From the beginning, God encourages people’s thirst for knowledge. At the same time, Scripture places a high level of responsibility on those who teach: to model Christlike behavior, remain faithful to the truth, and both encourage and correct others.

Jason Taylor with Set Free Ministries says this is why building up teachers is so important in their ministry.

Photo courtesy of Set Free Ministries

That focus is behind the Teachers Training Conferences in Uganda, starting in the beginning of May. “Every year we’ve made a priority to build into our teachers and develop them,” explains Taylor.

Taylor says they will meet with around 230 teachers from their school network across the country. And in this ministry, fellowship and training go hand in hand.

“We all come together,” says Taylor, “to encourage one another, to worship together, and to receive teaching from the Word that will fuel the fire for the rest of the year.”

The teachers are skilled in their work, but they also need to be poured into. That’s why discipleship is central to the training, because discipled adults are better equipped to disciple children.

Photo courtesy of Set Free Ministries

“We see it as a way to develop the whole person, the whole the men and women that teach in our schools,” adds Taylor.

Through its network of 12 schools, the ministry is reaching more than 5,000 students — and that number continues to rise.

“We’re in a season of growth right now,” he says. Yet Taylor notes that growth can be challenging. Pray for the team to have the resources they need to manage the increasing demand for education.

Visit Set Free Ministries to learn more about their work in the region and around the world.

Header photo courtesy of Set Free Ministries.

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.

Jason Woolford of Mission Cry says, “[Global] instability is disrupting shipping routes and affecting humanitarian work around the world.”

Photo courtesy of Mission Cry

A few months ago, Mission Cry sent a container of Bibles and Gospel materials to Uganda, where many people are eager to own a Bible and grow in faith. The shipment was delayed at sea, like many others, and route managers began making changes.

“They were rerouting it, which was going to take it into a Muslim port, which would have been continuous problems,” says Woolford.

Now, however, the container is headed to its intended port. It carries $500,000 worth of free Bibles and Christian books, ready for distribution through local partners.

Woolford says, “We’re seeing a very big need in Malawi and Uganda and some of these countries that are landlocked.” He adds that these regions are often overlooked due to logistical challenges and cost.

As the geopolitical landscape shifts and economies remain unpredictable, pray that ministries involved in humanitarian aid and logistics will find creative solutions in Christ. It is urgent.

“These disruptions have slowed, or hurt the Gospel from reaching people who are waiting for it,” Woolford adds.

Photo courtesy of Mission Cry

Pray for ministries navigating present challenges. Consider donating spare Bibles or biblical materials to Mission Cry, and pray for provision to deliver them to communities hungry for the Word of God.

Woolford points to the urgency of the need: “There are people in one of our shipments to China who risked their lives for a copy of the book of John and to distribute it in the north. And so there’s a real need.”

Header photo courtesy of Mission Cry.

“There is a lot more from the Allied Democratic Forces coming into Uganda and attacking.” 

In the East, it’s a different story. There, Muslim-majority communities team up against their Christian counterparts. Wesley says while the attacks were initially more verbal than physical, the intensity of violence is increasing. Reports indicate that attacks are especially ramping up against evangelists and recent converts. 

“Because that is the evidence of Christianity’s expression in those places,” Wesley says. “If the church was silent and was not evangelistic, then they would feel no threat.” 

Despite this, some Muslims are beginning to see the cracks in their cultural fortress; and those who do are stepping outside it. Choosing Christ over Islam means ostracization, threats, and sometimes even death. But Wesley says even this reality can serve as a confirmation for new believers. 

“They see that almost as a weakness of their faith and a strength of Christianity, and therefore they oppose it,” he explains. 

On the political front, Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has pledged to uphold religious freedom in the country, and Wesley says that position is backed by policy. 

“Where there have been attacks, there are actual police reports that are written, and people have been arrested. So they are trying to prevent these things from taking place,” he says. 

Still, the situation is complex. According to a report from Open Doors International:

 “The Ugandan government’s increased surveillance and monitoring, in response to national security concerns, have added another layer of pressure on Christians. While the government’s actions are aimed at curbing Islamic extremism, they place Christians under further scrutiny, particularly in regions already fraught with religious tensions.”

Regardless of human leadership, Wesley says Christians will remain Kingdom-focused, as persecution is neither new nor unexpected for followers of Christ. The history of Uganda itself is peppered with martyrdom, Wesley says, and it’s a backdrop that fortifies believers. 

