KBVS SOUTH KARAMOJA MISSION EXTENSION
Brother Luwalemu Paul, the preacher of Lorengecora Church of Christ at that time in 2018 informed me about his relatives who were living in Namalu, Nakapiripirit District, South Karamoja. He wanted us to plan a visit there with New Life Behavior Seminar, because he wanted his relatives to learn about the truth he had learned through NLBI Curriculum.
I requested Dr. HM Motsinger, NLBI founder to fund this seminar and he accepted. When I received funds, I sent brother Dan Muwuliza, the Principal Karamoja Bible & Vocational School at that time to go with Luwalemu to Namalu for NLBI Seminar. Paul through his relatives organized a seminar and requested a denomination (Holy Spirit Church) to allow then use their facility for two days training because it was a rainy season. They invited the community and relatives from different villages in Namulu and Nabilatuk District to attend the training.
Fifty eight (58) people attended the Seminar, after the seminar, twenty one (21) adults and youths publically confessed Christ as their Lord and savior. Among those who believed were Koriang James and Loduk Mariko from Nabilatuk District. Dan gave me a report of what had happened, we discussed about the way forward for the new converts. We quickly organized a second follow up seminar (Church Planting and Discipleship Seminar) which was funded by Charles Ganus because NLBI policy was one seminar a month, not more than one. But we needed to go back quickly.
The second visit which was in May 2018 comprised Duncan Ojiambo, Oguttu Geoffrey, Dan Muwuliza and Luwalemu Paul. On this trip we taught about the Church of Christ, and immediately we identified James Koriang and Pedo John as capable leaders who could start leading a Church plant with our close guidance and mentoring. The Church was planted in Domuye, Nabilatuk District. Then those who had been baptized but live within Namalu, we encouraged them to worship with the denomination that was our host for the first seminar. We did this because the leadership of this denomination had expressed a desire of being taught more about Church of Christ. They were hoping that in future when they get to understand our doctrine well and do their research that we are not a cult, they would accept and the baptized into Christ and worship Him and truth and Spirit. Their doctrine was of baptism by Holy Spirit not water baptism.
Domuye Church of Christ grew very fast and planted other two congregations in one year ie. Lopedru Adengel Church of Christ and Lopwatagete Church of Christ. As these churches were being planted, the biggest challenge was leadership. All believers could not read and write, they would just gather and sing songs, pray and encourage each other with bible verses they had crammed. The need for enrolling the leaders in a preacher training school (Karamoja Bible & Vocational School) was urgent and inevitable. We identified five leaders whom we invited to come to Lorengecora and attend a preacher training school –Karamoja Bible & Vocational school that was in progress already.
The brothers came and attended twice, (one full week every month), they made it two months and stopped coming. We became concerned and asked for reasons why they had opted to stop. They asked us for a meeting to discuss their concerns. At that time, we were busy organizing for the regional Church of Christ annual conference. We encouraged them to come to the conference with a team of members. We would find time and discuss their concerns.
In November 2018, we had the Karamoja Region Churches of Christ annual conference funded by Charles Ganus. The team of fifteen people walked a distance of close to two hundred (200) kilometers to come to this conference. It was a two days walk to some and three days walk to others. A team from Namalu walked from Namalu and slept in Nabilatuk, Domoye Church and the following day they all started a journey to Lorengecora. They slept up on trees because at that time there was a lot of insecurity in the region. Cattle raiders would kill anyone they meet on their way at night. The police and army would also either shoot to kill and arrest anyone they would find walking at night. The safest place was climbing trees and sleep up in the branches. That night they witnessed two different groups of cattle raiders who had successfully stolen cows and were taking them their way. Then, early in the morning, soldiers crossed path with our brethren while the team was on their way to Lorengecora and soldiers were on the hunt for the cattle raiders.
When the brothers told us what they had to go through to be able to attend church events here or Bible class at KBVS Lorengecora, we made a decision that we will train them from their place. We couldn’t continue exposing their lives to such risky and inhuman situations. We made plans by visiting Nabilatuk town for feasibility study. Our visit informed us that the town was dominated by Muslims and most of property owners were Muslims who were not willing to rent out their houses to Christians. Since we didn’t have any church shelter (building) in the entire South Karamoja, we had to pray and find someone who would be willing to hire us his house for the Bible classes, accommodation and Church gathering within Nabilatuk town. By God’s grace with persistence, we got a family that had an extra room and willing to rent it out to us although he had been discouraged by Catholics and Muslims.
In January 2019, we started equipping our brothers and sisters in South Karamoja from Nabilatuk town in a rented two small rooms. These rooms would act as classroom and food storage during day, and dormitory for female and male students respectfully. Then on Sunday, we encouraged brother Moses and Alex who lived a few kilometers away from Nabilatuk town to be coming for Sunday Bible Study and worship. The number of believers grew to about 15 members by December 2019. Making Nabilatuk Town Church of Christ congregation making it the forth Church of Christ congregation to be planted in South Karamoja.
In 2020, we identified a plot of land about three kilometers away from town but a long the main road connecting Nabilatuk District to Nakapiripirit District. The owner asked for much much that we didn’t have, but agreed that we pay for the land in bits, until we completed full payment. Then, we asked Healing Hands International to drill for us a borehole, which they did. The construction of the Church building started and in 2021, we were able to move to our church building though it was incomplete but we could not bare with the circumstances at our rented property. The owner of the property had decided to start a bar business, drinking alcohol and some weird behaviors were becoming very disturbing to our students and church members.
From 2021, several activities including Bible lessons, preachers training with leadership and ministry skills, vocational skilling programs, discipleship seminars and Church activities.