May 2026 Uganda
A Mission in Karamoja and a Mission in Mbale
You are all probably wondering why the OPC has a mission in Mbale and also in Karamoja which is only two hours away.
- The following information is from my interview with Tina DeJong, mission team member.
Tina DeJong
When the OPC started its work in Uganda, they worked to help plant churches in the surrounding villages. The OPC has now been able to establish its own Bible college in Mbale called Knox School of Theology. As the OPC developed relationships in Uganda it was able to extend its gospel outreach to Nakaale Karamoja through the purchase of land to provide a place for a church plant and medical outreach center. Karamoja is in the bush, a two hour drive north of Mbale. There are many Karamojong people living in villages near the mission compound. It tends to be more of a mercy mission with its medical clinic.
How is the mission at Karamoja linked to the mission in Mbale?
When David Robbins was here as a pastor in Karamoja, he started the Timothy Discipleship Training program (TDT). The goal was to find young Karamajong men in the area who had leadership gifts. The mission would sponsor them to finish secondary school and then prayerfully consider if they could help with higher level education, which could include attending Knox School of Theology in Mbale. They don’t want sponsored students to become dependent on missionaries, but to develop their gifts and become leaders in the Nakalee Presbyterian Church (in Karamoja).
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| Men in the Timothy Discipleship Training program. |
Here’s an example of the fruit we have seen. A young man Timo, was a part of the Timothy Discipleship training program. He stated that at the beginning he was in it for the financial assistance and for the school fees. He made it through secondary school then went to his first year at Knox School of Theology. He did some things he shouldn't have done. The mission pastor who was there at the time, found out. He admonished him, and said, “You do anything like this…. You will be kicked out of the program. This is not what God would want you to do.” And God used that to bring him to repentance, and he has changed quite a bit.
Another person who came to that program is AZ. He is now the junior administrator at the clinic. This young man after finishing secondary school, went to nursing school and got his nursing certificate in Mbale. The mission helped pay his school fees to get through all of that. He is a very wise young man even for his young age. He is a Karamojong. He is looked up to by many people in the surrounding community. He seems to have elder qualities and they hope and pray that he would be an elder at the church here.
“Seeing how Jesus has changed their lives has encouraged the church and the development of leadership for the church. We want to take more time and energy to put into that program”. Tina DeJong
When the Timothy students return to Karamoja on school breaks, they work for the mission two days a week and help out at church.This gives them a little spending money. The advanced students have been helping Chloe with translation of a Christian pamphlet. Recently, they have helped build a house for one of the older ladies from the church.
The mission wants to encourage them to work, but also they just like having them around. This gives the Timothy students opportunities to see how the mission people strive to live for Christ in their daily lives. They try to be intentional about doing some discipleship with them.
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| They also help with some of the translation during the church service. |
The young men who have been in the Timothy Discipleship Training program have received further Biblical training from pastors.The mission is encouraging them to mentor the younger new students who have started the program.
“We are trying to get it to where it's not so much the mission doing all the training, but Pastor Julius and the older guys who have been trained by others”. Tina DeJong
How is the mission at Karamoja linked to the mission in Mbale?
Students that attend Knox come from near and far. Some are from the Timothy Discipleship program in Karamoja, some are local and some come from other countries. The OPC started the Knox School of Theology.
May 2025 was the first graduating class where students received diplomas from Knox School of Theology. Timo, who I mentioned earlier, was a part of that graduating class. He is now an intern here at the church in Nakaale (Karamoja), and is the chaplain at the clinic.
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| Timo is on the right. He's an intern at the church. On the left is a Timothy student, translating for him. |
-The following information is from my interview with Mike Kearney, Missionary Evangelist.
A previous missionary evangelist, Charles Jackson worked with the African faculty staff, to get the accreditation needed to establish KST. This was done under the OPC, Committee on Foreign Missions which has always governed KST, though one day it is hoped to be completely led by indigenous Africans in connection with a confessionally Reformed and Presbyterian church or churches. In the past, KST met at nearby Livingston University). Also, the mission staff in Mbale and Karamoja meet monthly with members from the Uganda Subcommittee from the OPC Committee on Foreign Missions to prayerfully discuss general matters pertaining to the mission work, including how to handle various diaconal and legal matters that arise.
Mike Kearney, who had been been a full-time pastor for 23 years, most recently pastored an OPC congregation for almost 10 years in Iowa before coming to Uganda. He, his wife Jenn and their youngest daughter moved here at the end of May, 2025. He is one of two OPC missionary evangelists in Mbale and is there to assist, advise and encourage All Nations Presbyterian Church. He does some of the preaching, along with his teaching at Knox School of Theology. Mike is also leading the oversight of the Reformation Book Room.
Mike & Jenn Kearney
Reformation Bookroom / All Nations Presbyterian Church
Knox School of Theology
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Fred & Kaling Lo
The new administration building of Knox was built late in 2024. With the original purchase of the land and building of the school, there was some friction, (see story below). There wasn’t really any grounds for complaining. And because Knox is here, there's now a road. There’s also a water pump that they let the villagers come in and use. I think they now see Knox as a blessing, even if they're not yet converting to Christianity, But it is progress. It takes generations sometimes.
-The true story of the witch doctor was written for me by Okuch, Academic Dean at KST.
"I believe there is truth to that message, though the friction the writer mentions actually happened during the construction of the Juba house, the building where Kakule’s family currently lives, and the current kitchen, rather than the admin building. This happened between 2022-23.
At the time, our neighbors (the Islamic school next door) were unhappy with our progress and secretly sent witch
doctors to perform curses against us at night. This happened on several nights. I only found out through a friend
whose contact worked at that school.
