(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

Earlier this month, a Mozambican bishop was shot and killed at his home. Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Diocese of Quelimane had been growing more vocal about Islamist violence in the region before he was murdered on June 6th. Christian leaders across Africa are calling for a full investigation.

Meanwhile, Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region are mourning deadly attacks on churches. At least 37 Christians have been killed in the violence, and over 2,500 displaced. One church destroyed was the 101-year-old Telata St. Gabriel Church.

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says the situations are part of a larger pattern of unrest in East Africa.

“I think part of what has happened that has sort of raised the profile of these attacks is you have a number of people being killed in the attacks, but you also have a church being destroyed that was 101 years old. So this is not a church building that somebody put up on their property a year ago or five years ago.”

Believers in the Oromia region, a predominantly Muslim zone, have been the primary victims of these attacks.

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

“It does appear that Orthodox Christians are being targeted based on their religious identity,” says Nettleton. “In these attacks, they’re not attacking mosques; they are attacking churches. So it does seem to have a religious element or a religious motivation to the attacks.

“You have different facets of the population fighting against each other, looking for control, looking to gain influence, to gain power, and so this is one part of that sort of broader picture.”

As believers learn about the challenges facing Christians in Ethiopia and Mozambique, Nettleton encourages prayer.

“I would especially pray that there would be revival and that people would come to faith in Christ, even amidst the conflict and amidst the upheaval that’s going on.”

Pray for comfort and protection for affected believers, and ask God to draw many people in East Africa to Himself.

Header photo courtesy of VOM USA.

Set Free Global began freedom ministry in Uganda in 2005. Now, Director Jason Taylor says, “Because of our presence there, over two decades, we’re starting to get more and more opportunities in the nearby countries.”

Specifically, ministry leaders are eyeing neighboring Ethiopia.

In partnership with Cru and Freedom in Christ Ministries, “We are going to be hosting a freedom ministry training event for around 200 to 300 Ethiopian believers from multiple churches,” Taylor says.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity. This is going to be a multi-organization event where we are collaborating together and representing the body of Christ.”

The Gospel isn’t new to Ethiopia. Featured in Acts 8, a high-ranking Ethiopian eunuch undoubtedly carried the Good News home with him after being baptized by Philip.

“The Ethiopian Church is one of the oldest churches in the entire world,” Taylor says.

“Today, they’re serious about discipleship, but they’re finding themselves getting stuck in different ways.”

Faithful ministry to vulnerable children in Uganda has opened doors for freedom ministry in Ethiopia.
(Photo courtesy Set Free Global)

Set Free Global helps people get “unstuck.” Learn more about the process here.

Taylor explains, “We walk people through the seven steps to freedom to help them go through the cleansing process God designed for all believers: confession and repentance.”

Set Free conferences start in East Africa on Monday. Pray that the U.S. team arrives safely. Pray that Ethiopian Christians find freedom in Christ.

“We’re asking for prayer that we would effectively walk people through the seven steps of freedom in a group format, but make it personal so that each person can experience the freedom of Christ for themselves,” Taylor says.

Header image depicts a church in Ethiopia. Photo courtesy Valera Rychman/Pexels.

“Whenever there’s an election year, there’s always that tension that rises,” Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s Stephen Wesley says.

“It is an opportune time for us to be praying for Uganda.”

Uganda’s current president, Yoweri Museveni, is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, winning every election since 1996. Opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, known widely as Bobi Wine poses the biggest threat to Museveni securing a fifth term.

Mr. Luyimbazi Nalukoola talks with musician and politician Hon Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in 2019.
(Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0)

Military patrolled the streets of the capital and secured Wine under lockdown at his home while votes were cast and then counted.

“Eyes are on Uganda more now than ever before, and I think President Museveni is aware of that,” Wesley says.

Elections also took place amid increased persecution. Previously known as a haven for Christians in East Africa, Uganda is seeing more attacks targeting believers.

“You’re seeing an increase because the arm of Islam [trying to] control and prevent the spread of the Gospel is real. As the government does get more involved, and the police, that will help stem the tide [of persecution,]” Wesley says.

“That is definitely on the heart of Museveni; he wants Uganda to be known as a place [with] freedom of worship.”

