Namayingo June 2019
June 2016 Quarterly Report
Conference, Village Mwelo, deep into Tororo District
I am so grateful to present to you this report about our BFU Mwelo June conference. Our mission was a great success indeed from God. Special thanks to all our donors whom through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they have always donated with much love towards Bibles for Uganda in support to our poor village pastors and church leaders who are serving God in many ways.
I started my Journey from Lusenke [home] with all my luggage on Sunday 12th, June, 2016 in the morning at about 9:30 am. During the Sunday morning service at Lusenke, the Church elders prayed for me as they dismiss me for the mission. I then set off riding my bicycle following the short Kamuli road up to the Kampala /Mbale highway Namutumba taxi [16 pasenger van] stage. I then connected through Bugwere direct to the Mwelo conference venue. Pastor Joshua also boarded from Kampala after getting our Bibles from the bookshop, He then took a taxi from Kampala Taxi Park to Iyolwa taxi stage in Tororo. Then took a boda-boda to Mwelo, joining us at the venue. On the same day pastor Katandi also traveled from Bukimbi, his home village in Namayingo district on a boda-boda[hired motor bike] to Bugiri, then a taxi van to Lyolwa then on boda-boda, again to Mwelo.
We all had a safe journey to the Conference ground in Mwelo village, Rubongi sub-county, Tororo district. We found the organizing pastors and elders are waiting for us in a great joy. We were highly welcomed by this team.
Organizing team
Some of the organizing Bishops
Bishop Bita with Anglican Pastor and Elder
On Monday 13th June, 2016 at 10:00 am, we started our 5 day conference. This first morning session was full of introduction and explaining in detail about NTFI/BFU ministry. Then after Lunch, we launched into serious teachings on the New Testament Christianity. We were able to handle many different topics. True teaching of the New Testament Church is very new to them. They asked so many questions and every one of them wondered why the true Gospel which can help them be better Christians and good leaders is hidden from them..They know not the truth, not because they hate it, but no one ever taught them the truth. All the pastors, elders and the three village bishops who attended the conference, received the teachings with great joy. We took good time searching and going deep in the scriptures with them. As the news about our teaching of fundamental, basic Christianity continued to spread, the turn out kept on increasing and we had wonderful moments of serious teaching the four days.
We had a team of about ten pastors who were able to follow us to Mwelo conference after benefiting greatly from BFU Nabiyoga conference. Many pastors and elders desired to come with them but they could not make
it because of the distance, it is many miles away to Mwelo. We did not have serious opposition in this conference apart from some few pastors and overseers who never wanted to participate in the
preparation of the conference and even tried to discourage others from participating. They were saying that "because we are not greatly known among the powerful preachers, it’s a waste of time and money hosting us,
because they expect nothing good to come of it", but at the end of the day they realized that there is something good in our conferences and they joined us after all. In many village communities, the Church of Christ is suffering a serious problem of denominational barriers. In Uganda every bishop has his own denomination which is registered as an organization or Company. A bishop must have many branch churches in the villages and small towns. He appoints regional, district and sometime even county overseers/bishop’s representatives while the bishop is seated at the headquarters in a big town or city. Some of these bishops run these
denominations as their own property or business and they control them with much power, forcing them to do whatever those Bishops want whether good or bad. This has caused serious disunity among the village churches and even city churches in Uganda.
Wherever we go as BFU, we encourage all the church leaders to come together as one team regardless of their denominations. They form a well organized team where by every church is being represented. All responsibilities are shared equally and the benefits of BFU gifts during the conference are also shared equally
between every village church represented in the conference. This system is a big miracle to them. Everyone wonders and don’t understand what kind of ministry NTFI/BFU is and what kind of bishop and missionary team they have. They wonder how we benefit, how and when will we get rich like other bishops. We tell the truth, that we are ministers of the New Testament Church and we follow the example of our lord Jesus Christ and follow in the foot steps of the apostles and the prophets, building upon the foundation they laid for us so many centuries ago. Many pastors testified on how this conference impacted their lives, so many comments were being made every time after every topic.
One of the bishops took me aside and told me; "Bishop, whatever you teach has been true and it’s the right gospel, but for us we did not have the boldness to teach such doctrine. Thanks be to God for your coming because we have been so challenged and encouraged by your teachings. We feel bold enough to teach the truth. We have become old men, we have served as leaders for over 60 years but you have taught us from the New Testament."
The chairman of the organizing pastors on behalf of the whole team in his words said, ‘’we thank God so much for you bishop Bita and your team for the great teaching and for training us. You grew up as a
poor common boy of this Adthola land. But now there is no doubt God took you away for a while to train you so that he may bring you back to train, help and save the church of Christ in the land of your people. This is the right time for this type of teaching because the churches are destroyed in false doctrine. We never get this type of teaching any more for many years now. Please thank you so much for coming”.
"The kind of unity that BFU has made us to have in this conference is something which has not been seen for so many years. Indeed Christ has united us again as one body through bringing our son whom he has trained and made a bishop to all the poor village churches. What a great blessing to us from God. One of the overseers said, ‘’Please Bishop Bita and your team of BFU, you have washed us clean with the word of God and the blood of Christ through your teachings. Truly you are the rightful ministers of God who can teach and train someone to know God and become a true leader in the church". We got many comments that we can’t post all in this report.
Special thanks to our chairman board of directors Danny McDowell and to all our donors. Your support is always the reason for our success. BFU has made a great impact in the lives of thousands and thousands of
village church leaders. The true knowledge of God’s word has been received and is being practiced and preached by the village pastors, bishops and other gospel ministers as a result of our ministry (BFU).
This time we were able to take the gift of
50 bibles,
60 pairs of stockings,
60 shirts,
50 blouses,
30 pairs of reading glasses.
Because these pastors walk long distance as they do the work of God, passing through those village roads, as their shoes get worn out, the stocking even wear up faster. So this time we decided to buy for them some stockings as well. I took time explaining to them how we get all these gifts and who the donors of this gifts are.
Bishop Bita explains how funds are raised back in the U.S.A.
Every Pastor and Elder receives a pair of stockings
On the 3rd day after the conference, we gave out the 60 pairs of stockings. It was a simple but a very precious gift to everyone who received it. ‘’This is not just a gift but this is the result of a heart of a true bishop of the New Testament Church. A heart which is filled with true Love and care for God’s people. This is a great lesson to us’’. Said one of the bishops.
On the 4th day, we did give out the all the clothes. It was a great joy for all as they receive their pair of blouses and shirts. This time the bishops, though some of them are equally poor as their people, decided to allow their pastors and elders to take first. Because the pieces of clothes were few compared to the number of people, they decided to miss this chance for themselves and prefer their people. The joy and appreciation of these pastors was beyond expression.
Sorting clothing
Distribution of clothing
Gift of shirts to the male Pastors
Blouses for the ladies
Then on Friday, our 5th and final day, we did the foot watching, and praying for the sick lessons in the morning sessions. Then in the afternoon, we gave out the reading glasses. All the older recipients were very happy and blessed to receive their sight back again for reading the word of God as they were struggling with much difficulty to read.
Bishop Bita----foot washing
Bishop Ochieng
Bishop Owori
According to James 5:14-15-----"if there are sick among you, call for the Elders of the Church, anointing the sick with oil and praying the prayer of faith and the Lord will lift them up".
Reading glasses
Bibles for Uganda
English [KJV] Swahili, and Luganda
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