Apparently, one night, their witch doctor was 'struck down' by an unexplained
force and had to be rushed to Ahmadiyya Hospital (a Muslim hospital) on Kumi Road here in Mbale.
My friend’s contact was among the administrators who visited him that night. The consensus at the hospital was
that Knox had visited Pemba Island in Tanzania—a place known for powerful sorcery. That Knox had acquired
a spirit stronger then theirs from Pemba. The man was hospitalized for two weeks. When he was finally discharged
and asked when he would resume his “fight" against Knox, he reportedly told them,
"This is my first time fighting Christians; I am done. I will never continue." He left the school shortly after. "
Elder Andrew Okuch Ojullo
Behind the administration building, they plan to eventually build a faculty housing for the full time African faculty. One of the other repurposed buildings will be converted into additional dorms.]
Knox frequently has guest lecturers from around the world teach two week classes. There is a guest apartment in the new building for them. On our tour at Knox, I saw a couple of students chop wood by the chapel. They do that to earn or partially earn their scholarship funding.
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| The outdoor meeting area serves as a chapel. It's also the meeting place of New Life Presbyterian Church. |
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| Looking out from the administration building over the parking area |
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| Looking out at the KST farm |
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| The site for planting produce |
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The women workers cook over wood fires to prepare meals for students & faculty.
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| This is one of the dorm houses and includes the dining area. |
May 23, was the second graduating class since Knox became accredited.
Rev. Douglas Clawson
CHANCELLOR
General Secretary Committee for Foreign Missions-OPC
Master of Divinity, Westminster Theological Seminary
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Rev. Dr., Brian A. DeVries
Holds, PhD., Th.M., M.Div., BBA
He currently serves as Principal and Senior Lecturer at Mukhanyo Theological College, South Africa.
He is a minister of the Reformed Churches of South Africa.
Rev. Frederick Lo
KSTU ACTING PRINCIPAL
Master of Theology, Master in Religious Studies, Westminster Theological Seminary
Rev. Mike Kearney
KTSU BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Masters of Divinity, Westminster Theological Seminary
Rev. Benjamin Hopp
Incoming General Secretary of the Committee on Foreign Missions
Missionary Evangelist in Haiti for 17 years
Regional Foreign Missionary in Africa 2 years
Rev. Paul Magala
KSTU Academic Registrar & Lecturer
Master of Art in Development Studies (in progress) - Uganda Christian University
B.A. Christian Community Leadership, African Bible University
Elder Andrew Okuch, Ojullo
KTSU Academic Dean & Lecture Academic
Master of Theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Student Guild President
He just finished his second year at KST
The graduating class & faculty
A little bit about the Karamonjon life
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| The Karamonjong people raise cows and grow crops. Rainy season starts in March and they start preparing the fields. They have very little income until they can harvest their crops. |
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| I was sitting at the table drinking coffee early one morning and I heard yelling going on for quite some time. These men (and boys) were plowing with oxen. They are very patient and have to yell constantly to get the oxen to move, especially to get them to turn around. |
(This picture looks a little suspicions. I think everything was ok). Some of them have access to a tractor and use it as a first step in preparing the fields.
Once the men have finished in the fields with the oxen or the tractors, the women start with their 12 pound hoes. Singing and laughter can be heard even though it's very hard work in the hot sun. Some women go straight from church to the fields without changing their dress. Later. they will plant the seeds.
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| Their hoe is like no other that I have seen. |
Luduk John is our agriculturist. (He also leads "gate devotions."). Notice the raised straw bed that he built. He plants seeds in the ground. The raised bed is covered with dry straw to prevent the seedings from drowning during rainy season, while still getting enough water, and prevents them from drying out from a very hot sun.
Then he transplants them until they are stable.
They are finally moved to their final field. These are pumpkins.
We are surrounded by dirt roads and foot paths that are frequently traveled by foot or motorcycle. On the paved road in the nearby town of Namulu, you'll see people walking to the market to sell things. Little kids play on the edge of the road and older kids walk to school. It's normal for them to spend hours walking to: church, work, the clinic, a friend or relatives house.
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| The path by our compound |
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| Bringing bananas to sell at the market |
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| Walking to school |
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| Heavy trucks turning ahead are one of the dangers of walking to school. |
The women wear bright colored dresses or skirts every day.
Last month a large branch from a neem tree fell on the entry gate to the first compound. These men climbed the tree barefooted and cut the tree branches with machetes.
The neem tree used to provide a lot of shade which was nice
especially since this area is used for "gate devotions."
On a Saturday in April we had a two hour safari at this nearby conservation area,
the Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in northeastern Uganda. It's the second largest
wildlife reserve in Uganda
The officers are heavily armed.
Our safari guide / Uganda Wildlife Authority officer, Sam.
Ben, Sam and Jeff
Rothchild's giraffe
Masai ostrich
Hartebeest
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for perseverance for the small number of Mission team members on the field in Karamoja.
2. Pray for a fruitful planting season in Karamoja which will produce enough to feed the local communities.
3. Praise for a new. set of young men being sponsored by the Timothy Discipleship Training program. Pray that they will keep their commitment in coming to church. And as they grow in their relationship with the Lord, they would share Christ with their families as well. Pray that this will trigger a ripple effect of conversations and gospel outreach.
4. Pray for the men who are taught and trained at Knox School of Theology to go on to serve Christ's church faithfully as ministers and elders.
5. Pray for health and safety during the ebola outbreak.
6. Pray for Peter Stafford, a doctor from Kentucky working through Serge, the Christian mission organization. He contracted ebola and was flown to Germany. His wife and four kids were exposed but were asymptomatic, they were evacuated to the same German hospital.
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