“In the understanding there, they recognize that they are going to suffer some persecution, but they’re not willing to let that prevent them from continuing their faith,” he says. 

As the church in Uganda continues to lift up the name of the Lord, would you lift up these brothers and sisters in prayer? 

Pray for the light to shine in the darkness and for the Holy Spirit to strengthen believers in love, faith, and endurance. Pray for a spirit of resilience, courage, and boldness amongst the Ugandan church, and pray that lost people would respond to the glorious hope and salvation of Jesus Christ.

Above: Ugandan community, courtesy of illustrate Digital UG via Pexels. Featured image: Ugandan church, courtesy of Fame of God Studios via Unsplash.

“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. 

A growing church-based effort is stepping into those critical moments with both practical help and Gospel hope.

Journey of a Life Giver Training in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of LIFE International)

LIFE International partners with a church network in Uganda, conducting training events titled Journey of a Life Giver and Redemptive Conversations. These trainings equip Christian leaders to respond to family crises in life-giving ways.

April Schmidt, LIFE International’s Life-Giving Ministries Manager, says the goal is to have a spiritual and cultural impact as leaders ultimately point people to God the Father’s heart for life.

“We’re seeing just an expansion and a change of heart in the participants,” says Schmidt. “These are leaders in this denomination. They already love the Lord. They’re already committed to the sanctity of human life. But what this does for them in this training is it’s helping them to take what they know and to put that faith into action.”

That action often begins when people approach Christian leaders during moments of desperation.

Journey of a Life Giver Training in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of LIFE International)

“They are usually coming to you because they have what they perceive as their felt need: ‘I have the need for an abortion. I have to have this abortion. I need money. I need a place to live. I need a job,'” Schmidt says.

“However, the greatest need is the real need. The real need is Jesus.”

One simple training tool has opened powerful conversations. Schmidt explains, “One of the Uganda trainings was we give them this little fetal model of [a] 12-week gestational age baby. They hold it in their hand and they look at it, and they have this realization of how small and how precious life is.”

Schmidt says one Christian leader in family ministry and counseling now carries the fetal model with her everywhere.

“She said, ‘Since I have done this training with you, I am finding more and more that people are coming to me with their crisis pregnancies, with their stories of loss and suffering…. I can pull that little baby out and I can put it in their hand, and I can talk to them about the value of life.'”

Journey of a Life Giver Training in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of LIFE International)

As Ugandan churches engage family crises with biblical truth and grace, prayer support is essential.

Please pray for protection, wisdom, and transformed hearts as pro-life ministry continues in Uganda and beyond.

Learn more about LIFE International at their website.

Header photo: Maternity home in Uganda. (Photo courtesy of LIFE International)

President Yoweri Museveni has held office for nearly 40 years. Ever since he seized power in 1986, Uganda has been “comparatively stable, but increasingly authoritarian,” according to a 2025 report from the U.S.-based Congressional Research Service. Uganda has never had a democratic transition of power.

Whether or not Museveni receives a seventh term in office will be determined in the January general elections. But Uganda’s 2021 elections were marred by a number of killings, enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses. Months ahead of the elections, David Durance with TeachBeyond said local staff are starting to see more of the same.

(Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond Uganda)

“[They tell us] that this is much more intense than it has been before, that there’s already pressure and even violence,” he said. 

As in most cases, the outcome of national government elections will affect ministry. Durance says there are two dimensions that TeachBeyond is mindful of and praying about. The first layer is that education policy changes can change the landscape. 

“[For example,] we spent years working on a school project that’s now open and really flourishing. But one swipe of a pen in Kampala could wipe that away,” Durance said.

The second layer that TeachBeyond is praying about is practical. Political unrest can prevent students from attending school or even make parents hesitant to send kids to a Christian school. 

“There’s all these [underlying] tensions that happen that impact our ability to really reach the communities that we’re trying to reach,” Durance said in summary. 

Yet in Uganda’s turbulence, Christians carry the gospel as the answer. One Sunday, Durance visited a Ugandan church where half of the worship songs were prayers for their nation. “It was amazing to see how this community of believers recognized that it was their responsibility as followers of Jesus to be praying for their country and that they want to be the active agents of having the gospel heard,” he said. 

“I thought what was interesting was not that they were actually praying for some sort of political revolution or even change. They were praying that people would turn to Christ, knowing that all those other things will fall into place.”

