Seated in my office one tired afternoon after a long day of work, I received a call from a young man called Tony David. He was browsing the internet looking for a ministry he could plug into to help his failing church. We discussed what Word of Life’s role would look like, coming alongside his church and the many others that are struggling with false prosperity teachings in his region.

Unknown to me, Tony David’s church was facing an imminent split due to “irreconcilable differences” between the senior pastor and an elder. He was seeking help because he loved both and didn’t want a church split.

After meeting with Tony David, going to Kasese (about a 7 hour drive from Word of Life), Tony David saw the need for himself to have more biblical training in order to play a bigger part of leading the church he loved. 

Since then, Tony David has completed a 1 year certificate at the Word of Life Africa Bible Institute. The church has since reconciled under a new name and new leadership: Rugendabara Community Church, and Tony David is now the pastor.

Seeing the difference in his own life, Tony David mobilized many pastors in the region that I have had the privilege to train in biblical thinking and church planting initiatives. Every week he meets with these pastors and runs Bible study programs with them. He has also been given access to all the schools in his county by the mayor and the principals of those institutions to share the Word of God with them. As a result, many young people have come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. He runs an annual camping program that brings in over 400 kids. Word of Life is now able to access these institutions and share the true message of the gospel of Christ.

As we speak, there are more than 10 churches that have been influenced by Tony David in a very direct way. His church has become the benchmark by which other churches now aspire to become. Now I am taking Tony David and another 9 pastors through a 2-year course of a pastor’s training program. The goal of this program is to equip the pastors with tools that can help them run their churches, plant new ones, even as they in turn equip others. Tony has started identifying pastors that he would like to pass on this information: talk about modelling 2 Timothy 2:2!

Who knew taking a call in my tired moments would yield to such a harvest of activities!

Wellington Oliech serves with Word of Life Uganda