This account is the perspective of one of our International Mentors Tom Correll, who served for 15 years as a missions pastor at Wooddale Church in Minneapolis (listed in Tom Telford’s book, Today’s All-Star Missions Churches, as one of the top 20 mission churches in the USA). Tom reminds us that God’s primary way of reaching the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is through local churches.
In April 2011, I had the opportunity to join a Discipling for Development Team for a coaching trip in eastern Uganda. The purpose of this trip was to provide ongoing training to our Ugandan Discipling for Development partners who are implementing whole-life discipleship in their congregations, and local communities. I was excited to be part of this team because the Discipling for Development leaders being discipled were all pastors of local churches. As a churchman, I believe that local churches continue to be God’s primary agent for advancing His Kingdom. Yes, God works through individuals, but these individuals are part of, and under the authority of local churches. These pastors in Iganga, Uganda are serving primarily in small, rural communities. Their parishioners are mainly subsistence farmers. All the pastors are bi-vocational—in several situations receiving no income from the churches they serve.
They have seen Discipling for Development as a means of providing spiritual, physical and economic uplift to their church members. But, their vision doesn’t stop with their own church members; it includes outreach to their communities. As they are growing spiritually through study of God’s Word, and application of scriptural principles in their lives, they are discipling church members. In turn, these members are serving and reaching out to the community—sharing what they have learned, and inviting their neighbors to join them.
What did I see? I saw men treating their wives with respect and dignity, making themselves accountable to their wives as spiritual leaders in their homes, and economic providers for their families. These same fathers were encouraging their children to get a good education. I saw churches that were doubling in attendance over a two year period, because members were serving their neighbors and neighbors were observing changed lives. I saw churches where giving had increased 500% over this same two year period because people were learning financial stewardship, and becoming food sufficient through growing gardens, and reducing medical expenses by having improved hygiene. Requests for money from the pastor after church had virtually ceased. In a number of cases, churches had started providing financial support for their pastors. In summary, Discipling for Development is equipping these Ugandan pastors to become much more effective shepherds of the flock of God, and God is being glorified greatly.