Doug Batchelor, president of the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE) in California, United States, recently held a nine-day evangelistic series in Kampala, Uganda, at the end of which 337 souls committed to Christ through baptism. Batchelor’s series came in the backdrop of Seventh-day Adventist Church president Ted N.C. Wilson’s visit to the country earlier this year.
The Prophecy Countdown series, held at Lugogo Hockey pitch about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the city center, attracted at least 5,000 city dwellers every evening from April 20-28, 2018, from 5 to 8:30 pm.
The main host for this event was Kampala Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, with the strong support from the Uganda Union and Central Uganda Conference region leaders. They were part of the planning committees for the event and made financial contributions to make it happen.
The event was supposed to be held in China, but because of circumstances beyond control, it was called off. Uganda then quickly grasped the opportunity through AFCOE Africa Region coordinator Lowell Heargraves, who worked with church leaders in Uganda to host the event at short notice. Over 90 percent of the funding for the event, however, was provided by AFCOE.
Uganda Union president Daniel M. Matte was away when the meetings concluded. Through an email to the communication director, he expressed appreciation for the speaker and the organizing team. “We thank God for the harvest,” he wrote as he expressed joy for the 337 baptized souls. Appealing to regional church leaders, he pleaded, “Let’s take concrete measures for the nurturing of these new members.”
Central Uganda Conference president Samuel Kajjoba thanked Adventist church members for supporting the event, which came just three months after hosting the Adventist world church president.
Addressing Batchelor, Kajjoba said, “Thank you for availing us your time and bringing here your expertise on prophecy and all the talents and gifts God has given you.”
Among the notable guests who attended the meetings were Uganda’s Information and Communication Technologies Minister Aidah Nantaba and Noah Mutebi, MP of Nakasongola County. Both of them are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Works Minister Edward Katumba Wamala and Court of Appeal Justice Catherine Bamugumereire and her husband also attended some of the meetings.
In his address to the attendees, Wamala said he appreciated Batchelor for the good message on health which encouraged more consumption of plant-based rather than animal products. “Uganda is rich with healthy foods for human consumption,” he said. Wamala then requested Batchelor to pray for the nation.
As she handed over a gift to Batchelor, Nantaba thanked him for coming to Uganda. “Out of the entire Africa, you chose Uganda,” she told him among cheers from the crowd. “We are indeed blessed to have you and your wife. Thank you, Amazing Facts.”
Kampala Central Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor Godfrey Lubwama shared that the planning committee went through many challenging experiences, so much that at one moment they thought of calling off the event.
“Brethren,” he said, “sometimes we don’t tell you the toils we undergo to win a soul, but what washes our tears is seeing a soul coming to Christ.”
The event was held during the rainy season. Every morning it rained except on the last Sabbath of the meetings. Many afternoons it rained, but amazingly, it never rained during the times of the meetings, which were held in open grounds.
On his closing remarks, Batchelor told the attendees he wanted to thank the Lord for holding back the rain during the time of the meetings. “I believe God was involved in what has been happening here,” he said.
