A certain Christian corner of Kampala was all joy recently when a public official was transferred to another district.

Why?

Hussein Hude, most likely informed by public policy, had earlier given an ultimatum for street preachers to vacate Kampala’s streets. He was transferred to Yumbe district. Many “Balokole” interpreted that as a direct hand of God at work.

Such is the state of freedom of worship in Uganda, that a pledge by city authorities to do their work is seen by some believers as a direct curtailing of the gospel. The event was received like “God’s work” among many, with certain Christians I know going as far as stating, “no one can stop street preachers and keep their job”. Whereas the motive of street preaching is often right, Kampala, like most growing African cities, has changed, and whereas our message shouldn’t, our evangelism methods should.

Here I share some suggestions and reflections largely based on my ministry experience in Kampala as a church elder and discipleship teacher, on how best we can best reach Kampala and beyond for Christ.

1. More disciples, not just more churches.

Praise the Lord for the churches around Kampala. Some have argued, there are many churches per kilometer, yet Uganda still ranks on the corruption index. Speaks to a problem, right? There are more churches than healthy ones. Like my friend Joseph puts it, we always think the world is “out there”, but there is more world in the church than we imagine. So starting at home may help, after all, like we will see, true discipleship is a form of evangelism too.

2. Western Missionaries need to pour into organic ministry.

Christian NGO presence is abundant in our city, and beyond, what is not, is a local church centrality that helps organizational leaders pour their efforts and depend on the present body life they find in local areas. Rather than putting more money in humanitarian efforts “in Jesus’ name”, it would help to empower local churches with how they can keep the gospel primary, while solving water, education, and other community problems.

3. More discipleship than Branding.

Ugandan churches with extra budgets are naturally tempted to “live by sight”; hire marketing staff, change that logo a bit, promote that youth event online. Sure, there is some good in employing tech and marketing to messaging. But we ought to remember, Paul refused to exchange the foolishness of the gospel for finesse. (1 Cor 2:1)

The gospel comes raw, we don’t need to enhance the Spirit’s power. Like someone has said, “what you win them with, you will keep them with.” If they come for the lights, branding and fun, you will have to keep them with more fun, branding and lights. If they come through the word, (1 Peter 1:23) they are truly born again, and God will keep them with it.

Again, we walk (and organize ministry) by faith and not by sight. (1 Cor 5:7) Megachurches can divert event budgets to invest in more one-on-one discipleship, church planting, plus training expository preachers.

4. New local Idols.

It used to be witchcraft, but today, most urban people you meet in Kampala are exalting the love of money, prestige, a career ladder, are addicted to porn and adultery, more than they are visiting witchdoctors. Like Paul among the Greeks in Acts 17:16ff, we need to do the hard work of identifying the latest idols of the city before we can relevantly communicate our message.

5.  Discipleship includes evangelism

We have grown accustomed to the idea that you evangelize and leave the rest to the discipleship teacher, but with more unsaved people in our pews, who believe are Christian because they bear a first Christian name or come from a “Christian family,” churches are already ripe for internal evangelism.

I recall hearing about “justification” and “sanctification” and “assurance of salvation” for the first time in a local church, even though I had been in multiple churches before. Nothing ever exposed my paganism like understanding those theological ideas. So churches shouldn’t be afraid of sound doctrine in facilitating conversions. The great commission includes “teaching them to obey all that I have commanded” (Matt 28:16)

6.”Balokole” need to become better at work.

Young Christians in one of the youngest countries of the world need to be taught about the ministry and theology of work. We have grown up with concepts of “full time ministry,” as if a good mechanic can’t show Christ by how he doesn’t “steal” car spare parts.

More and more Christians in Kampala need a skill that God can use to reach unbelievers. The formally unemployed need to find ways to redeem their time. There is no point in attending frequent lunch hour fellowships, when you are always the last to hand in your monthly report.

Speaking of which, we need to appreciate and respect secular people and their work, rather than rubbish it as “worldly”, there are evangelism bridges in that. It’s said wisely so, people don’t care how much you know until they see how much you care.

7. No home, No Ministry

The AIDS scourge of the 1990’s left many Ugandans orphaned. Now we have all grown up and are experimenting with what we rarely saw. Unless Christ is first demonstrated on the dining table, most church efforts will fall flat.

Most Bible literacy needs to be facilitated by Dads through “family altars” and “devotions”. Single or divorced parents, orphans need to be welcomed in church homes and accommodated. Busy Parents need to rearrange priorities to cultivate the home and child discipline. The unmarried need models of grace-empowered sexual purity and holiness, so do the marrieds. Let’s minister at home first.

These I will only mention

– The evangelism job won’t be accomplished by your church or effort alone, so encourage fellow church leaders to invest in other church efforts too. Look beyond your Christian corner for what God may genuinely be doing.

– We need a more growing, committed and faithful movement of expository preaching of God’s word, (not just telling the Bible what to mean) but historically and contextually explaining it, even in local languages, to slowly push back against the prosperity gospel heresy.

-Critique of street preaching methods is not critique of street preachers and their motivations. Zeal must accompany knowledge (Rom 10) in effective evangelism. Acts 17 too is always a reminder that methods change though the gospel doesn’t.

Caesar must not be worshiped, but must get his due. We need more Rom 13 appreciation of the work of government for the common good, even if it goes against what’s popular. Public policy is meant for everyone’s good. As a believer, you don’t want to identify with lawlessness first.

-Jesus may have commanded us to preach but he did not command us to command. You cannot drag the Holy Spirit. And sometimes results show up later (or earlier) than we think.

That’s it, friends, feel free to add to the list.

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