Ask the Lord to fill believers’ hearts with peace to rest in Him and boldness to continue to share the Gospel.

“They are not necessarily praying that it (persecution) end, but that they would be able to be strong, stand up under it, and have resilience and courage in the face of it,” Wesley says.

“As they have that strength from the Holy Spirit to endure, they know that the Gospel will win in the end.”

Header image depicts President Museveni addressing crowds during the commissioning of Hamz Stadium. (Wikimedia Commons)

The school, a ministry of Set Free Global, is a vital change agent. More about that here.

“There was nothing there 20 years ago, and now it’s one of the most prolific schools in the entire area,” Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says.

(Photo courtesy of Set Free Global)

Although a school ministry wasn’t in Set Free’s original plans, believers followed the Lord’s leading. “It started with 42 orphans at a spiritual warfare conference,” Vander Mey says.

The local pastor told Vander Mey that orphans couldn’t attend school because they didn’t have the money to purchase necessary materials. However, “They figured out that if they stayed for the conference, they [could] eat porridge because they were starving.”

The work started small, with one teacher and clothing for the orphans.

“[The pastor and I] shook hands, and I said, ‘I’ll pay for the shoes, we’ll get a school teacher for $80 a month, and we’ll start a Christian school. He gave us his church facility six days a week, and the 42 kids came,” Vander Mey says.

“All of a sudden, their bellies were full, they had new shoes, new uniforms, and they were so excited they would run through the streets saying, ‘Jesus loves me.’”

Today, Set Free Global supports 11 Christian primary schools that enroll more than 4,500 vulnerable kids. “Those orphans are the army that’s come out of the ashes,” Vander Mey says.

“In Isaiah, it says, ‘I will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning.’ That’s what we’re watching God do.”

Light Academy is a Christian high school that allows primary school graduates to continue the discipleship process. “They are excelling, and they’re intelligent. They want to be doctors, lawyers, and teachers,” Vander Mey says.

“They are setting a high standard for the rest of the body of Christ.”

Child sponsorship helps dreams come true. Find your place in the story here.

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free Global. 

Kenya Hope’s Steve Holman says, “The Gospel is widely known, but it’s more of a prosperity Gospel. The vast majority of churches are prosperity; it doesn’t matter what the label is.”

The Lord provided a strategic partnership between Kenya Hope and Emmanuel Baptist Church of Nairobi to help pastors get the training they need.

Last month, 41 pastors attended a conference organized by Kenya Hope and Ekklesia Afrika, a ministry of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Representative photo
(Photo courtesy of Ekklesia Africa via Facebook)

“For the first time in our mission history, well-qualified Kenyans came to teach, and they taught a package of materials in a seminar format that laid the foundation for healthy pastoring and healthy churches,” Holman says.

“Out of that will come five or six pastors interested in being part of a formal program.”

Ekklesia Africa developed its Soma program to fill the training gaps held by many Kenyan pastors. As described here, the four-year program leverages cohort learning to expand leaders’ knowledge:

Soma is both a Swahili word meaning ‘to read’ and a Greek word meaning ‘body.’ The Soma program is divided into a four-year curriculum that covers key areas of study like Ecclesiology, Biblical and Systematic Theology, Pastoral Theology, Word-based Ministry, and Missions. Soma’s approach to learning revolves around cohort-based study and Socratic discussions. Each month, pastors in different cohorts receive a chosen book, accompanied by a study guide and report-writing guide, in preparation for a joint monthly cohort discussion. With cohorts comprising 6-12 pastors, these gatherings take place locally, allowing pastors to stay close to their homes and churches.

“If you’re being trained while you’re already on the job, it works really well,” Holman says.

“This is not a denominational thing. It is simply a good way to learn together.”

Strategic partnerships make it all possible. While Ekklesia Africa provides the training, Kenya Hope offers logistical support. “This was a test run, and everything we see indicates it’ll be an ongoing conference as the Lord provides,” Holman says.

Church partners in the US help through funding and volunteer work. “They partner with us for a specific place and period, and they help to establish a solid foundation for building Gospel bridges,” Holman says.

“When we’ve shown we care for real human needs, we get the opportunity to slowly, patiently, and systematically teach them the Gospel and call on them to put their trust in Christ in a genuine way.”

