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| Oak Hill's partnership in the gospel with Uganda |
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Oak Hill graduate, Ed Brooks, writes...
What is Namugongo?
"Namugongo" is the collective name for Oak Hill's partnership with theological colleges in Africa. Currently, three colleges are supported: United Martyrs Seminary and Kampala Evangelical School of Theology, both in Uganda, and the African Institute of Contemporary Mission and Research, in western Kenya.
Money donated by present and former members of Oak Hill is used to support students and develop facilities. This year, over £7,500 was given by the college community during Namugongo Week, an annual event designed to focus our attention on the partnership with these African colleges.
In the future, we hope to facilitate greater personal links and contribute practically to the training of students and future theological educators.
Over the next year, we hope to improve the information we provide to Friends of Oak Hill and their involvement in developing these exciting links. If you would like to support Namugongo or find out more, please go here.
News from United Martyrs Seminary
Situated 20 kilometres to the north-east of Kampala, Namugongo was from 1760 a site of execution. Yet in 1886 it came to be associated with the proclamation of the gospel, when 25 young men, who were among the first Ugandan followers of the Lord Jesus, refused to renounce their faith in Christ and were burned alive on the orders of King Mwanga.
Standing next to a memorial marking those deaths, the Uganda Martyrs Seminary has been engaged since 1976 in furthering the proclamation of that same gospel by training men and women for ministry in the Anglican Church.
A strong bond has developed between Oak Hill and the seminary over a number of years, resulting in personal visits as well as prayer and financial support. Oak Hill's Namugongo Fund has, for example, contributed to the cost of the library and building facilities and sponsored students who would otherwise be unable to afford the fees.
It was very encouraging to visit United Martyrs Seminary during the January inter-semester break and to find the college in good heart, with around 50 full-time students from all over Uganda and beyond. The majority of students undertake a three year diploma course, including a range of theological and practical modules.
As the primary training college for Church of Uganda clergy, the college plays an important role in the national church. A high proportion of Anglican clergy in the country have passed through the seminary, which is held in high regard by both local and denominational church leaders. That many students have left family in other parts of the country in order to attend the college is an indication of their passion to learn and be trained. That passion is carried through into ministry placements, with students being sent out each weekend to assist in a local parish.
It was immediately apparent how much the seminary values its links with Oak Hill and is eager to continue the partnership. The principal, Canon Henry Segawa, is keen to see student numbers increase in the future, a vision that will necessitate not only additional bursaries but also significant infrastructure development at the college. He also hopes to pursue the registration necessary for the college to offer qualifications in its own right.
The opportunities for Oak Hill to make a very significant contribution to the future of the seminary (and thus to the growth of the kingdom in Uganda and east Africa more generally) are striking. Prayer and financial support will continue to be highly valued, but we hope also to find ways of developing greater partnership in teaching and equipping, perhaps through making it possible for former Oak Hill students to spend time at United Martyrs Seminary, and for those from Uganda to spend some time at Oak Hill. |
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| Support Namugongo! |
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| To support Namugongo or to find out more about this Oak Hill partnership, please go here. |
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