Ministry Team:
Pastors Mumbya Samson, Robert Wafula, Andrew Smith, and Bob Peterson
Pastor Jimmy and Pastor Samson share the Good News at a crusade.
Mission Statement:
Seek and save the lost among the Buvuma Islands before they return to their homelands, and envision and equip Christian leaders with the message of Truth for the purpose of transforming individuals, families and communities.
Discipleship training for pastors, lay leaders and other church members began on Lingira Island in May 2005. After seeing a need for people to hear and know the Word of God, and for Christian leaders to be trained, the discipleship program was born in the hearts of Pastor Mumbya Samson and Karina Thomas, now Smith.
Equipping island pastors is Pastor Bob Peterson, teaching a group during a 2013 session on Lingira.
After being approached by island pastors regarding the need for a diploma training course, a pastoral training curriculum was developed for oral learners and the first two-year course was completed in March 2014 on Lingira, with about a dozen island pastors attending. Plans are in place to offer the same two-year training to pastors and other church leaders on Namiti Island, starting in April 2015. An oral-based curriculum is essential as most of the islanders, and many of the pastors, cannot read or write in any language.
SHIM members and guest teachers have also taught in six-month discipleship courses, beginning in Lingira village and continuing to a number of other locations. Students completing the freely-offered course receive a Certificate of Discipleship.
Regarding evangelism, SHIM networks with various ministries and island pastors to facilitate an organized program of crusades throughout the Buvuma Islands.
Multi-day and mult-location “Marathon Crusades,” spearheaded by Pr. Samson, were held throughout 2013 and more are planned for 2014.
In 2013, Pastor Samson launched the Marathon Crusades and Seminars, held two to three times a year for about a week each time in two to three select locations on the islands and mainland Uganda. Amazing testimonies of physical healing, spiritual deliverance, and vanquishing of the powers of darkness have poured out of the “Marathon” outreaches. In early 2015, the Ugandan outreach began a partnership with U.S.-based Marathon Missions International, which supports U.S. teams to assist in the Ugandan crusades.
SHIM’s desire for discipleship and evangelism is to train up, envision, and assist the local pastors to reach their own people more effectively with the life-saving and life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“During the youth conference in Kirewe island, one of the believers convinced a neighbor, a prostitute, to attend for just a day. Though she came with reluctance, she left with rejoicing, having been forgiven and adopted into the family of God,” wrote Karina in a 2010 update.
To follow more of SHIM’s evangelism and discipleship outreaches, visit the SHIM Facebook page.
Teachers and attendees of SHIM’s pastoral training program, pictured here during one of the final sessions. In the back are pastors/teachers Bob and Andrew.
SHIM family members and friends on a trip across the lake to visit and encourage local island churches.
In April 2014, SHIM members visited and worked with Pastor Gaspher Okello, formerly of the islands, where he is serving in Patonga, northern Uganda. Among those shown are: Okello, second from left; Pastor Robert Wafula, third from right, and Pastor Samson Mumbya, second from right.
A visiting team from Cornerstone College in Holland, did door-to-door evangelism and held a seminar in a lakeshore village in April 2014.
One of 13 local believers to be baptized in July 2013 was this man of Katonga village on Lingira. A small fellowship in Katonga that began in 2011 has continued and grown strong, encouraging local believers to brightly shine their lights in their community.