Who We Are
History of the Full Gospel Churches of Uganda
In the year 1955; the Glad Tidings received a Prophetic call during a weeknight service to take the Gospel of power to Uganda. However, The British Governor of Uganda denied them permission to enter the country to do the mission work because the religious leaders of that time did not want Pentecostals in Uganda.
Nevertheless, believing that this was a call from God, the church began to pray fervently for Divine intervention and in December 1956, Hugh and Audrey Layzell were sent to Kenya to work temporarily with the Elim missionaries of New York until the door to Uganda would open.
God was at work to fulfil his purpose. Hence in May 1960 Glad Tidings Missionary Society received a permit to do mission work in Uganda.
The Gospel Mission to Uganda which birthed The Full Gospel Churches of Uganda was then incorporated under the Unlimited Companies Act in October 1960 and became the first Pentecostal mission or church to be granted legal status in Uganda.
Today, The Full Gospel Churches of Uganda has over 1600 churches country-wide with its headquarters at Makerere Hill Road plot number 55-59 where Full Gospel Church Makerere – the mother church is situated.
Glad Tidings Mission group arrived in Kampala and began preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in open-air crusades in markets places. At the same time, Hugh engaged a lawyer to register the work under the name, Gospel Mission to Uganda, a non-profit incorporated company in Uganda, this being the only way a mission could be registered. The Full Gospel Churches of Uganda was formed and registered later as a national organization.
The first meeting was held at Nakawa under a mango tree and another at Kabaka-Anjagala in Mengo. At Nakawa, many people came out of curiosity, to see and hear a white man preaching in the open air, something very unusual then in Kampala. The news of this ‘Gospel of power got into the local newspapers and crowds began to gather at various market meetings to hear this Gospel.
Later land was acquired and the first church was planted in a tent erected on a small plot near the site of the present church.
Between 1961 several other Full Gospel churches were planted in the suburbs of Kampala around the areas of Kisenyi, Katale and Kibuli. Toward the end of 1961, Marjorie Mukasa was able to arrange for the mission to purchase the site on Makerere Hill Road for the building of a permanent sanctuary for the Church.
In January 1962 the band of Glad Tidings missionaries grew when Bill and Gerda Brown, Eleanor Webb and Betty Caron transferred from Sierra Leon to Uganda. Immediately Pastor Bill undertook to supervise the construction of the church building, with funds from the Missionary Society in Vancouver. The facility was completed by December, and the ‘home’ of Makerere Full Gospel Church was formerly dedicated. A sister to Ssekabaka Muteesa, former Kabaka of Buganda, Princess Muggale who received Christ as saviour during the Mengo crusade, formerly opened the new church on December 5th, 1962. The Christ for the Nations Native Church Crusade, founded by Gordon and Freda Lindsay of Dallas, Texas, helped with the cost of church buildings. Glad Tidings Missionary Society helped obtain land for Pastors’ houses and gardens.
Pastor Layzell pastored Full Gospel Church Makerere with a Ugandan associate, Pastor Joshua Kamya Musoke. Ezra Kikonyogo served the church as interpreter and counsellor. Audrey launched the Sunday school program and later was assisted by Samuel Namutiiti who later headed it with effect from 1973.
Ministers were trained in the bible school, and more than 200 young men and women were thrust out to pioneer Full Gospel Churches in the different towns and villages of Uganda, particularly in Buganda, Kigezi, Toro, Bunyoro and Busoga then later in Ankole. Several new missionaries later joined the group over the years and the work of God expanded.
Vision
A Pentecostal church that touches the world with the love of God and disciples believers with the goal of presenting every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
Mission
Full Gospel Churches of Uganda exist to reach out to Uganda and the rest of the world with the love of God demonstrated in worship, evangelism, discipleship and ministering to the hurting world in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our Objectives
- To reach out to the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ and win souls to the kingdom of God by encouraging and promoting evangelism in order to fulfil Christ’s command, “Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
- To disciple and equip the body of Christ with biblical truths and sound knowledge of the word of God through effective and consistent Sunday school classes for all age groups.