Contact Kenya Hope to learn more about church partnership.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Gracious Adebayo/Unsplash.

In East Africa, “Three of the kids that we loved 20 years ago are now pastors, and they all run private Christian schools,” Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says.

“Who knows what their lives would have been, but because they were loved and brought back to life and nurtured, they are now outstanding men in their community.”

Set Free operates Light Academy, the only Christian high school in a location devastated by AIDS. More about that here.

“This school is in the middle of a demonically held region where witch doctors eat children,” Vander Mey says. When Set Free began its work in 2005, “there was death and destruction; there was no life, and now there are children who are flourishing.

“Our grades are some of the top grades in the whole country. The average in the whole country is 56 percent, and our schools have 98.3 percent.”

The 42 orphans who attended a Set Free spiritual warfare seminar in 2005, hoping to receive corn porridge. Set Free began its discipleship and Christian education program with this group.
(Photo courtesy of Set Free Global)

The program began with dozens of hungry orphans, a teacher, and some shoes. It has expanded to include 14 primary schools and Light Academy, a residential Christian high school.

Sponsorship makes it all possible, and the discipleship provided by Set Free’s Christian teachers is life-changing. “Witch doctors have abused 90 percent of our children,” Vander Mey says.

“They’re not only set free, but they want to go find other people trapped in their hurt, pain, and anger the way they were.”

Sponsor a child through Set Free here.

“For that listener [who] doesn’t think God’s listening, just know He is. And, if these children who have been horrifically abused by witch doctors can heal and recover and be set free, so can you,” Vander Mey says.

“God is close to the brokenhearted. He revives those crushed in spirit. Psalm [50] says, ‘Call upon Me in your day of trouble, and I will answer you, and you will honor Me.’”

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free Global.

Set Free’s Dean Vander Mey says November 21, 2024, was an excellent day for the ministry’s former Global Director, Dave McIntyre. The two leaders held a Zoom call with Set Free’s program head in East Africa.

Mac’s impact on Set Free was immeasurable. He served with unwavering faith, boundless kindness, and deep devotion to God.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Set Free)

“At the end of the Zoom call, our director said, ‘Mac, you’ve had a huge impact upon these youth; 132 students want to be baptized because of your teachings and training. Would you please come and witness the baptisms?’” Vander Mey recalls.

“I looked at Dave and said, ‘Dave, you’re going to Africa!’ The next day, he died very unexpectedly from some complications with diabetes.”

Season two winner of the hit TV show Alone, Dave McIntyre, joined the Set Free team in 2021. Better known as “Mac,” he brought 15 years of missionary expertise and insight to Set Free’s international program.

Found unresponsive in his home on November 22, 2024, McIntyre is survived by his beloved daughters Erin (husband, John Hunley) and Karina, his son Daniel, and his precious grandchildren Zoe and Matthias.

A living legacy

Grief-stricken yet determined to carry on, the Set Free team decided to hold baptisms for the students as planned in March 2025. Earlier this month, McIntyre’s adult children traveled with the Set Free team to see their father’s work in East Africa.

“Dave’s middle daughter, Karina, sat next to me on the plane and said, ‘Dean, I wanted my dad to baptize me, and he’s gone. Will you baptize me?’” Vander Mey shares.

270 people were baptized on March 4, 2025!
(Photo, caption courtesy of Set Free Global)

Karina led the way as dozens of East African youth – and some onlookers – took a public stand for Jesus. “One of the guards at the guard shack laid his weapon down, walked into the water with his full uniform on, and got baptized. It was amazing!” Vander Mey says.

“It was quite beautiful to see Dave’s legacy live on, not only through his daughter but also through 177 youth at Light Academy.”

Dave McIntyre dedicated his time, talent, and treasure to making disciples of Jesus in East Africa. You can honor his memory by supporting that mission here.

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free.

Set Free’s Zippora Benting says, “Some of these children are 11 years old, and they’re talking about being able to disciple their friends and even their parents.”

Spiritism and witchcraft keep many families in bondage in East Africa. The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers freedom and healing. The process often starts with the youngest members of the family, who learn about Jesus in one of Set Free’s schools.

“They are just on fire with their new identity found in Christ and not under a burden of slavery into witchcraft,” Benting says.

