UGANDA
Bert and Nancy Williams
Dear Praying Friends,
If you have been with us for a very long time, you may remember Show and Tell the Gospel as the name of our newsletter. Somewhere along the way, we stopped using the phrase but we never stopped working to help believers both tell and show the gospel in all of their lives. We were created to show God's glory. Showing and telling the gospel is a way to let people know the glorious God who called us to be his people. Over our 20+ years of ministry we have rarely been in a position where we have had to ask for additional financial support. However, our key ministry in Uganda, Shalom Network for Church Health, is at a crossroads. This growing ministry is in serious need of additional financial support. At the current rate of giving for this project, Shalom will be only able to operate for another 3 months. Please read the details below and consider if you might be willing to support Shalom.
Show and tell the gospel is what brought us to South Africa and later to Uganda. When we arrived in Uganda, we had an opportunity to visit many Presbyterian churches with an eye to walking alongside them as they developed church-based community development projects for their communities. One result of these visits was a concern that many of these churches were not healthy enough to undertake community development work. Church-based community development must flow from healthy churches that are gospel-driven and Christ-centered. When Bert shared his concerns, he was invited to take over the teaching of the church health course at Westminster Christian Institute of Uganda.
Out of this class, we were invited to coach Entebbe Presbyterian Church in Uganda through the revitalization process. We met faithfully for 18 months with their task team, working through the Embers to a Flame process. This nearly 30 year old church found new life and vitality by God's grace.
Out of this came the seeds of the Shalom Network for Church Health. Bert, Milton Lipa (EPCU's pastor), and John Lutaaga (youth coordinator of the Presbyterian Church in Uganda) formed Shalom to see healthy churches who have a transforming effect on their communities - churches that show and tell the gospel, One definition that 9Marks,a church health ministry, uses for a healthy church is:
A healthy church is a congregation that increasingly reflects God's character as his character has been revealed in his Word. (Dever, Mark. What Is a Healthy Church? (p. 40). Crossway. Kindle Edition.)
Humanity was created to show God's glory. This is one of the functions of the church - to show God's glory. The gospel is God's glorious way of making a people for himself.
Shalom now has three networks in three different parts of Uganda touching around 200 churches. The oldest, in Kayunga, is now doing their own church health training under our supervision. Also exciting is the recognition of the Kayunga network that they need to have Bible training. We are working with them and World Reach (https://world-reach.org/en/) to begin a local Bible Institute for pastors and other leaders. The first cohort is about halfway through their diploma training. Shalom helps with the finances and some teaching as does World Reach. But the leaders of the Kayunga network handle all the rest.
The development of Shalom is at a critical stage. The Uganda members are establishing a local NGO to operate as a Ugandan ministry. We're in the early days of a new network and trying to develop stronger networks in Kapchorwa and Maya, as well as assisting with the Bible Institute in Kayunga. Won't you consider a one-time or on-going monthly gifts to support this project? You can give at this link: https://mtw.org/projects/details/shalom-church-health/ or mail your check to the address below with Project 95946 in the memo line.
Your servants in Christ,
Bert and Nancy Williams
Mission to the World's Donations address:
MTW, P.O. Box 744165, Atlanta, GA 30374-4165
Please be sure to include 95946 in the memo line.
Per email of September 23, 2025
Uganda
Bert and Nancy Williams
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (ESV, Col 4.2)
Greetings, Praying Friends,
Our last prayer email told you of two trips we had scheduled for July - one to Kenya to teach and one to Cape Town for medical treatment. We are just about caught up from being away and owe you a report.
We thank God that it is a praise report. In Kenya, Bert taught about 20 pastors on the subject of caring for the flock while Nancy taught about that many women in leading women's ministry. By all accounts, the classes were successful. The participants were engaged and you could tell they were learning more about ministry. We were truly blessed to be able to cover these subjects that are so near and dear to our hearts.
We were home just about long enough to do laundry and then we left for 3 weeks in Cape Town. Bert saw a team of specialists in vestibular disorders (one person called them the "Dizzy Team"). We learned much about Meniere's Disease, received some treatment and new medicines to keep the episodes at bay as well as treatment for when he has an episode. God smiled on us in many ways while we were there and we are so grateful for the display of love we experienced.
While we were away, the ministries we're involved in continued. Milton, Jude and the Shalom Team started a new work in Gulu in the northern part of Uganda. This is in conjunction with Trinity Biblical Institute. It is so exciting to see these men beginning new initiatives, even if Bert was disappointed not to be there to help out.
The trainers that Nancy has been working with, Liz, Bibian, and Joseph, did not do any trainings while we were away but thanks to technology (Zoom), she met with them. They have since done trainings on their own. Again, it is so exciting to see some fruit of our work with leaders.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayer and support.
Bert and Nancy’s profile can be seen at the following url:
file:///C:/Users/Dell/Documents/Bulletins%20SHPC/Williams,%20Bert%20&%20Nancy%20-%20Mission%20to%20the%20World.html
Please keep Burt and Nancy in your prayers as they transition to retirement in 2026.