- To reach out to the children and youth with the aim of providing spiritual training and fellowship through camps and youth club programs so as to instil in them Christ-like characters.
- To build up strong marriages and strengthen families to enhance unity, love and mutual support.
- To fine-tune our praise and worships to meet the heavenly standards and touch the heart of God.
- To train Christians how to open and sustain businesses and other income-generating projects.
- To ensure that all our churches learn and practice good financial management and record-keeping skills through the establishment and effective monitoring of financial policies of the Churches.
- To produce responsible ministers and pastors with a noble character who are accountable to the national leadership.
- To support the disadvantaged children and lift them out of poverty by linking them to sponsors and donors.
- To run successful Christian schools where the supremacy of God is acknowledged and honoured.
- To ensure that every local church is duly registered and is legally recognized by the government/local authorities. This is done by giving assistance to the Churches in the registration of church land.
- To establish churches after the New Testament pattern, that is, self-governing, self-propagating and self-supporting bodies known as local churches.
- To conduct religious services namely church services, marriage ceremonies, funeral services, baptism services, gospel crusades, conferences and inventions, seminars, dedication and ordination services, Holy Communion services etc.
- To provide the means for fellowship among Christians of the Organization and others of like precious faith through rallies and camp meetings.
- To exercise the oversight and supervision of all Pastors, elders, and branch church leaders who in turn have the responsibility of the oversight of the churches.
- To exercise disciplinary measures against Supervisors, Officers, Ministers, Pastors and Branch Church leaders in accordance with Scriptural principles and the policies and by-laws of the FULL GOSPEL CHURCHES OF UGANDA.
- Through its Board of Trustees, to buy, handle, sell, mortgage, and hold property; to construct, add, improve, and demolish buildings on property held by the Board of Trustees of the FULL GOSPEL CHURCHES OF UGANDA.
- To establish and maintain programs, schemes or projects which will contribute to the evangelism of primarily the population of Uganda as a whole. To initiate and sustain activities, which are particularly designed to hear Christian witness to all people. To adopt such means of making known the activities and services of the FULL GOSPEL CHURCHES OF UGANDA as may seem expedient and in particular by circular, advertising, newsletters, periodicals, sound broadcasting, cinematograph films, video and audio films, publications of brochures, books, granting prizes, rewards, scholarships.
- To solicit missionaries to come and assist in the planning, implementation and evaluation of projects, departments or any other particular assignments as may be assigned by the FULL GOSPEL CHURCHES OF UGANDA.
- To employ experts, advisors, coordinators, administrators and others for the objects aforesaid.
- To provide, furnish and fit out with necessary equipment, furniture, aids, statistics and other materials, centres for coordination of the objects aforesaid and to promote, organize, manage, coordinate, educate and do all such things as may be necessary and desirable, or incidental thereto.
- To take such steps by personal or written appeal, public meetings, or otherwise as may from time to time be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the Organization in the shape of endowments, donations, annual subscriptions, tithes and offerings or otherwise participate in such things as having their objects the raising of money.
- To apply to any international body, government or authorities, national bodies or public organizations, corporations, companies or persons for and to accept grants of money and of land, donations, gifts, subscriptions, and other assistance with a view to promoting the objects of the Organization.
- To subscribe to any local or any other charities and to grant donations for any public purpose, to grant pensions, allowances, gratuities and bonuses to and to provide a superannuation or any other funds for the servants of the Organization and otherwise to assist any such servant, their widows and dependants.
- To invest monies of the Organization not immediately required in any one or more modes of investments for the time being authorized by law for the investment of trust monies, and in such manners as may from time to time be determined.
- To undertake and execute any charitable trusts or any agencies which may seem directly or indirectly conducive to the object of the Organization.
- To amalgamate with any other organization having objects together or in part similar to those of the Organization provided that any such organization has in its constitution/by-laws such a prerogative.
- To operate such institutions of charity as orphanages, old age homes, guest houses, secular schools, bible schools, health centres, literacy programs, primary healthcare and vocational schools.
