S.O.M.A. Mission trip to Diocese of Kigezi, Uganda.
Mike Cotterell. 15th 31st Jan 2007.
Bishop George invited SOMA to teach in his Diocese on the subject of Healing and Wholeness. In the past, the Bishop had been hostile to this subject. During our visit, he gave several testimonies about how he had experienced healing and so his thinking had developed. He now fully and publicly encourages his Clergy and Parishes to engage in this ministry.
Two conferences were organised on a huge hill site owned by the Diocese. The first was held in the University faculty of theology for those training as priests, it included students, lecturers and others who might become trainers in this ministry, (Approx 50). Several clergy had come from neighbouring Diocese in Congo and Rwanda. The second conference, the following week, was held close by in the Cathedral, and was for all the Clergy of the Kigezi Diocese, including senior staff and a few Lay Pastors. (120 were present, although numbers varied.)
Our team consisted of five UK based Clergy in the first week, but one had to returning to the UK to speak at another Conference before the second conference. We were all Anglicans from various backgrounds; led by Don Brewin the UK Director of SOMA. The team proved a great strength and support to each other and ours gifts, skills and experiences complemented each other’s well. We had all only meet once briefly before the trip.
The first conference (Wed- Sat) seemed to take a day or so to ‘warm up’ probably because it was set in a lecture room with lecturers and the Principal present. There appeared a reluctance to engage in discussion or even volunteer to lead in prayer. By Friday the atmosphere had totally changed, helped by free expressions of praise and worship. The understanding, knowledge and experiences of those present varied considerably. We had questions about how exactly to lay hands on someone to a statement announcing that praying in tongues was 93% made up.
After two days rest and preparation the second conference started with great expectation. Some Clergymen and women had travelled considerable distances and were caked in dust! One man paddled across a lake for three hours. They were in the habit of meeting like this once a year at this time – but not for something like this. They were housed (packed in) in several local boarding schools. They clearly enjoyed time away from their Parishes and spending time catching up with each other. Most Clergy are moved every 2-3 years to different Parishes.
The outcome of both conferences is that the majority of Clergy now are enthusiastic to develop the healing ministry in their Parishes. In fact, we discovered some were quietly doing this already but there had been little teaching about it and they felt they ‘didn’t know what they were doing’, which was not really true. I think we can claim that the entire Diocese will have been changed by this conference – judging by the positive response from most of those who attended and the Senior Staff. This is something to be thankful to God for, it was clearly a work of the Holy Spirit, who had prepared the ground for us. Some people had waited years for this teaching and openness about the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Like many African Dioceses, there was a strong sense of hierarchical structure and need for permissions to be given. This had been a block in the past but now Healing and Deliverance Ministry is fully endorsed. Some Clergy were still asking for policy documents, guidelines and specific authorisations but we continued to make the point that their Bishop was encouraging this and that the authority was given them in Scripture as well!
There was a particular cause for concern about evil Spirits. “If we start praying for healing with people we might be attacked by evil Spirits”. These fears were very real and not without good cause. We had to remind them of the all encompassing victory of the Cross over evil. Another issue was discernment between the need for healing, deliverance ministry and exorcism. Many people especially from the growing Ugandan Pentecostal Churches, apparently lack discernment in these areas and had practices that were very unhelpful and often inappropriate. (eg Believing that evil spirits were responsible for illnesses when they were not and striking people they believed possessed.) We knew it was important to teach correct theology and give good working (Biblical and Anglican) models, to address these issues, provide safeguards and accurate analysis of the needs. Dealing with shrines, witchdoctors, curses, ancestors and what not, are real issues that have powerfully negative effects on Christians and whole Churches; the fear of such things alone is significant. Spiritual warfare is a constant battle not an occasional pastime! We were not attempting to provide every answer but provide a strong basis for this ministry. I am sure that those we trained will learn more as they reflect upon the material we gave and as they step out in faith.
There are many personal highlights of the trip for me. The countryside, plant life, birds, trees and agriculture were of great interest. I became the team observer of interesting things as well as the photographer! But, returning to the mission: It was great to be part of a small dedicated team in which we all learnt from one another and appreciated each other. Preaching twice in a local Church was a good experience and meeting a local Vicar and his family. During the Inner Healing Seminar I gave part of my testimony on two occasions, to demonstrate the principles involved, however this seemed to do a bit more than that, for some present; helping them identify areas in their own lives that needed healing. I preached in the University Chapel early one morning, led a number of meetings and introduced sessions as well as gave or shared lecturers, seminars and workshops. I felt led to speak about personal ‘insecurities’ with particular reference to how many clergy feel, and talked about where our true security lay. This was at the opening evening session of the Clergy Conference. It was held in the ‘canteen’ after the evening meal, in a more informal setting than the cathedral. The lighting was appalling, but as least, we had some on that occasion! I think this talk helped set the tone of honesty and openness that was a feature of this conference. It was humbling and amazing to find that a number of references were made to this over the next few days; we can never tell sometime the impact of our words.
During some of these evening session at the Clergy Conference men would come to the front of the meeting to confess their sins, in ‘East African Revival’ style. Others immediately embraced them and there was a great outburst of spontaneous praise. The closing Service was a regular Cathedral Service but with a congregation of 1800. In this Service one man jumped all through the songs as his praise to God. We were told he jumped every day for God as a response to what God had done in his life. As part of this Service there was a moving farewell to the Headmaster of a local Church School. For 10 minutes at least, a packed aisle of people continued to pour forward to place offerings of money as an appreciation of him. I think this was when a goat got into the collection, later auctioned before the close of Service for 75,000 shillings! (I have informed our Church Treasurer that we will accept livestock from now on as well!)
Thank you very much for your prayer support for this mission, I felt sent and backed by the Church. The whole team were conscious of many people praying for us. We also felt embraced and welcomed by those we meet. It had a real sense of one part of the body of Christ ministering to another. I think the team would all say that we learnt as much as we taught on this trip.
The cost of the mission was £837.70 which was all covered by donations and part of a PCC grant.
Thanks for your partnership in S.O.M.A. ‘Sharing of Ministries Abroad’.
Mike Cotterell DATE 07 February 2007