December 2009 Report

Healing, hope and history

The Charismatic and Pentecostal Leaders’ Conference is a two-day annual event that brings together the
leaders of the UK’s Charismatic and Pentecostal movements. It is my privilege to co-chair the event with Charles Whitehead, and to work with the steering group to put together the programme of speakers. This year we took the theme of healing and hope and asked key speakers to present a range of perspectives. It was exciting to hear of initiatives as varied as healing and hope on our streets, in our nation, in the church and from our pulpits. As always the event was enhanced by the excellent opportunities for networking. Trevor and I even found time to go for a run on the second morning before most of the delegates had stirred. The exercise made up for the fact that temperatures were rather too low to permit a stroll around the conference centre grounds!

Moving to the end of the month the contrast could not have been greater. It is no hardship to leave thesnow of England for the warmth of Africa, although there is the very real downside of missing New Year with our families. This year we left as late as we could and arrived in Uganda on New Year’s Eve with only time to shower, change, eat and unpack before leaving for the National Stadium. It was already dark when we entered the stadium and took our seats on the large well-lit platform. The crowds were packed into the stands and all across the running tracks and pitches but could not be seen beyond the stage lights.

Hugh preaching with interpretor		Joseph and Freda Serwadda lead prayer

The theme for the prayer conference was from Joshua 6, ‘shout for God has given us the city’. As I spoke in the lead up to midnight, I pointed out that Joshua’s instruction to shout was accompanied by three other exhortations, which I summarised as ‘focus on salvation’ (v17), ‘focus on personal purity’ (v18) and ‘focus on righteous administration’ (v19). For me the privilege of bringing such an exhortation to a hundred-thousand plus in the stadium and then, through radio and television to many, many more, cannot be over-estimated.

As my long-term friend and colleague, Dr Joseph Serwadda, led the midnight prayers, he described 2009 as an historic year for Uganda; a year in which, as he put it, ‘the Born Again faith was officially recognised by government’, decades after Amin’s banning order had been placed on Uganda’s statue book. It was a great moment as the stadium lights came on to mark the arrival of the New Year. Such a blaze of light seemed a truly appropriate way to usher in 2010 – a powerful reminder of the need to stand together to shine out the light of the gospel.

The moment the stadium lights came on

Trevor holds up his prayer request form

We appreciate your prayers as we move into 2010. We anticipate it being a year in which we will be in Africa, Asia and America as well as the UK. Let’s pray for the impact of God’s word across the continents of the world. Let the picture below of the torch for the Commonwealth Games be an encouragement to you as you pray.

Hugh holding the Commonawealth Games torch accompanied by General Elly Tumwine, former Head of the Ugandan Army.

Postscript.

Whilst we were in the National Stadium, international representatives carried in the torch for the Commonwealth Games as part of its pre-event tour of East Africa. It is a great picture to encourage us as we pray about God's Word having global impact.