Pray with TeachBeyond for political favor for ministry and for the next generation of Ugandans to be grounded in the Lord.

(Photo courtesy of TeachBeyond Uganda)

Header photo from Iganga, Uganda courtesy of Zach Wear via Unsplash.

This tragedy compelled Pastor Reuben Musiime and his associates to begin a radio ministry in Uganda that would share the truth of the Gospel, according to Brian Dennett of AMG International, which partners with Pastor Reuben.

“They were really devastated by that. After reflecting, they felt called to help people all over Uganda to understand the gospel and what salvation is truly about, so that they could enjoy their walk with the Lord, and that they could be confident in knowing who the Lord was and what His purpose was for them,” says Dennett.

Photo courtesy of AMG International via amginternational.org

Today, the ministry reaches around ten million listeners with messages ranging from walking with Jesus, family life, church, social issues, and more.

“The program revolves around healthy doctrinal teaching right out of the Bible, warning believers about emerging false initiatives and false prophets and cult activity in Uganda—even the prosperity gospel, which is pretty rampant all over Africa,” says Dennett, who spoke during the ministry’s series on how to be a Christian father. “We do have so much in common as brothers and sisters, no matter where we live. Our struggles and challenges are not so different.”

Radio has proven to be a powerful way to start conversations and share the truth of Jesus in parts of the world that are challenging to reach with the Gospel. To partner with media evangelism initiatives at AMG International, go to amginternational.org.

“Please be in prayer,” says Dennett, “as we seek to reach people around the world for Jesus.”

Header photo courtesy of AMG International.

The team of seven, including Prisoners for Christ president Greg Von Tobel, said this was possible because of widespread evangelisation in central and southern Africa.

(Photo courtesy of Ehsan Habashi/Unsplash)

Von Tobel says, “When we get to some of these countries, and we have people already on the ground doing the heavy lifting before we get there, the doors are quite open.”

Born-again prison superintendents can open the doors – Von Tobel says other inmates are simply waiting to hear the Gospel. 

The team also tried something new by having pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas Lenart run an eye clinic in two prisons. Between both prisons, Lenart met over 200 patients.

Lenart says, “Our main goal is for the inmates we’re in front of to know the Lord Jesus Christ, and this was just another opportunity. Spiritually, we wanted them to know His love and how He cares for them, and He is the great healer. We wanted, in a small way, to just be able to be in front of the inmates and provide them some eye care.”

The team distributed 80 pairs of reading glasses in the two prisons, and Lenart was able to diagnose glaucoma and other eye issues. He later returned to the prisons to deliver eye medications, supplementing empty prison infirmary shelves.  

One patient who stuck out to Lenart was a staff member who approached the team as they left the building. The woman couldn’t read the small print of her Bible. Having distributed all of the glasses, Lenart asked another member of his team if the woman could borrow his glasses to test them. 

After testing them, Lenart asked the team member if he would part with the glasses. “Actually, I won’t,” the team member responded. “They’re all scratched up and she won’t be able to see well – but in the van, I have a brand new pair of +2s.”

Lenart says, “He walked out and gave them to her, and when she put them on, she was able to see the small print. Tears were rolling down her face because she was so happy to be able to read, and she was extremely grateful to be able to use those now to be able to read her Bible.”

Though the ministry was welcomed in Uganda, Prisoners for Christ hopes new ministries like this could be a step into closed countries that are hostile to the Gospel. 

It’s already making a difference on a personal level. At one small Ugandan prison, the team was in the middle of a church service when a Muslim inmate joined. Other inmates tried to shoo him away, but the host national invited him in. The host learned that the visitor was an imam who had been wrestling with evil dreams of his recently deceased mother. 

The team prayed with him. Lenart says, “It was a powerful, powerful prayer. All of us were supporting him, you know, in the name of Jesus, in the blood of Jesus. [After] that prayer, the imam came to Jesus right then and there.”

Von Tobel says, “Our ministry is all about Jesus. We want to point people to the foot of the cross.” 

Prisoners can be an unreached people group. There are few prison ministries outside of the United States; not many people want to go to prisons in developing countries.  

As Prisoners for Christ seeks to double its global footprint, it needs more willing hands. Please pray for staff and volunteers willing to go out into the world and for the financial resources to facilitate these prison ministries.  

Header photo courtesy of Donald Tong/Pexels.