Revd Geoffrey Opiyo was appointed as Diocesan Rooted in Jesus Coordinator, working with Revd Zachariah Otto who is the Head of Mission. He will be supported by a team of 9 archdeaconry coordinators who in turn will work with a local coordinator in each parish. The conference closed with a commissioning service and a rousing address by Bishop Godfrey.

Members of the translation team (Revd Caroline Aber, Revd Zachariah Otto, Revd Geoffrey Opiyo)

History

Northern Uganda has an uncomfortable history. From the late 1980s the whole region was subjected to a period of violent armed conflict as the so-called Lord’s Resistance Army engaged in guerilla warfare against the national government, committing atrocities against local people, raiding schools and villages and abducting children to serve as child soldiers. After more than 20 years of suffering during which nearly 1.7 million people were forced into refugee camps, peace was finally restored to the region – where the process of rebuilding shattered lives is inevitably still ongoing.

The gospel is not new to this part of what is now Uganda. It was first shared by CMS with the Acholi people who are the majority here in 1903, leading to the creation of a strong Anglican presence in the region. The Diocese of Northern Uganda was created in 1961, and in 2021 Bishop Godfrey Loum became its 8^th bishop, quoting 2 Timothy 2.2 and committing himself to ‘preach the Word, to be prepared in season and out of season, to correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.’ This was the charge which he now repeated to those training as leaders of the new Rooted in Jesus discipleship groups, welcoming the programme as part of the diocesan vision and reminding them of the great commission with which Jesus left his closest followers: to ‘make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.’

The conference

None of the pain which people still carry within them was visible on the surface as 250 people gathered joyfully in the open, grassy centre of Gulu Primary School under eight marquees elegantly decorated with white and purple cloth. A large red-flowered terebinth tree provided a living demonstration of how a tree with deep roots can produce leaves, buds, flowers and fruit. The Theological College had closed for the week so that all the students could attend the training; Simon had already introduced them to Rooted in Jesus, and 14 had volunteered to lead participants in small groups through Module 1 Lesson 1 of the programme.

Over the next few mornings the team offered plenary sessions on the nature of discipleship, on the resources provided to us by the Holy Spirit, and on the realistic expectations of ministry as explained by Jesus in the Parable of the Sower. As ever, the teaching was interspersed with small group discussion, practical illustration and times of prayer, and followed by small group practice sessions in which participants began to experience the Rooted in Jesus programme for themselves.

In the afternoons participants were divided into 9 groups for workshops led by the visiting team and the college staff on how to get going as a group leader, on pastoral care and on the life of prayer. Classrooms were used for some of these, with others carrying their chairs to shady locations in the ample school grounds. Each day finished with a time of Bible reflection and ministry.

In between all that, generous and tasty meals were provided by a team working from the open air school kitchens, and people took advantage of the opportunity to get to know one another in the first gathering they had had since the restrictions of the Covid pandemic had come to an end. It is difficult, it turns out, to stop the Acholi people from dancing, and spare moments were soon occupied – in the relentless 35 degree heat of the dry season – by vigorous and joyful expressions of dance and song. On the third day an Alur speaking participant named Joy shared that she had received the words and melody of a Rooted in Jesus song as she had been praying that morning. She taught it to the entire conference, and it was sung at the closing ceremony (listen to it here!).

Language was interesting, with the majority of participants speaking Acholi but a sizeable minority speaking Alur. A third group will use Rooted in Jesus in Lugbara. All of these are Nilotic languages, and sound quite different from the Bantu languages of the south. The Acholi translations were done by a team from this diocese; those into Alur and Lugbara had already been completed by a team from the Diocese of Aru in DR Congo. The books were printed locally to a high standard.

Books were printed in Alur, Acholi and Lugbara

Reflection

This was the largest single conference we have ever run, made possible only thanks to the committed and active participation of the college, school and diocesan staff. The conference itself had been preceded by a diocesan-wide roadshow, with every archdeaconry being visited, prepared and invited to send a participant from each parish. Mattresses had been hired, food bought, registration was carefully recorded, and certificates awarded to those who committed themselves to starting a group (which in the event was all of them). The blended visiting and local teaching team enjoyed working together, the college students rose magnificently to the task of translating the sessions into Acholi and Alur, and everyone went home with a smile on their face. For the UK team – Alison Morgan, Roger Fenton and Hazel Aucken – it was a great privilege to be part of the ministry of this dynamic and ambitious diocese for a few days, and wonderful to be given the opportunity to visit Murchison Falls National Park on the way home. We remain hugely grateful to the team of people who committed themselves to praying for the conference, and are glad to hear that, just one week later, groups have already started and plans for follow-up are being put in place.

Conference participants and facilitators

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust.
To find out more visit the Rooted in Jesus website.

Posted 13th February 2024