Equipping the Church in Uganda One Page at a Time

In the heart of Soroti, Uganda, a quiet yet intentional equipping is happening through turning pages and sharing breakfast. Pastor Richard Oonyu sits at a table chatting with peers as he carefully flips through the pages of a new book over breakfast.

Resonate Global Mission missionary Anthony Sytsma and local pastors like Oonyu are working together to tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the African church: the need for deep theological resources and biblical training. The church in Africa is growing at a breathtaking rate, and the hunger for knowledge is immense.

However, many pastors in Uganda face staggering obstacles to deep study. While some city pastors have a small collection of books, the average rural pastor might own only a Bible and one or two Christian books. Sytsma has even met leaders who own zero books and no Bible at all. These pastors are often bivocational volunteers, receiving as little as $1 to $5 a month from their churches while balancing farming, teaching, or business to survive.

As Sytsma explained, by the time they get home from a schedule filled with community pressures, weddings, and burials, they are exhausted. “Opening a book would be challenging for any of us in such a situation,” he said.

That’s why Sytsma founded the Soroti Pastors’ Book Club to provide resources and accountability for a community of 43 pastors from a variety of denominations.

The impact of this simple model has been profound. The group reads through a series like the Healthy Church books donated by Christianbook and Crossway. Pastors read the books in advance and then discuss them together. One local church was recently “helped, convicted, and instructed” through a book on deacons, leading them to appoint deacons for the first time in their history. Beyond technical training, pastors testify that the biggest impact is the unity and new friendships formed across different church backgrounds.

This work is about multiplication and true ownership rather than creating dependency. Sytsma notes that he has been “thoroughly humbled and impressed” by the hunger for knowledge these leaders possess. One of the recent outcomes that excites him most is seeing pastors start their own reading groups in rural areas to reach even more pastors.

“Being a member of the book club has been one of the most important things in my life,” said Oonyu. “My knowledge of the Word of God and relevant doctrines has greatly improved, and most of the books that we read and discuss collectively are very vital for any Christian leader.”

He said that the book club provides access to vital books that would otherwise be “practically impossible” to find.

Through Resonate, the mission agency of the Christian Reformed Church, the denomination’s churches are partnering with local believers around the world to help strengthen churches and spread the gospel. Sytsma is helping leaders grow in their faith, equipping them to guard their congregations against false teachings and lead with biblical integrity. He notes it is incredibly rewarding to see the “light bulb click” as pastors gain a better grasp of the gospel.