Imagine finding yourself in East Africa, where thousands of children are being abducted and transformed into child soldiers. Families are separated, some killed horrifically.

The government forces you to relocate to an area of safety, and here you’re invited to pray with a small gathering of believers.

After a few weeks, more than 50 believers are gathering for prayer and worship.

Someone suggests the group should form a church and asks for a volunteer to pastor the group, and another volunteer to assist.

After six months, the fellowship has grown to 500 members. Land has been given, a church building is being erected, and it’s all being led by a willing, volunteer pastor — with no theological training.

But the picture is not yet complete. And it’s not uncommon.

This pastor knows that people in his congregation are facing many challenges, including the reality of HIV and its progression into AIDS, and potentially death.

He tells them “God can heal you,” so many church members stop taking their medications. Possibly a widower marries again, but doesn’t tell his new wife that he has AIDS because he thinks he is healed.

Still other families are desperate for food … work … training for jobs … money to start a small business, so they come to their volunteer pastor for relief.

If your family is in desperate need of money, whom do you go to? Do you go to your pastor?

In Africa, the answer is overwhelmingly “of course.” And this question leads one to discover some significant differences in how pastors are viewed in Uganda and here in the United States.

In all fairness, in the U.S. one might approach his or her pastor or at least the church’s benevolence committee about financial difficulties. But what about questions about hygiene? Problems selling a home? Learning how to budget?

The African pastor faces very real expectations, not only to provide resource and counsel in the spiritual realm, but also in the physical, social, economic and educational realms as well.

Another challenge faced by African pastors is that the majority must find work outside the church to support themselves and their families, which leads to a great personal need for the very training/equipping a pastor needs to present his congregation.

To say that the role of the African pastor is complex is an understatement.

Jackson Rujoga, a church partnership facilitator with Compassion Uganda says,

“The Bible says that David led God’s people with a heart of integrity and hands of skill; our pastors have the heart, but often lack the skill to deal with even simple issues that we might assume are common sense.”

When a pastor begins serving a church, he is open-hearted and willing to serve. Then a realization occurs; ministry requires much more than willingness and open-heartedness.

Soon, the pastor discovers that while money is coming in, more is going out, families are demanding, and he feels overwhelmed.

Not knowing the biblical foundation of how to handle the situations he faces, he makes decisions that compromise the very integrity that led him to be chosen as pastor.

Pastors Discipleship Network, founded by Richmond Wandera, a formerly sponsored child and Leadership Development Program graduate, is reaching out and empowering pastors to face this challenge.

If pastors are trained, empowered and equipped in biblical principles, then they can be further trained on how to identify and resolve challenges in these other areas, and how to nurture a mature church.

Then the entire community gets transformed.

Later this week, Pastors Discipleship Network is hosting approximately 500 pastors from the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at its third annual pastors’ conference, organized to train pastors in the concept of “mastering the land” from a biblical perspective —“Rooted in the Word.”

“Think about it this way. Your view of God shapes your view of the world, of yourself — and of your neighbor. It shapes how you approach the “land” or, in other words, your decisions on relationships, finances, employment, politics etc. So the mindset and one’s heart are critical.

“Once someone is rooted in the Word, they’re able to face the different stones or challenges that come seasonally in the land.

“For example, in Uganda we have seasons of peace, but also seasons of war and civil unrest. Very practically speaking, people need to know how to deal with anger, or how to respond when political leaders are being ill-treated. Do they join the demonstrations? How should they respond?

“The church is a place where people come in good times and in desperation, and the church is ready to listen.

“The people can be stripped of everything else, but they will still come to church — when they are in need, they need a pastor who is knowledgeable about many areas of life and who is living a Christ-like example to those who follow him.

“Even [the Ugandan] president — Museveni — goes to church. There is a pastor today who is speaking into his life … into the areas of family, politics, business, and relationships.”

Being “rooted in the Word” makes mature disciples who are able to go out and “master the land” — wherever God places them… in a hospital, a church or a business — or in a justice house.

“I believe every decision in life is seasoned by our view of God, found in the Bible. And as one of my professors at Moody used to say — ‘every view of fallen man is — crooked or skewed, but the Word of God can create change in one’s heart.’ That’s what Pastor’s Discipleship Network is trying to help pastors do — for their congregations and the greater community of East Africa — by God’s grace.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Melissa Riehl joined Compassion in 2004 and is the Director of Donor Development. Originally from Houston, TX Melissa is Ugandan at heart and is a volunteer member of the Pastors Development Network’s leadership team.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

As a pastor in Uganda for more than 13 years, Peter Mugabi deeply understands the plight of the African pastor.

“Pastoring in Uganda is a big call that God puts on one’s life. It’s a tough calling because many of our churches have quite a number of challenges.

