GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

Uganda is considered one of the poorest nations globally—World Bank reports nearly 88% of the Ugandans live on less than $5.50 per day.

The conditions in Uganda are a reverberation of a violent storm of hardships: 

• the brutal reign of Idi Amin Dada in the 1970’s
• a continuation of atrocities during the Ugandan Bush War of the 1980’s
• the AIDS epidemic
• a cultural cycle of poverty, single-parent families, and alcoholism
• strong presence of false religions preying on people desperate to believe in a promise of wealth and health.

‍“African Christianity has established itself as a truly potent force…the Church has established itself as the only effective social organization that can bring reconciliation among ethnic groups and cope with challenges in collapsing societies…”   ~Africa Profile, Operation World, 7th Edition, pg. 36-37‍

One out of four Christians in the world presently is in Africa, and while the numbers are encouraging,  results from a 2010 Pew research survey show that more than half of those same Christians believe in the prosperity gospel, relying on God to grant wealth and good health in exchange for their faith. And traditional African religious practices and beliefs — witchcraft, evil spirits, sacrifices to ancestors, traditional religious healers, and reincarnation, among others--are still prevalent even among professed Christians.

Other hurdles:

• OneChallenge.org calls it a “discipleship crisis”—numerical growth without the same level of spiritual maturity — the zeal to go wider without a commitment to go deeper (One Challenge).
• Lack of equipped, local leaders: Operation World states that “From village congregations, to the urban, all the way up to national-level leadership,” Africa needs African leaders to fully engage their people in the truths of the Gospel and bring lasting change to lives and communities.