The Cabinet members /Executive council
NO. | NAMES | DESIGNATION |
1. | Rev. Patton Paul Kinataama | National Overseer |
2 | Rev. Stephen Ssebaggala | National Secretary |
3 | Rev. Samuel Kabwana | National Treasurer |
4 | Rev. Patrick K. Ndyanabo | Cabinet member |
5 | Rev. Isaac Wagaba | Cabinet member |
6. | Rev. Benon Mugisha | Cabinet member |
7 | Rev. Jotham Mutebi | EX-Official |
National Overseers
Statement of Faith
Our Statement of Faith
We believe:
- The Bible, the Word of God; in its divine verbal, plenary inspiration; in its inerrancy and infallibility in the original languages; and in its supreme and final authority in faith and life (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet.1: 20-21).
- One God, eternally existing in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; I Cor.13: 14, John 10; 30).
- The Lord Jesus Christ: His essential, absolute and eternal deity (John 10;33, Phil. 2:6; John 1:4, 14; Heb. 1:8); His true and sinless humanity (I Pet. 2:22; I John 3:5); His virgin birth (Isaiah. 7:14; Matt. 1:20); His substitution, propitiatory death (Matt. 20:28; Mark 1:45; ITim.2: 6); His bodily resurrection (John 20:19,20); His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51); and His personal, visible and bodily coming again with power and great glory (Titus 2:13; John14: 2,3; Rev. 19:11-16).
- The Holy Spirit, shows the redeeming purpose of God to the world by convicting the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11), regenerating (Titus 3:5), uniting to Christ (I Corinthians. 12:13), indwelling (Eph. 1:13; 5:18), sanctifying (Gal. 5:16; I Corinthians. 6:11), illuminating (John 16:13) and empowering for service (I Corinthians. 12:4-11), all who place complete faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 5:5).
- We believe in the ever-present ministry of the holy spirit by whose dwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8; 13-14, Ephesians 4; 30,5; 18))
- Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from works (Eph. 2:8).
- The real spiritual unity in Christ of all redeemed by His precious blood (ICor.12: 13; Eph 1:4-6; 4:11-15; 5:25,26)
- The Blessed Hope: The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the lord, is the eminent and the blessed hope of the Church. (1 Thessalonians 4: 15, 7; Romans 8: 23; Titus 2: 13; 1 Corinthians 15: 51)
- We believe in the reality: Personality and eternal judgement of Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20: 10-15)
- We believe in the for of Biblical for of Church Government: is theocratic, consisting of a senior Minister under apostolic authority, who qualifies on the basis of the look of spiritual life, domestic life character and ability to rule along with plurality and eldership (1 Timothy 3)
- The coming of the Lord: – The second coming of the Lord includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, the visible return of Christ with the saints to reign on earth (Zechariah 14: 5; Matthew 24: 27, 30; Revelation 1: 7; 19: 11-14; 20: 1- 6; Ezekiel 37: 21,22 Zephaniah 3: 19,20; Romans 1: 26, 27) and establishment of the universal peace (Isaiah 11:6-9; Psalm 72: 3-88; Micah 4: 3-4)
- The Final Judgement: -in, which the dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found in the books of life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matthew 5: 46; Mark 9: 43-48; Revelation 19: 20: 11-15: 21: 18)
- The New Heavens and the New Earth: – we, according to this promise, look for the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (2Peter 3: 13; Revelation 19: 22) In addition to these basic fundamentals; we also hold that;
- The Church of Christ is the instrument- which God is using to extend His Kingdom prior to the second coming of Christ (Ephesians 3: 10; Matthew 16: 18; Ephesians 1: 20-22)
- Every believer must be subject to God’s authority in a specific local church for spiritual protection and long-term fruitfulness.
- Holy Matrimony: Each believer must marry or be married to only one wife or husband and shall be faithful, loyal, honest, loving and caring to one another until death does them part.
Together we can support
We strive to bridge the gap by blessing and supporting orphan’s and disadvantaged families from different communities, through provision of basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, education, medication among others, you can be apart of this transform drive through your support
Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.