(Photo courtesy of Set Free)

One student says fear used to hold her mother captive. Her mom was deathly afraid of her stepmom, a practicing witch. Then, the little girl shared Bible verses from her weekly lessons, and it helped her mom replace fear with faith.

“They’re under a very fear-based society, [which] is a big burden,” Benting says.

“When they learn that they are set free in their identity in Christ, they are unstoppable, even at eight years old.”

Discipleship continues at Set Free’s Christian high school, where more than 150 students recently asked to be baptized. Praise God for this development, and pray for safety as a Set Free team travels from the US to East Africa to watch the baptisms.

Benting says a recent email from partners in East Africa explained that “180 students wanted to be baptized at Light Academy, which is our high school and vocational school; we did not ask them if they wanted to be baptized or say that this is what you’re supposed to do when you become a Christian. But these teenagers all begged the teachers [to] baptize them in the lake right below the school.”

Consider sponsoring a child through Set Free. Your gift will enable a student to grow in their relationship with Christ.

“We have 440 students who are still seeking sponsorship to be able to attend a Christian school,” Benting says.

Header and story photos courtesy of Set Free.

Child sponsorship is also a great way to connect kids in the West with children overseas, but sometimes key details get lost.

For example, several years ago, “my parents said, ‘Oh, we’re going to sponsor a child through Set Free, and she’s going to be your new sister,’” Set Free’s Zippora Benting says.

“A week later, when my new sister had not arrived, I was disappointed. I’d picked out names and where she was going to sleep.”

Disappointment soon led to friendship as the “pen pal sisters” exchanged letters. “We were similar ages, and I had photos of her that I would pray for her every single night,” Benting recalls.

Then, Benting got to meet her “pen pal sister” in person in 2022. “It was just like this overwhelming, magical moment that I never thought that I’d be able to have. Our relationship up until that point was just letters,” she recalls.

Today, Benting leads Set Free’s child sponsorship program. “It’s such a rewarding process,” she says of the program.

“It’s more than just a check every month.”

Benting hopes her experience will encourage fellow believers to try sponsoring a child.

We love to listen to the students and hear about what they are learning in their spiritual and personal growth.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Set Free Global)

“We are moved to compassion a lot by the example of other people. To see other people’s compassion [for students] could be the spark for somebody else to help, and most of us have the means to do so,” Benting says.

Over 400 kids are waiting for a sponsor today. Consider supporting them here through Set Free.

“Their relationship with Christ is the first and foremost goal of the child sponsorship program, [to] let them know they are loved and have a heavenly Father,” Benting says.

“All of our sponsorships provide a child with a Christian education. They’re getting fed two meals a day. They get the school uniforms, the scholastic materials, like pens and paper, and all their books.”

Header and story images courtesy of Set Free Global.

Today, McIntyre, director of Set Free Global, trains church leaders to use the “top of the cliff” method with their congregants. If believers are prepared to handle tragedy before tragedy strikes, it would be like stopping them from falling off a cliff rather than scrambling to mend their wounds when they lie broken on the ground.

Since 1995, Set Free Ministries has been changing the world through discipleship. (Stock photo obtained via Pexels.)

McIntyre says, “Why are we teaching these methods to people that have suffered the damage and been destroyed? How can we get the same teachings to a place where people are in danger of being hurt and destroyed? It’s preventative medicine.”

Set Free Global’s Light Academy in East Africa has seen promising results by using this strategy. Over 4,500 vulnerable children are currently enrolled in Light Academy primary schools across East Africa. Set Free Global has also received requests to set up centers from church leaders in Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and South Asia. 

“We’re discipling them from kindergarten all the way through high school graduation,” McIntyre continues.

“If we can retain those students all the way through the program, they will have been taught spiritual freedom and how to walk with Christ in freedom in a very dark place.” 

Pray that the Lord will expand Set Free Global’s influence into the areas that need it most. 

“Most of the people who have been martyred for Christ in the last few years have been martyred in Nigeria, and the churches there have suffered an incredible amount of very real hurt and abuse and pain,” McIntyre says. His hope is that “top of the cliff” will prepare believers to forgive even in places of extreme poverty and high risk of martyrdom. 

Header image of schoolchildren courtesy of Set Free Ministries.