Introduction
The nation of Uganda has gone through many hardships. The most prominent occurred during the reign of the third president of that nation (Idi Amin: 1971-1979). His brutality credited him with the deaths of close to 500,000 people.
Though major changes occurred for the better following Idi Amin’s reign, Uganda is still ranked as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. The human rights abuses are also appalling, including torture, trafficking of children, and forced labor.
This revival account will discuss the spiritual revival that occurred in Uganda, beginning in the 1990s.
Soldiers attacking churches
Covenanted to the Devil
It was confessed that the Ugandan’s ancestors were worshippers of other gods and were directly involved with witchcraft and Satanism. The use of amulets to ward off evil spirits was commonly seen in public. The fear of the unseen world was an overwhelming reality in many people’s lives.
Rituals, not only to ward off evil spirits, but also to gain political control, obtain better jobs, and to achieve success in life, were commonly conducted. Human sacrifices were also common.
This preoccupation with the occult by the Ugandan people led to the confession of church leaders that the nation was in a covenant with the devil.
Bodies lining the shores of Lake Victoria
The Conditions of Uganda
The list of suffering experienced by the people of Uganda is extensive. The nation has been known as a country of pain, with the name “Uganda” becoming synonymous with death, due to the infighting of political leaders as they struggled for control.
Here are a few of the tragic conditions the Ugandan people were experiencing at that time:
► Entire villages, with thousands of people, were massacred, and it wasn’t always known who was doing the killing.
► Fear blanketed the nation.
► There were powerful forces of darkness behind the political leaders and they were tearing the nation apart.
► It was common to see dead bodies lying along the roadside, having been killed and left unburied for days. The stench of death was common.
► With there never being any investigations into abuses, soldiers were unbridled and did whatever they wanted. There were always road checks being made by soldiers, and you never knew what the outcome was going to be, as the rules would change by the minute.
► Christians were often prevented from attending churches.
► By 1984, they began killing church members and pastors. They would storm into churches with guns blazing, shooting at random.
► Many church services were conducted secretly in woods and in the swamps.
► At great risk, pastors would make visits to about 10 groups every day, arriving home late in the evening.
► When found meeting together, believers were taken to cells where they were tortured and maimed—the sadism being unspeakable.
► Hundreds of thousands died, with bodies clogging the Owen Falls Dam, and lining the shores of nearby Lake Victoria.
► Factories stopped operating.
► Essential services were not in existence.
► The nation’s economy was collapsing.
► The city of Kampala was very polluted and most of the buildings were damaged.
► The corruption was so severe that you couldn’t get a single thing done through the government without paying bribes.
► The World Health Organization predicted that by 1997 one-third of the population of Uganda would die from AIDS.
Fervent prayer
Extraordinary Prayer and the Call to Repentance
Due to the horrific plight of the people they began asking sincere questions:
What had Uganda done to God?
Does God hate us?
In the midst of his pain, one man asked a pastor:
Where is this God of power you speak of?
Where is this God who you say answers prayer?
The Church knew that the only thing that would turn the dire situation around was prayer. There was no help from human sources. It was as if the world had abandoned them.
Out of deep pain, suffering, sorrow, and fear, the prayers began to ascend. Two pastors, describing the depth of prayer, said:
It was like Rachel weeping for her children (Matthew 2:18).
It was deep groaning prayer, with many tears.
During these times of prayer, the presence of God would come down, manifesting itself like a cloud, or a mist, hanging over the people. When you walked into these meetings you were walking into something that was tangible.
This persistent and unrelenting prayer is what caused the turnaround.
Praying for deliverance
Barrier of Witchcraft Broken
In a suburb of the Ugandan capital Kampala, there was a well-known and powerful warlock. One pastor said that “there was a kind of fear that walked with this man,” as if just being close to him you could sense the power of darkness. This man was making death threats toward the Christians in the area, but as the believers began to pray for God’s protection, it was that warlock that died, and only within a few days after they started praying.
It was after the death of that man that it was said that the heavens were opened and a church in that area (Miracle Centre Cathedral) grew so much that they built a 10,500-seat sanctuary. In addition to that church’s growth there were 1,000 daughter churches that were started in other locations.
10,500-seat Miracle Centre Cathedral being built
All Churches Experienced Growth
► It wasn’t just one church or ministry that brought the turnaround.
► One new church plant in 1995 (Christian Life Church), grew from 7 people to 2,000 in two weeks, and it now averages 25,000 during their 5 Sunday morning services.
► Every day there was a new church or ministry starting.
Pastors Gathering
Results of the Revival
► Churches began to work together.
► Citywide pastor gatherings for mutual prayer and encouragement became common.
► Thousands were healed of AIDS, being declared HIV negative.
► One pastor said that from his congregation alone there were 372 AIDS patients that were healed of AIDS.
► The AIDS epidemic, projected to kill one-third of the Ugandan population, didn’t happen, and it was largely due to 1) the grace of God; 2) the commitment to abstinence; 3) faithfulness and loyalty in marriages.
► There was a 50% decrease in the crime rate.
► The government instituted a new ministry: “The Ministry of Ethics and Integrity.”
► Though there was still significant corruption throughout Uganda, one pastor reported that it was incomparable to what it was like 15 years ago.
► The economy turned around, with Uganda becoming one of the three fastest growing economies in Africa.
Stadium when the nation was being dedicated to God
Uganda Dedicated to God
Around mid-October 1999, the First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni invited church leaders to a meeting where she asked if they could assemble a national worship service, with the express purpose of dedicating the nation back to God and thanking Him for bringing them through a dark period in Uganda’s history.
On December 31, 1999, thousands of believers gathered in a stadium and conducted a united worship service, expressly stating that they were:
Covenanting our nation, Uganda, to the purposes of God and to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Commenting on the Changes
Different church and government leaders, commenting on what they saw transpire, said:
Life has come.
It is astounding.
It is really a miracle.
Nobody can deny it.
And their further comments, when asked why God moved as He did, they said:
He was invited.
People desired him.
We humbled ourselves.
We prayed.
We paid the price, with our tears of repentance.
Sources
► Idi Amin by Wikipedia
► Janet Museveni by Wikipedia
► Transformations II by The Sentinel Group
► Uganda by Wikipedia
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Chet & Phyllis Swearingen
(260) 920-8248
romans1015@outlook.com
Beautiful Feet
P.O. Box 915
Auburn, IN 46706
