|
The General has Issued His Orders
"Great Commission" Christians are those who take seriously
the "marching orders" that the Lord Jesus gave His followers
as recorded in the last chapter of
Matthew's Gospel. In this
short passage, Jesus decrees that those who are His must
"...go and make disciples of all nations..."
The injunction to "go" makes it clear that the Church (the Body
of Christ) must move outward. It simply cannot remain content
and comfortable behind the walls of a fortress. And the
words describing the object of this going---"all nations"---
emphasizes the point that no group of people is to be ignored.
There is no nation that is too dangerous, has too difficult
of a language, or is too insignificant, to be forgotten in the
Church's pursuit of Jesus' Great Commission. In the fifth
chapter of John's Revelation we read of those in heaven
who are praising Jesus in this way:
"You are worthy...because You were slain,
and with Your blood
you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and
nation."
His Love Compels His Army
It is in the Spirit of this great commissioning that followers
of the Lord Jesus are coming together in Karamoja. Our Sovereign
LORD loves the Karamojong and gave His precious blood---His
very life---for them. And now, the life and love of Christ is
motivating His followers to seek out the Karamojong and bring
them the incredibly Good News that God loves them.
These are some of the Great Commission Christians working in Karamoja:
- Karamajong Team of IMB:
- Larry and Terry Singletary
have been serving the Karamojong since 1992.
- Dr. Mark and Elaine Pierce
are serving the Dodoth (a Karamojong subgroup) near Kaabong
in the Kotido District to the north of Moroto.
- John and Linda Witte are joining the Singletarys'
team and are currently in Kaabong
- Jean Grade is a veterinary doctor working in the
south as the "ethnovet."
- The Gray - Hairs Project
is a dedicated group of men from the US that are being prepared by
God to make a special journey to meet with elders of the
Karamojong.
- International
Mission Board (of the Southern Baptist Convention)
is the parent organization under which the Singletarys
serve in Karamoja. IMB has had
other mission activity in Karamoja as well.
-
A Full Gospel Church (Pastor Norman Acidribo) has worked
tirelessly to bring all of God's Good News to the Karamojong.
- The Pentacostal Assembly of God (PAG) is a visible, effective
ministry in the trading center of Singila, near Moroto town.
They have hosted Christian women's conferences and other
gatherings.
- The Anglican Church in Moroto town
is headed by Bishop Peter
Lomongin and hosts the Saint Phillips guest house, where
anyone can get an inexpensive overnight room.
- The
Presbyterian Church serves the Moroto community,
through the medical work and church planting of Dr. Herb
Pravius, in southern Karamoja.
- The Charismatic Catholics host
"Life in the Spirit" seminars in southern
Karamoja (Moroto District), and on December 17, 2000,
the first Catholic Diocese was opened in Tepez.
- Chronological Bible Storying:
- Church Planting Movements:
- The Jesus Film
Project (of Campus Crusade for Christ) has
translated this incredible film into over 800
languages-- the 500th of which was Karamojong.
Through the work of Immanuel Koel (Life Ministry
of Uganda), is involved in using this film
to bring the Gospel to the Karamojong.
"God has repeatedly used this straightforward
presentation of the life of Christ to literally
change lives. With the script taken straight from
the Gospel of Luke, 'JESUS' is recognized as the most
accurate depiction of the life of Christ ever put on film.
Every two seconds - sometimes in the midst of global chaos
and conflict - someone indicates a decision to receive
Christ as personal Savior as a result of seeing the
'JESUS' film."
|
