If you don’t read any other of Empower’s reports, read this one.
Imagine a place where women are considered property, and not allowed to speak because they are not a “full person.” Now imagine Empower/Uganda president Joyce and her husband, Rev. Julius Ouko, bringing the truth that both men and women are made in the image of God and of equal value in God’s eyes to that community. For many participants, the teaching completely altered the way they see and relate to God and to each other.
Empower Uganda President Joyce Ouko and her husband Julius recently traveled to Karenga, a town in the Karamoja region in Northern Uganda–the very place where these values are held.
The trip was difficult and in some ways, dangerous. But lives were changed as a result of the training. Below is Joyce’s report, edited for length and clarity. As you read her report, I (Carrie Miles) hope you appreciate the courage and dedication that these wonderful people show in undertaking this mission.
I would like to start by giving thanks to God for giving us the grace to reach different places with the empowering message of Empower International Ministry. And to Founder and President Dr. Carrie Miles and the entire family of EIM, USA for continuously putting resources together to see that this wanted message reaches where God has opened the door.
Karenga, Karamoja is the most remote, dry place but has an incredibly strong cultural bond. The village elders are the ones who decide, determine, permit, bless, curse and lead the community. Elders are the gods/priests/witches, they determine almost everything. Everyone in the community knows you don’t try to tell them what to do, or disobey them. If you attempt to do so, you will be killed. However, we learned that their elders respect the Church; they don’t enter to kill people inside and around the churches, schools and hospitals.
Truly, before we left, we felt scared. We wondered whether we would come back alive or not.
To reach Karenga, we had to drive about 400 kilometers, which took about 12 hours. Thankfully, we were warmly welcomed by Pastor Stellah from Pentecostal Assemblies of God.
The next morning we went to the training venue, where Pastor Stella is the Assistant Pastor. The Senior Pastor was away for pastoral training. When we arrived, we were surprised that the church was locked and no one was there.
It turned out that Pastor Stella had gone to organize the food that would be served during the training, since it was going to be quite different from the traditional food in that region. The local people eat raw meat, milk, and blood. But our hosts had arranged for us to eat cooked food, which is quite expensive and scarce because so few people eat it there.
Shortly, a woman named Christine came and opened the church. After about 30 minutes other people started coming and we started our program. We didn’t know what to expect as far as attendance–we hoped for at least five people. We’ve talked to others who have done ministry in Karamoja, who told us that no one had come and so they never even had a chance to minister. As you may be aware, I am studying, so I got the Karamoja connection through one of my schoolmates from Karamoja. Unfortunately, that friend did not attend, as he had become ill. We were delighted that 14 people attended, both men and women. Karenga is a district within Karamoja region, it is a bit civilized according to the people we met. Unlike other people from the region, many of the people in Karenga wear clothes!
In Karenga, there are only three traditional Churches: Church of Uganda, the Catholic church (COU), and Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG). The three churches often work together. Our training, however, included pastors from two: COU and PAG. The participants included four pastors, five pastors’ wives, three political counselors and three lay people. All 14 were very committed to the training for all three days.
Some things you may need to about Karamoja;
When they decide to love you, they do it with all their hearts.
Polygamy is quite at a low rate.
Their cows are their riches, so the people are cattle rustlers, often trying to steal cattle from others.
They are worriers by nature.
The “bride price” when couples marry is often hundreds of cows, depending on the level of education of the girl.
Their marriages are matched by the parents depending on riches.
In Karamoja, a woman does not speak in any meeting despite her being present because she is not considered a full person. She is seen as a property, and as such, a man can do whatever he wants with her. She has no voice or influence in decisions, even at home. The only exception is when one of her children becomes sick.
Although our ministry has been slowed because of the pandemic, and it felt like the church was under attack, the power of the EIM message has not been compromised. And when a pastor learns and keeps the new perspective the training provides, behind him or her there are hundreds of families delivered from the bondage of the culture.
We would also like to thank all our fellow laborers in Empower International Ministry, including Africa Director Pastor Frank Tweheyo, always for his good guidance, and the Ugandan Empower Team, for always availing themselves to move to different places for Empower ministry.
Testimonies
Pastor Angom Stella Lotwang (PAG) is not a Karamojong but is married to a Karamojong man. She was our contact person, because she did not know any of us, neither did she have any idea of EIM. This put her at a very high risk of allowing strange people to come in and teach. She worried what would happen if the elders found out. So, she told us that she prayed: “Lord if this is not from you, let this Empower people not come. And even if they come, let something happen to fail their program.” This was her way of testing whether our message was truly from God, so even when we arrived, she says, she prayed the same prayer.
We had only just started the first part of the first lesson when she realized that our training was indeed from God and biblical. She immediately got her phone and called more people to come to the training. After the training, those people were thanking her profusely for loving them enough to call them to such an eye-opening training which they have never heard! They said that it was a very clear message from God about man and woman.
Pastor John Lokiru (COU) told us that he was quite surprised to learn that both man and woman were created in the image of God. He had never thought seriously that the woman is made from God’s image, and because of this, he saw women as being very low in everything. The sermons he has been hearing and indeed, preaching himself for years, always taught that Adam was absolutely NOT present when the serpent was conversing with Eve, therefore ONLY Eve sinned. They had believed that God blamed Adam because of being one flesh with his wife Eve. The training helped him see what the text says, that Adam was with Eve when the serpent spoke to them.
Pastor Fred Lokuda is a teaching pastor who testified that the new things he learned made him decide to commit himself to break the cultural ties by applying the truth from the Bible. He told us he plans to start by organizing small groups to teach the material, including women’s groups, men’s groups, married couples meetings and also a small group for his workmates.
Christine Lokwang is the wife to the lead Pastor of Karenga P.A.G Church. She told us she had been taught that when Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed man and woman. She was surprised to learn that the Bible teaches that God cursed the serpent and the ground. Because she thought of herself as cursed, it has been hard for her to trust the mercies of God. Now she can trust God’s mercy and love. What an amazing and important transformation!
Gabriel Akullo Samali (Local Council 3 representative). He testified that he learned that the message of Empower teaches us to imitate Jesus’ way of understanding the relationship of Jesus and his bride the Church. He says he will use his position as a counselor to protect his wife and women in his community against deadly cultural practices over women.
Retired Rev. Isaac from Church (COU) told us that he learned that the focus of the marriage that reflects Christ can only be achieved through mutual respect between both husband and wife, both equal before God.
Joyce Ouko, President, Empower, Uganda.