When we first arrived in Uganda a year ago we traveled to Lira in the north (for an account of that trip, see Field Notes for January 2009 - PDF file, 601k). So I was happy to be able to return to Lira once again to see how things were faring in this part of Uganda. At one time Lira had 4 or even 5 congregations but today there are only two active churches.
St. Luke's Lutheran Church - Lira Town
Last time we were here we stopped only briefly to see the location of St. Luke's in Lira Town. The congregation itself and its leadership weren't able to meet with us. We didn't meet with them this time either. The congregation of St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Lira can now be considered dead, largely due to infighting over a micro-finance project. After a large influx of cash intended to establish a micro-finance project to benefit the church, leaders in the church took personal loans from the funds to pay for some of their routine expenses - school fees, rent, and the like. They borrowed the money because it was there, they had access to it, and they had a need - a perfectly acceptable practice across Africa (for more insight, read the eye-opening book, African Friends and Money Matters). These personal loans were not part of the micro-finance program, which is generally intended for income-generating start-up capital instead of day-to-day expenses. After a time, the micro-finance committee insisted the church leaders repay the loans so the micro-finance project proper could be started. The leaders who had taken the loans, of course, didn't have any such money laying around and to avoid the conflict they simply left the church. Eventually, the money was all gone, the leadership had all left, and the church collapsed with the whole story well-known throughout the community. This is, unfortunately, an all-too-common story across Uganda. It seems that more often than not the presence of money or resources tears apart the church instead of building it up. This is especially true when the resources are disproportionate to the economic abilities of the congregation but can also easily happen even with smaller projects.
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~ Rev. Gillard and Seminarian James Confirming in Akia ~
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Akia
Our time with the Christians at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Akia was more encouraging. Our TEE student, Patrick, who has been setting up the details of our visit, asked me to prepare to preach and I happily enjoyed that opportunity after asking Patrick if there were any issues I should address in the sermon. Among the problems Patrick mentioned (and as we would later find out), infighting was causing division in this congregation. The text for this Sunday was Luke 13:31-35, Jesus' Sorrow for Jerusalem, which we had studied in TEE last week. As I prepared for the sermon I was especially drawn to speak of God's prophets - those He sent into Jerusalem time and again to deliver His Words. So in my sermon I talked about visitors, starting with how Patrick had prepared the way for our visit. When you know you will be receiving a visitor, you spread the word, you clean, you prepare, you invite others, you dress up in your fine clothes, you bring gifts, you have food and refreshment ready. And, I commented - from what I see I can tell that this place is very fine. Everyone looks smart, the place is clean and I feel welcome. But, I continued, what if I am not the visitor but instead I am also preparing the way for a visitor. And what if that visitor can see not only that you have washed before meeting but he can see even if your heart is clean and you are at peace or not? What if that visitor can see beyond your polite behavior and see that in your heart there is bitterness and fighting within your community? This part of the sermon got very personal, driving home the verbal lashing they needed because of the infighting I had heard about. After that, I presented the bad news: the visitor I prepare for is already here. He has already seen your behavior and your fighting. He already knows how you have failed to live according to His will. But then that sweet, sweet gospel: even though God knew about our failings, He came anyway. In fact, he came to seek and to save the lost according to Luke 19:10. And He has never abandoned us. With some final vivid imagery about Jesus' work in Jerusalem, about his passion and his moment of glory on the cross, and those powerful references to the sacraments, I concluded with those words we would hear again on Palm Sunday, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Fellow missionary Rev. Jacob Gillard enjoyed the opportunity to confirm several new Lutherans and administer the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. After worship, of course, we had the customary introductions and speeches.
;)
~ Meeting with leaders of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church ~ We then gathered with the leadership of the congregation for a conversation. The church was suffering because of fighting between the chairman and the lay leader. We didn't pursue the cause for the wrangling during this conversation but instead talked about how to resolve conflict, about Christ's amazing work of reconciliation, about binding to each other in Christian unity and fellowship - especially for the sake of the unbeliever since this infighting was known in the community. For several hours we talked about such things and concluded with some positive signs of a desire on both sides to come together. This long-standing conflict, though, cannot be resolved in just a few hours and Patrick has made himself available to continue meeting with the interested parties as an attempt is made to bring the congregation to full fellowship in reconciliation. Later I would learn what was at the heart of the conflict - money again. And again, it was money from outside the church given to "help" the congregation in some way. One of the two thought the other had "eaten" the money (used some or all of it for his own purposes instead of turning it over to its rightful owner). Once again money from outside the community caused deep and embarrassing problems with the result that everyone in the community knew of the conflict in the Lutheran Church. Can some good still come from this? It is possible. This congregation has been deeply harmed but not yet torn apart. Positive Christian reconciliation can be a witness in the community to God's work among these people. But I fear what will happen the next time projects or money are brought into this congregation - will it survive another round of resource-induced conflict? Most people think of resource-induced conflict resulting from a scarcity of resources but I see it happens more often due to a glut of resources beyond the normal operation of the local economy. We pray the congregation survives if disproportionate resources are again thrust upon these brothers and sisters.
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On a completely different note, the last time we visited this church I couldn't help but notice and comment upon the hill a few kilometers away. The hills in this area rise up from the plain just here and there and stand starkly against the sky. This day, since we had time in the early evening, I proposed that we climb Akia Mountain together - especially these leaders who were in conflict. It was a pleasant climb, not difficult at all, and only took 15 minutes to get to the top. ;)
;)
The view was impressive and even more rewarding, the church leaders talked together as they climbed. Much of Akia Mountain is being slowly chipped away as a hand-worked quarry. All up and down the sides one can see the results of work breaking the stones and moving them down the slopes. Up one side we came and down the other we went, marveling at the size of the huge boulder the workers had broken loose and rolled down the slope. There were a few precarious passages but overall it was invigorating and fun.
;)
~ Worshiping in the new Mission Training Center in Ngetta ~
The Lutheran Church in Ngetta
Our visit with the congregation in Ngetta on Sunday morning was the most encouraging. A Mission Training Center has been under construction here in this small community to serve the Lira area at large. It's a big building, not yet completed, with a high ceiling and a spacious layout. The congregation in this area is already worshiping here at the training center, a worship space in sharp contrast to the delicate lean-to that served them last year. Our time with this small congregation - around 15 worshipping on Sunday morning - was pleasant and we enjoyed hearing the Seminary student preach and administer the Lord's Supper. Unfortunately, our time together was a little shorter than intended because we had committed to attending a funeral in town which began at noon.
Concluding Remarks
Overall, I enjoyed our trip to Lira. After a year on the mission field here in Uganda I have only begun to grasp some of the deeper issues that Africa in general and the Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda in particular struggle against. Money and resources provided by the "great white missionary" seem to top the list of problems. At this point I don't yet know what the answer is. I can read books and spout opinions, but until a "solution" is discovered and embraced by the church in Africa, I'll continue to walk alongside our partners and friends here as we learn together and find a way forward. In the meantime, His work continues and His Gospel message is spread despite our own shortcomings. Praise the Lord. -Shauen