Appeal for the missionary center in Jinja

Dear brothers and siters, Rejoice in the Lord always!

With the grace of the Lord and the blessings of our Most Blessed Pope and Patriarch Theodore II, our missionary work continues. We also thank you for your continuous support and help.

Among many difficulties and needs, in parishes, sub-parishes, and new Orthodox communities in various regions of Eastern Uganda, we preach the Gospel and teach the Orthodox faith. We offer what we can to our unpaid Priests and our collaborators, to our poor fellow human beings in need, mainly from what your love provides and from what we try with great effort to secure from our own resources.

The work may be great and we few, as the Lord said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37). Our capabilities may be less than what we would like to do, but we thank God for every effort and small step we take each day, and we rejoice in what we newly acquire or create in our Diocese. And all for the glory of God, for the sake of our fellow human beings, for all of us. Primarily for the spiritual needs but also the physical needs of God’s people.

The creation of spiritual centers in every area where the word of God is sown is imperative and necessary.

For this reason, my brothers, I would like once again to remind your love of our great need in the newly established Diocese of Jinja and Eastern Uganda, for the continuation of the effort to erect the Missionary Center at our headquarters, in the city of Jinja. It will be a multi-purpose building that, in addition to the Bishop’s residence, will also house the offices of the Diocese, from where the broader pastoral and spiritual work will be promoted. It will also be the place from which missionary and medical teams will be directed, traversing the length and breadth of our Diocese in order to help and comfort our brothers who are in need and in all kinds of difficulties. In this space, there will be the possibility of hosting both invited brother-collaborators who will help us in the broader missionary work, and we will also be able to host orphaned children so that we can better protect them. And of course, we hope that the Missionary Center of our Diocese will also serve another important purpose: that of organizing conferences (educational, catechetical, medical, etc.) in order to promote the work of both the local Church and the Ancient and Missionary Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa.

For this reason, we ask you from the bottom of our hearts to help us so that we can realize this ambitious project that will have as its sole goal the glory of God and missionary service to God’s people.

Apart from the schools that offer the necessary education, our Diocese must also acquire the space where its own staff will be trained in the issues of mission and service. Not only on a theoretical level but also on a practical level. Mission is not only theory, but also gives the opportunity to learn some skills that will relieve their fellow human beings from poverty.

The work of building our missionary center, with the help of the Brotherhood, has begun, and to the glory of God, the foundation has been very well established, according to the specifications that comply with the requirements of local building regulations. Jinja is destined to be a tourist city in Eastern Uganda, so whatever is built must be in accordance with the city plan. The foundation of the building has been laid, as well as the support for the ground floor, which is a very important part of our work. Of course, we still have a long way to go, but we ask the Lord to give us opportunities, to bring us other donors to advance the building, to finish at least a part so that we can reach a point where we can start using it as a reference and coordination center, to move into the offices, to organize Mission programs, such as training for clergy and lay staff, programs to combat diseases, illiteracy, and hunger. Also, to have the possibility of hosting Mission collaborators.

I have hope that just as He blessed us to start, He will enable us to continue and complete it, and the day will come when we will be able to offer good service within our Missionary center. But even now before we finish it, we continue the work of the Lord in other ways, because with faith and love we are called to do whatever possible to serve our Lord Jesus Christ in all situations of life. For every soul we will give an account to God.

Everything happens and is realized because some people pray, because some offer know-how, because some offer volunteer work, and mainly because some offer from their surplus. We thank them all. In the mission, everyone has a position of responsibility. They save for their soul by working in God’s field.

The Grace of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.

Bishop Silvester of Jinja and Eastern Uganda