January 2020 News

Celebrating 50 years of the Bristol Uganda Link

As we hope you know by now, the link between the church in the Bristol Diocese and in Uganda was 50 years old this year and we had a great week of celebration in October.

The AYF choir:

• Stayed in 8 homes in 6 different parishes in Swindon for 5 night
• Performed for all of years 7 and 8 at Swindon Academy
• Entertained over 100 people at St Francis School Taw Hill and were welcomed by a choir of children from 4 local Primary Schools
• Inspired us at a great concert at St Michael’s Highworth.

Everyone who heard them were impressed by their ceaseless energy, great musical ability and particularly their vibrant faith as they mixed singing Christian songs composed by the group with their testimonies.  They then spent a week performing in the rest of the Bristol Diocese.

 

Bishop Eridard, Mama Jane, Revd Paulson, Revd Canon Frederick at Oliver Tomkins School with the Photo of Bishop Oliver who founded the link

Bishop Eridard and Mama Jane from Luweero diocese and Revd Canon Frederick and Revd Paulson from Kampala Diocese stayed in Swindon for 10 days.  While here, among other things they

• Visited 8 Sunday services in 7 benefices
• Met children in 8 different schools
• Engaged in discussion with Bishop Viv and Bishop Lee and local church members on a variety of topics.

The Uganda Link team is really grateful to everyone who contributed to making the celebrations a success, by hosting, transporting, welcoming or contributing financially.  We were delighted that as well as paying for the airfares for Bishop Eridard and Mama Jane, Swindon Deanery was able to contribute £1500 to the Ugandan Clergy training fund supported by Bristol Diocese. 

Where do we go from here?

It’s great to celebrate friendships formed in the past and help and support given, but we were always keen that this anniversary would look forwards as well as back, so what can we do to deepen our links in the coming 50 years?

It’s great to hear of parishes and schools who have already been inspired to get more involved…..

• St Paul’s Dorcan has revived the link with St Paul’s Kiwuliriza in Kampala, where Revd Paulson assists Revd Canon Helen and have exchanged messages via Podcasts.
• Stratton Team Ministry is considering how to partner with St Stephen’s Church and School in Kisugu, a suburb of Kampala who are lanunching an ambitious project to provide accommodation for 16 teachers
• The Benefice of All Saints and St Barnabas and the Parish of St Mary’s Rodbourne Cheney are considering finding suitable church partners to link with.
• The Deanery CE Academy is hoping to link with a Secondary School in Luweero
• Tadpole Farm CE Primary Academy sent letters of encouragement from year 6 to Nsawo Primary School’s top year group and have received letters in return.

 
If you have an idea about how you or your church could support the link more, communicate more regularly with our brothers and sisters in Uganda, or visit Kampala and Luweero, please speak to your local rep or contact Sally. 
 

What the link looks like currently

We are linked with Kampala and Luweero Diocese. 

Archbishop Stanley Ntagali is also Bishop of Kampala and when he retires in March 2020 he will be replaced by Bishop Stephen Kaziimba.  The Assistant Bishop of Kampala, Bishop Hannington Mutebi has just returned to Kampala after 11 months treatment for Leukemia.

Bishop Eridard Nsubuga, has been Bishop of Luweero since 2015. He and his wife, Jane, head a far more rural diocese, based around the small city of Luweero, about 50 miles north of Kampala. 

Churches and Schools in Swindon are linked with the following schools in Luweero Diocese:

• Balittalwogi Primary and Special Needs School with St John’s Haydon Wick and Haydon Wick Primary School  
• Bwaziba Primary School with St John’s Haydon Wick and St Francis School, Taw Hill  
• Katikamu Sebamala Primary School with West Swindon Benefice and Oliver Tomkins School 
• Nsawo Primary School with Tadpole Farm CE Primary Academy
• Sekamuli Secondary School with St Michael’s Highworth

There are opportunities for more schools and churches to be linked, so please contact Sally if you are interested.

Stop Press!

The AYF Choir will be returning to Swindon and you will be able to hear them again on Wednesday 8th January at 7.30pm at St Barnabas Church, Ferndale Road, Gorse Hill, SN2 1BU. Come along and bring a friend!