The growth of Christianity in Africa over the past century has been remarkable, with the number of Christians growing from 10 million to 360 million. What began as a missionary movement from Europe and North America helped spark this growth. Now, the tables have turned and many African churches are larger and healthier than their Western counterparts. Uganda in particular saw widespread conversion upon the arrival of the first missionaries in 1882. The document proposes a new international church in Uganda oriented towards mission and discipleship, with the goal of influencing the wider Ugandan church and resourcing mission efforts in North Africa and beyond.

1. Source Church: Why?
There are more Anglicans in Africa than there are in England, and more Mennonites
in Africa than in all of North America. While Europe's population is sinking and its
economy is stagnating, Africa's population and economy are growing faster than any-
where else in the world.
Over the past century, the growth of the church in Africa is one of the most remark-
able (and under-appreciated) stories of God growing His church that the world has
ever seen: at the dawn of the 20th century, two-thirds of world Christians lived in
Europe. Over the next 100 years, however, the number of Christians in Africa grew
from 10 million to 360 million. Not since the early church has the world seen God at
work like that. Today, the tables have flipped: fully two-thirds of all Christians in the
world today live in the Global South.
The massive growth of the church in the Global South was, in large measure, sparked
by the great missionary movement from Europe and North America of the 19th and
early 20th century. When William Carey launched what some call "the great mis-
sionary century", he did so from a poor country called England. He was under re-
sourced, under educated, and ignored by the powerful state church in England. But
his God-given vision launched a great commission movement that changed the face
of the earth (and eternity!).
And how the earth has changed! When William Carey left for India, England was a
smaller and poorer country than Uganda is today. Today, the church in Uganda is
both large and in many ways healthy, standing strong for the authority of scripture
against the relativism in parts of the Western church.
Ugandans received the gospel with unprecedented eagerness when the first mission-
ary arrived in 1882. And they have been receiving ever since. Receiving missionar-
ies, receiving short-term teams, receiving houses and whole church buildings, receiv-
ing clothes and food from western Christians. But the faith Uganda has received is a
giving and going faith, a faith that finds its source in a missionary God who gave us
His Son and inspired generations of missionaries to go to distant places like Uganda.
Today, the flow of missionaries from "mother" churches in Europe and North Amer-
ica has declined or is in reverse. And while the need for the gospel in places North –
places like North Africa, the Middle East, and post-Christian Europe – has never been
greater, it seems that the West has had their God-appointed missions day.
Now, it is Africa’s turn. Uganda is the source of the Nile, which for thousands of
years has been a source of life as this mighty river flows north. But these lands also
need Living Water as well, the water from which many in Uganda have drunk deeply.
The church in Africa has so much to give, and the West is passing the baton to a gen-
erous and hospitable people. It’s time to (re)source mission. From Uganda.
April 2016

2. The Vision
An international church in Africa oriented towards mission and
discipleship, influencing the wider Ugandan church by example
through discipling leaders and raising mission resources for
the good of both Uganda and our neighbours to the North.
Source Church
Distinctives
 An ‘glocal” church in the heart of Africa – reaching int’l &
cross-cultural people, embracing the best of Africa.
 Discipling members, growing leaders – Sunday School for
adults, ReFocusing Leaders, Mission Discipleship School.
 Oriented towards mission – developing & sending people
and resources cross-culturally, flowing north.
 Founded on small groups – tied in turn to exegetical
teaching, practicing loving each other & our neighbours.
 Elder-led, orthodox1, policy-run and accountable to a
Christian body beyond ourselves.
 Influencing others – linking arms to grow a network of
churches in Entebbe/Kampala area, together building a
missional leadership/discipleship school and sourcing
mission—for the good of not just the North, but Uganda.
When and Where?
When? We plan to begin during the new int’l school year
(Sept-Oct 2016). Ultimately, though, we will begin as soon
as a core team is gathered.
Where? Either in Makindye-Munyonyo or the Kajjansi area.
April 2016
1 Holding to orthodox Christian beliefs affirmed in the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.