Training leadership to empower the laity
Zusammenfassung
Those who read the history of Uganda, and those who have lived long enough in Uganda are aware of the bloodshed regimes in 1970-1985. Uganda has suffered a lot under the leadership of Idi Amin and Milton Obote. The country has gone through political, social, economic, and religious changes. These changes have posed many challenges to the church in my context, the Anglican church of Uganda. It is clear that there is a need to engage lay Christians in response to these spiritual and pastoral challenges in our country and church, specifically in the Mukono Cathedral. The laity should not be engaged in church ministry to help the clergy, but to do the ministry because it belongs to them. In addition, the laity are gifted greatly, but they are not used enough.
Does it mean that the laity are taking away the work of the ordained? Surely not, because this ministry belongs to the laity before it belongs to the ordained as discussed in this paper. This paper also discusses the biblical mandate to equip all the people for God's ministry. Paul discusses the gifts which were given to the church for the purpose of equipping the saints (cf. Ephesians 4:11-12). By equipping the saints in this context the laity, we are strengthening the church which is the body of Christ.
Jesus Christ gave us an example of how important equipping is. He identified a few men, and then trained and taught them for the ministry. His methods are worth taking. This paper gives us a case study of a leadership training done in Mukono to prepare the ordained to equip the laity. All the recommendations indicate that there is a need to involve the laity in God's ministry. There is a need for the collaborative ministry.