In the villages of northern Uganda, Bible studies are blossoming, thanks to the water drilling ministry of Texans on Mission. This ministry is now stepping up efforts to provide much-needed training for local church leaders.
“As the congregations increase, more and more leaders need training,” said Mitch Chapman, Director of Texans on Mission Water Impact. “In February, we brought people together from the surrounding villages to be trained in how to better lead their growing Bible studies and churches.”
Last year, the ministry played a pivotal role in starting 12 congregations, with 910 professions of faith, all made possible by the provision of clean water to the region. In response to this growth, Texans and Ugandans on Mission hosted its first-ever Church Leaders Conference, where over 90 local leaders gathered for training in pastoral self-care, biblical interpretation, Bible study methods, and children’s ministry.
Doug Hall, a Texans on Mission donor relations officer, attended the event and recalled the logistical efforts required to bring attendees together: “Our ministry rented a bus to pick up the participants. Most of them had never been to town before. They stayed the week in a Gulu hotel and attended daily training sessions at Kingdom City Church.”
Chapman emphasized the ongoing need for education: “We start Bible studies in every village, and some have already become churches. But our pastors are struggling due to a lack of formal education in Scripture and how to apply it.”
Chapman further explained that educating pastors and church leaders is a crucial part of sustaining this growth. “Our goal is to educate pastors so we can raise up educated churches and, hopefully, see more leaders multiply from those churches,” he said.
While Texans on Mission has provided Bibles in local languages, Chapman acknowledges that church and Bible study leaders still need guidance. “Anyone new to the Christian faith and the Bible needs help understanding and applying Scripture,” he said. “These Christian brothers and sisters are no different.”
Despite the challenges, Chapman finds hope in their progress: “It’s been exciting to see how quickly they grasp the gospel and learn. And while we teach them certain things, they help us understand more about how the gospel spreads and remind us of the power in the Good News.”
Since the conference, Chapman has received positive feedback from attendees. “We taught them about hermeneutics, and most didn’t even know what the word meant at first. Now, some of the more educated pastors are planning to teach hermeneutics at their church once a month, inviting others to join.”
Chapman is optimistic about the long-term impact: “We’re already seeing the conference’s influence ripple out to other church leaders. Educating them will be vital as we drill more wells and start more Bible studies and churches.”
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