in the Luganda language. That’s the language most of the villagers still use. Pastor Michael has served in this village since 2010. He says the obstacles he faces in the Bush are similar to the challenges Pastor Robert faces in the city.

PASTOR MICHAEL LWAMUNHU: Almost every home, every family had a shrine. They were worshipping spirits, they were believing in witchcraft.

But Pastor Michael pushed on.

LWAMUNHU: People came to Jesus. They begun believing Jesus. And we started destroying the witchcraft. We started destroying the shrines.

SOUND: [GETTING BACK IN THE VAN]

Back on the road, we’ve got one more stop to make.

NABULERE: We’re in Wakiso District. About 25 miles from the capital city.

In 20-12 Pastor Robert bought land in this rural part of Uganda. He and his wife dreamed of planting churches and schools here.

ROSE NABULERE: The population of Uganda is majority young people. More than 50 percent of our 48 million people is below the age of 15.

The devastation of the AIDS epidemic left many young people orphaned. The Ugandan government provides free education, but most students can’t afford the school books, meals and uniforms. So in 2008 the Nabulere’s opened Miracle Destiny Primary School.

SOUND: [CLASSROOM ACTIVITY]

Four years later, they added a high school and a boarding school for students who grew up like Pastor Robert.

NABULERE: I put on my first pair of shoes at the age of 14 ½. I came from a polygamist family. My dad had three wives all at the same time.

Pastor Robert says he worked hard to stay in school because education was his way out of poverty. But gradually it became something more.

NABULERE: I was not a believer. But I thought education is my only hope.

Pastor Robert says once he got to college he realized his pursuit of education had become his god. A god that would ultimately let him down.

NABULERE: What I saw. How the kids behaved. I said, wait a minute. Education is not the savior. There must be something deeper. That’s when I encountered Christ. It’s Christ at the center with education.

From the primary school…

STUDENTS SINGING: We bow down and worship You..

…to the high school.

STUDENTS SINGING: I won’t be quiet my God is alive. How can I keep it inside…

He’s modeled that standard for nearly two decades and is now able to see and hear the fruit of his labor.

SOUND: [ISRAEL SINGING]

This is Israel. He’s the youngest of six children. He and his three older siblings have attended Miracle Destiny High School…two are now at university.

SOUND: [MIRACLE CENTRE CHURCH]

Back at Pastor Robert’s church where it all began, Israel’s mother, Harriet remembers that day back in 2007. She walked through the church doors abandoned and defeated.

HARRIET: My husband went and left me with the kids in the house. And I had no hope, I was tired. I was going to commit suicide.

But she says Pastor Robert assured her God had another plan. She now works at the Primary School.

HARRIET: They have been there for me and my children. When I think of the goodness of God, I just shed tears because God has been so good to me.

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