“The expectations for pastors in Uganda go far beyond the spiritual realm. Our people are very needy, and whether the needs are spiritual, economic, social or physical, the church is the place of refuge. People look to the pastor for help.”

When asked about the specific challenges faced by the members of his congregation, Mugabi said that people in his congregation have “big” needs ranging from economic empowerment, support for schooling for their children, food supplements and medical assistance.

“Many people are sick with malaria, tropical diseases, AIDS — and they fail to go anywhere because they lack the finances.”

Mugabi also says that social needs are abundant. Many people have families that are unstable — and out of the devastation come broken marriages and child abuse.

Though Mugabe has to work outside the church as a teacher and professional counselor to ease the financial burden of his church, he is quick to talk about the blessings he sees as a pastor in Uganda.

“The needs that we have also have been our blessings in a way, because we have learned to trust God in our poverty. We wait on God day by day because we are not sure of tomorrow.”

Mugabe says that in Uganda there is tremendous freedom in worship.

“Because of the great need in our community, as a pastor, I can knock on any door and be welcomed. Ugandans will welcome anyone bringing the gospel. They are very open, loving and sincere; people believe that the church has the answers.”

When asked about his involvement with Pastors Discipleship Network (PDN), Mugabe breaks into a huge smile. As the childhood pastor of Richmond Wandera, CEO of Pastors Discipleship Network, Mugabe was able to speak into the vision as Wandera first shared God’s call.

“There was a great need to impact pastors — to empower, equip and encourage them. Many pastors have been called but very few have any training.”

Mugabi says that the resources provided by the Pastors Discipleship Network have been invaluable.

“It’s like on-the-job training for various aspects of pastoring.”

The Quest Study Bible has been a precious resource for him, Mugabe says, both personally and as he prepares sermons and devotionals for his congregation. And the Network’s resource center has opened a world of information, helping him access sermons by Internet as well as numerous books on various aspects of pastoring.

Still, more training is needed.

“I’d like to see training incorporate three major challenges to our people: politics, economy and our culture.”

In addition, Mugabe says that management training is critical.

“We’re not only pastors, but leaders — and therefore, managers of God’s resources.

“The Pastors Discipleship Network has provided an invaluable network for us because, as pastors, there are tough seasons when we are worn – burned out. And as pastors we know that every counselor needs a counselor; we need other pastors to share our frustrations and dreams.

“I’d like to give a Macedonian call like Paul gave in the New Testament. The work here is great, and we pray that the Lord would provide for us. Our spirits are willing but, at times, our pockets are weak. Just as Paul said: ‘Come and help us!’”

Article courtesy of the Pastors Discipleship Network. Download the latest PDN e- newsletter.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

To remain focused on the call that God has given you, remember:

1. Your work matters to God.
2. Your work matters to the people you serve.
3. Your work matters to the people with whom you serve.

Encourage one another. And do it today.

Subscribe to the audio podcast of our chapel messages via iTunes.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Last Wednesday’s chapel was a very special chapel at Compassion. Celebrate with us as Tony Beltran, Michelle Tolentino and Richmond Wandera, formerly sponsored children and graduates of our Leadership Development Program, become the first graduates of our scholarship program at Moody Bible Institute.

Their actual graduation is in May but Wednesday was the best time for us to give them a special tribute and send them off with our love and prayers.

We’ve also created a podcast of our chapel messages, which you can subscribe to via iTunes.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

The Pastors Discipleship Network (PDN) is an initiative begun by Leadership Development Program graduate and Moody Bible Institute scholar Richmond Wandera. It exists:

“to train and equip local pastors in Africa with basic study tools for accurately interpreting God’s Word through monthly seminars, accountability relationships, and the provision of study resources.”

We’re bringing PDN to your attention as an example of what we mean when we say,

“The Leadership Development Program identifies young Compassion-assisted men and women who have shown potential to become Christian leaders who can, in turn, influence their own families, churches, communities and nations.”

PDN is an example of your support bearing fruit! Even if you don’t sponsor a leadership development student, your commitment to Compassion helps create the environment for opportunities like this. That’s what holistic child development is.

You can learn all about PDN at pdnafrica.org and can stay current with Richmond’s work via the PDN Facebook page.

But the philosophy essentially boils down to this:

“When a pastor is trained, his church is also trained; when you resource the pastor, his church is also resourced … everything rises and falls on leadership … a trained pastor becomes a watchman against heresy and false teaching. Therefore, training a local pastor protects the church.”

“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” — Hosea 4:6 (NIV)

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

One act, one decision in Jesus’ name, is all it takes to allow hope to overwhelm the darkness.

See for yourself.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Drawing from his personal experience, Richmond Wandera explains how the Leadership Development Program selection process works.

You can also view the Leadership Development Program selection process video on YouTube.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates