ARE YOU THE ONE OR SHOULD WE WAIT FOR ANOTHER?

 

ARE YOU THE ONE or SHOULD WE WAIT FOR ANOTHER?

 

By D.R. Ruhweza

 

The Gospel of Matthew narrates a scene in its eleventh chapter, where the disciples of the jailed John the Baptist inquire about the true identity of Jesus. John had not only leaped in his mother’s womb when Jesus was still in Mary’s womb, (Luke 1:41) but he had also declared who Jesus was and then had the honour of baptising Jesus. (John 1:27) In that same breath, John has probably watched in knowing awe when the Holy Spirit descended like dove upon Jesus. (Luke 3:22) It was therefore surprising that, whilst in custody, John would ask his disciples to inquire about the mission or identity of Jesus. The Scripture says in verse 2 –

 

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he [a]sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2 NKJV)

 

Was he experiencing a moment of doubt? Was he thinking twice about that which he knew? Did John, like many before him, assume that the Messiah would take on a militaristic engagement against the Roman Empire? The response of our Lord Jesus Christ seems to suggest that he gave the answer that John was looking for. He told the disciples to tell John what they saw –

 

“Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:4 NKJV)

 

In essence, Jesus responded by saying res ipsa loquitur (the facts speak for themselves). He was basically telling John that I am indeed the one. In other Scriptures, Jesus states that ‘^…. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 NKJV)

 

When I answered the call to lead the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fraternity (UCLF), I had just completed a course at the Institute for National Transformation (INT). (We had been warned by the conveners of the course that many of their students, receive the call to lead when or during their time at the Institute). We were therefore asked to be ready since some didn’t even finish the course before opportunities to lead – often at the top of powerful institutions – would come up. When the call comes, it is often very easy to answer in the affirmative whilst seated in the classroom. However, reality is different when you answer that call asking you to step up and lead.

 

Often times, when the call comes, it is difficult to say yes. This is what happened with Moses the Prophet or Israel’s first King Saul. However, there are also situations like John the Baptist where it is very easy for one to easily say yes but develop self-doubt about what one has been called to do. At some point in my journey, I felt this self-doubt about the mammoth task of leading the UCLF –a Christian, membership based organisation comprising of stellar and senior legal practitioners and judges and justices on the one hand, and students, newly recruited advocates on the other.  Yet I am reminded of these powerful words to Queen Esther from her elder cousin Mordecai

 

Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NKJV)

 

In essence, there is always a divine plan that is beyond our convenience, pay grade, comprehension, ability and scale. It is a plan that is from the Lord. It is an enormous plan to build arks, conquer cities and cross rivers and even declare war or death over sons of Pharaohs. It is often quite scary.

 

Nonetheless, by the grace of God, the team and I discovered that pure reliance on the Lord, the pursuit of wisdom, and having values, tenacity and grit is key in leading people. It would later down on me along the way, that leading God’s people requires a lot more divine intervention. Prayer therefore became a powerful key for us. Looking up to mentors and Jethro’s (Exodus 18), and the pursuit of wise counsel was very critical. Indeed, King Solomon says ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7 NKJV).

 

Like the bulldog or the stinging bee, we also realised that tenacity and grit are key in leading a team. Attending the Harvest Institute (now called the School of Leadership), and being exposed to reading from John Maxwell, Richard Foster, General Stanley McChrystal, Patrick Lencioni, amongst others had a huge impact on our time at the leadership of UCLF.

 

Our time was indeed a learning experience –learning how to pray and to maintain a prayer altar, learning how to get fellow Christian lawyers involved in a worthy cause, learning how to lead vertically and horizontally, learning to respond to needs, learning how to face the brutal facts about a situation and then taking the tough decision, learning, unlearning, re-learning. On behalf of the team, we are immensely humbled by the support we received and the prayers we received but most of all, we are grateful for the opportunity to “do”.

 

As I reflect back to the story of John the Baptist, there were indeed times of doubt but we know that everything happens for a reason. Jesus’ response to John’s disciples indicates that Jesus was fulfilling His purpose even when some misunderstood or criticised him. Can it be said of us, that when the call is made, we not only respond but also keep relevant. Are we the one’s for the season? Or should those who need help, support and mentorship wait another?

 

What is your answer?

 

Daniel R. Ruhweza PhD

Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors & President of UCLF 2016-2020

TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS: Dealing with the Fear of Conflict: A Reflecting Journal

TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS:  Dealing with the Fear of Conflict: A Reflecting Journal

 

Introduction

In the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni, reveals that for a team to be cohesive, members had to trust each other be able to engage rather than fear conflict, be able to commit to decisions and plans of action, be able to hold one another to account on those plans, and finally, should focus on achieving collective results. In this Journal, I highlight a story of a leader who made the efforts to correct one of those dysfunctions – avoiding conflict- in the team she was leading.

…….

I agree with the author when says that the team ought to build on trust first before it engages other dysfunctions. We had therefore held outings as a team, attended regular prayer altar meetings, and shared openly about our strengths and weaknesses. We had split up the organization’s mission statement and allowed each team mate to create and lead teams based on the said leader’s strengths, passions and personality types. We had also sought to encourage constructive criticism. This is by ensuring that every team mate is heard, but also ensuring that they take it in good stride.

Lesson for reflection: Building trust remains an ongoing process. This has to be done both jointly and severally, so that there is a well-groomed team and trusted team. We need to continue to build the trust muscle in the team.  

 

I had noticed that I tend to avoid conflict as much as possible. Nonetheless, marriage has taught me how to engage in open and constructive conflict as opposed to the ‘silent treatment’ or creating artificial harmony.

Earlier this year, the team agreed to have an event and one of the members (hereinafter referred to as Omureffu – not his real name ) accepted to be in charge of organizing the event. Omureffu procrastinated in picking a team, opting rather to discuss the team issues in the Team meeting. I consistently advised that Omureffu should set up a team to which we may/could belong.  Meetings would often stall for a few minutes as we tried to convince him to do so. His modus operandi was to work, principally with me.  Unfortunately, this wasn’t made any easier by him tendency to refuse to listen to contrary view points. However, the team members remained rallying behind the fact that we ought to confront the brutal fact that pulling off a event of this magnitude would be impossible without a full team of differently gifted people. Lesson for reflection: Leading volunteers is uniquely different from having paid workers. Since a volunteer can easily walk away, the leader often seeks to avoid conflict so as to ensure the volunteer remains intact. However, this just prolongs the issues. While we viewed things differently, team members saw the need for having a bigger team and their honest opinions helped in overcoming this challenge.

The Team finally agreed that the event would be at the beginning of a specific date. However, Omureffu  insisted on getting approvals for Guest of honor before proceeding with advertising for the event.  This delayed our plans further. After our prayer meeting, I expressed the fear that if we are to have a successful event, we should consider postponement for at least 60 days so as to give us time to mobilize effectively. Omureffu  threatened to resign if we did. I asked him to hear me out just to express my fear. He instead immediately called the Overall Overseer in my presence to overrule me.  I was honestly very cross with him. Angry to be exact! Upon the end of his conversation with the Overall Overseer, I told Omureffu  with visibly steeled breath that what he had done was disrespectful and wrong.  I told him that he needed not have escalated the matter when we were still debating it. At one point he tried to make ad hominem arguments trying to undermine the legitimacy of my disapproval of his approach.  It took a lot of restraint on my behalf to not only refuse to get ugly but also to walk away from the conflict. At the end of the day, I reminded him once again to ensure that he takes time to listen, (not for the sake of responding,) but so as to understand the adverse party. At the end of the discussion, we made peace and he later sent me messages re-iterating how sorry he was.

Lesson for reflection: It is important not to remain instead of walk away from the conflict simply because one wants to avoid the emotional and other strain such conflict might cause.  

Realizing that event was near, Omureffu  finally called a team meeting but still had struggles working without my constant presence. In spite of informing him that he had my full trust and he should know I would support in all ways possible, he seemed unable to allow the team he had constituted to work. In fact, at one time, during our weekly planning meetings, Omureffu , who was chairing the session, burst out in front of the new team, berating my lack of assistance and support.  As he spoke, I noticed that I was getting very angry with him. This is because not only was he making it difficult for others to respond to what he was saying, but also forgetting to guard his tongue and speak.  

Since the team was new and we had not yet built any synergies, I chose not to respond directly to him so as to avoid conflict.  With insight, it is probably because I didn’t want open conflict over the issue.  I also had an evening class to teach, so I excused myself.

Interestingly, one of the members (hereinafter called Mbabazi) took on the role of the miner for conflict.  In that tense time, I did try my best to respond to his questions. I would later appreciate his role after reading the book under review. I recognize the above with hindsight, that he sought to ensure –in a humorous way- that we were all on the same page. (Mbabazi is also the involuntary but helpful a miner of conflict in the Team meetings).  Indeed, when I left the meeting, he continued to ensure that focus was not lost on how to move forward. This is because, by the time my class ended, I received a message from Omureffu  via WhatsApp apologizing for his outburst.  I asked for time to respond because I was still angry. Lesson for reflection: I tried to keep the communication lines open even when I didn’t want to. I knew that as a leader, it was upon me to keep the ship on course regardless of what was happening. I however knew that in dealing with the dysfunctions, they are correlated and one need not forget emotional intelligence in the process. They all work together as seen below

The next day, Omureffu  calls asking to step down from the position of Chair. I knew that he was avoiding conflict because of his outburst. After a long conversation, we finally agreed that we should meet with other stakeholders of the group so that we do not lose focus on the task ahead. We had a frank and candid conversation. We allowed each other to talk freely and air out what we thought was the issue. In my view, Omureffu  is always rush to act or speak.  In his view, he didn’t feel like I gave him the support he needed, when he needed it. The Overall Overseer advised that he needs to realize that having delegated the matter to him, I need not be the only team he should refer to. We then agreed on how to run the matter henceforth.

Lesson for reflection: Do not jump ship at the slightest sign of conflict, rather, handle the conflict face on and allow yourself to be vulnerable. By having these uncomfortable conversations, we were able to ensure that instead of a ‘false peace’ honest concerns and opinions were being shared and as a result, Omureffu  was committed to the cause. A  few weeks down the road, we had an amazingly successful event.

 

ENDS

Aluta Continua: Future plans

It is advisable for teams to use the Thomas- Kilman conflict mode Instrument so as to understand our natural inclinations towards conflict and then make conscious decisions on how to react in future. It is clear that the if we do not handle conflict properly, it builds residues and the embers left would easily burn at the slightest provocation.  There is no easier way out. We must all confront our fears and take the bull by the horns. Conflict is around us, we therefore ought to confront it positively.   

 

ENDS

 

 

UNLEASHING THE ‘LION’ : A Synopsis of Bishop Sunday Adelaja's CHURCH SHIFT

UNLEASHING THE ‘LION’ :  A Synopsis of Bishop Sunday Adelaja's CHURCH SHIFT 

 By Daniel R Ruhweza

Introduction

The lion is the unmistakable King of the animal Kingdom. Many know that when it has been unleashed, all the other animals scatter for safety. So it is with the church –when the true potential of the church is finally unleashed, everyone’s physical and spiritual being will feel its impact. All the proverbial hyenas of evil will scamper away and yet there will be no hiding place for them.[1] Adelaja argues that one day the church and its people will no longer be humiliated but will lead nations with the social answers instead of playing catch up. Just like Bill Hybels,[2] Adelaja postulates that Church fulfils its mandate when it changes society and not when it is confined to its sanctuary and school room Classrooms.  I have summarised twelve (12) key lessons from his book as follows:

Lesson 1:        Stop being timid:  Adelaja challenges us to beware of the impact of past histories on the ability of the church to arise to the occasion. He warns that we need to overcome fear especially in light of possible persecution. However, like the heroes of old e.g. the Uganda Martyrs have shown, when we overcome fear we are able to do exceedingly, abundantly, over what we can ever think or imagine.[3] 

Lesson 2:        Get on the Ground:  Adelaja advises that the church ought to leave the comfort of its sanctuary and get to where it is needed most.[4]  The church should become a solution provider otherwise, it will remain irrelevantly ‘at the bottom step of the social ladder.’[5] This is true, because the non-influential in society are never given any due consideration.  Society and the world will only stop to listen to those who are relevant to them.[6] Therefore, ministry should not only be about preaching, but reaching out to the alcoholics, the derelicts, and all the invalids in our midst..[7] God will only trust us with the greatest of His people when we are faithful with the least in society.[8] A middle aged roughly dressed man recently took up the microphone at Worship Harvest KatiKati and rebuked us for the way we treated him. That called for introspection for those who were in the church.

Lesson 3:        Take bold steps: Adelaja helps one see that the Kingdom of God has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.  Just like Acts 5 shows, the church should not always be timid and avoid direct confrontation with the government. This is because, like the school bully, the enemy will use all means to strain and stress the church. Like Frank Perretti[9] writes, there is a time when we have to “stand up to the city government” and refuse them to shove us around anymore”[10]  In Uganda, churches have rightfully arisen to resist the Government’s proposed Religious Organisations Policy[11] which seeks to limit the freedom to practice one’s preferred religion and attendant rights. [12]

Lesson 4:        Promote the Kingdom, not the Church:  One of the critical lessons from Adelaja’s book is that there ought to be a difference between building the Kingdom and building the church.[13] Adelaja opines that the Kingdom is in us.[14] The core concept here is that nations should be ruled by Kingdom principles and this is where the church comes in since it knows –or is supposed to know- what those principles are.[15]  The Church therefore needs to focus on ‘taking a proactive position in society, to go outside (the church) building and enforce His authority over an ungodly nation and government.’[16] (emphasis mine).  

Lesson 5:        The practical picture Adelaja presents is that, we ought to (i) teach – and show- the Kingdom principles by addressing societal needs even if one doesn’t necessarily say the name of Jesus[17], (ii) create models for programs that address societal needs so that even the government cannot do without you and therefore cannot harass you– as seen in the case of Rotary International[18] and even Watoto Child Care,  (iii) Be excellent organisers, paying attention to detail like Worship Harvest Ministries does because  success can only be sustained with an effective system of administration, management and organisation.

Lesson 6:        In this regard, the author challenges us that while prayer is very critical, and indeed taking action without it is foolish, the Kingdom of God belongs to the doers and not merely hearers of the Word.[19] This means that a time comes when a Christian and the Church, jointly and severally, have to stop praying but instead take up a stand and actively participate bringing about the change they want. I have a group of young University students, assembled under the grouping called Be The Change, who I encourage to step up and do that which they know God has passionately called them to do. [20]This means that the church must ensure that Christian principles are at the core of building a nation. Indeed, Adelaja opines that Godly people move into ‘positions of influence and power when the church takes a strong visible stance in society.’

Lesson 7:        For the church or the Christian to make an effective intervention in the society and the nation, Adelaja challenges us to find (our) Promised Land or what Johnny Enlow calls Mountain of Influence.[21] If we do not do so, then anything we do shall be like a fish trying to swim on the side-walk. The author argues that God gave us life and talents for a reason – that is, our purpose. In order to find our purpose therefore, we need to look out for that place where we; (i) feel love and pain/ angry and frustration for a particular place or people; and (ii) passionately set on fire and consumed by zeal.  It is there that our time and talents will be called upon. Adelaja reminds us that we need to be careful not to rush, but hear from GOD. It is only He who will show us our Mountain Of Influence.[22]  This reminds me of a time in secondary school when I tried ‘my hand’ at singing. Clearly, my calling was not there and I left.

 Lesson 8:       Adelaja cautions that our talents were made for others and we should be faithful stewards. This means we need to be intentional about growth as well as having knowledge of kingdom principles[23] like integrity, holiness, love, and compassion.[24] It is these virtues that helped nations of old to become great. Adelaja is right because without dealing with the value system/ moral fabric, it is difficult to make any difference.[25] This was the crux of Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s speech at the recently concluded  Anti-Corruption walk.[26]

Lesson 10:      Adelaja further encourages us to be Kingdom focused when we find our mountain of influence.[27]  This means adopting the characteristics of Jesus Christ. He warns us to avoiding infighting, teaching fragments of truth, egocentrism, focusing on size of the church (building a fiefdom for ourselves) instead of having a purpose. He calls us to be humble and full of love. This is very critical. I have often been pained by the division in the body of Christ over proposed Religious and Faith Based Organisations Policy.[28]

Lesson 11:      Adelaja also challenges us to work hard with great effort and diligence in order to put the Kingdom principles into practice. Hard work helps subdue the mountain of influence, keeps us mentally healthy, reveals our gifts and helps us to discover our potential and abilities. With hard work, we become co- creators with God, and are able to dominate over God’s creation as we were called to do. I agree with this view. Pursuing doctoral studies, reviving YOLO Missional Community, organising fundraising events at UCLF, Transform 2017 & 2018, as well as looking after a family have showed me that there is no short cut to hard work.

Lesson 12:      Adelaja postulates that we are deliverers and must arise to fix the nation’s politics, ungodliness, poverty and restlessness. It is our responsibility to promote Kingdom principles wherever we are.[29] Even when persecuted, Adelaja encourages us to thrive in persecution[30] because reveals our true character.[31] However, we should also learn to fight back because Justice and righteousness are the footstool of the Lord’s throne. We should not be timid or afraid, but through prayer, fasting and diligently seeking God, we can overcome.[32] Adelaja’s personal story about acquiring land for his church as well as participating in the Orange revolution are good examples here. Nonetheless, like General McChrystal warned in Team of Teams, battles do not cease and there will always be other attack from the enemy.

 Conclusion

It is clear that the world awaits the church to arise and take over all the influential positions of power.  The church should not only remain at solving internal church disputes and personal growth of the individual, but also claim the Seven Mountains of Influence.  Bishop Adelaja has shown us how the Church can ROAR!

  DANIEL R RUHWEZA

12/04/2019

 

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[1] The Church fulfils its mandate when it changes society and not when it is confined to its sanctuary and school room Classrooms-Sunday Adelaja-

[2] Author of Courageous leadership

3] Kevin Ward, 'A History of Christianity in Uganda available at http://www.dacb.org/history/a%20history%20of%20christianity%20in%20uganda.html Kevin Ward, 'A History of Christianity in Uganda available at http://www.dacb.org/history/a%20history%20of%20christianity%20in%20uganda.html last accessed June 10, 2026

[4] Through services like a soup kitchen, raising up business men in church, marriage preparation courses, counselling for unwed mothers and men’s conferences to help create strong families and men’s conferences, AIDS prevention and drug rehabilitation

[5] Adelaja refers to this as breaking out of the ‘prison of the pew’

[6] Ministry is what we ought to do to bring our lives and our sphere of influence (read ‘Mountain of Influence) under the Kingdom rule. It is not about huddling inside the church sanctuary but being trained to impact the society around us because we are responsible, as watchmen for this. Adelaja refers to these as spiritual/ social., Government / politics, business/ economy., education, media, culture/ entertainment and sports.

[7] people, or a group of people, regarded as disreputable or worthless: see https://www.dictionary.com/browse/riffraff last accessed December 5, 2019. We should not turn our noses to the riffraffs but show go to them and love them

[8] Adelaja testifies that when the drunkard and the addict is transformed, then their mothers, relatives and the wealthier in society will join the church.

[9] See for example, Piercing The Darkness available at https://www.cumbooks.co.za/media/chapters/9780842363723.pdf last accessed December 5, 2019

[10] Church Shift, People Power p.38

[11] See generally, Bryant Kairugaba ‘ Faith-based organisations policy is against the constitution,’ available at https://observer.ug/viewpoint/61944-faith-based-organisations-policy-is-against-the-constitution last accessed December 5, 2019

[12] Uganda Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity has been at the forefront of this engagement, both by providing training as well as engaging with the government. In one instance, the UCLF lawyers were eve refused to speak at the Ministerial discussions.

[13] The Great Commission is about ‘discipline the nations and not the church buildings. Matthew 28:19

[14] It is mean to ‘inhabit the entire earth and not just the church sanctuary.’ See Luke 17: 21. In any case, as the stories from the Rwanda Genocide showed, when the Christians decided to hide in the sanctuary instead of run for their lives or stand up and fight, many were easily found and hacked to death

[15] This is because ‘we are meant to inherit the nations’. This is the crux of the book ‘Commotion at the Gates’ by Moses Mukisa.

[16] Psalm 2: 8 Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance

[17] See for example, Pastor John Maxwell

[18] I recall one particular instance when Dr Stella Nyanzi was arrested by police after she had addressed the Rotary Club of Kampala Metropolitan. When blame was being shifted to the Club, the Police Spokesperson immediately stated that nothing should be said or done to the Rotary Club. This is because of the great work the Rotary International does in the country and worldwide

[19] Following closely to this is what Adelaja says is the time when we need to stop praying. Action without prayer is foolish, we need to wait upon the Lord, receive revelation on how God wants us to act and then stop praying because the solution is in our hands and we have the been given the opportunity to intervene.  However, we must not be timid or undedicated to the cause.

[20] Imagine if David had never killed the giant, he would never have inspired other worthy giant killers from doing their part.

[21] See Johhn Enlow ‘ 7 Mountain Prophesy’

[22] Just like the teaching series ‘Unlicking Heaven’ we need to see it has all been provided by the Lord, we get it from His word. So Jesus says ‘ I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him. John 8: 28-29

[23] These are the secrets of Jesus’ dominion. So by seeking knowledge and understanding and wisdom, we can effectively reign.

[24] This means getting ourselves educated because ‘people who have cultivated professionalism, service, and excellence have taken over, even if they do not belong to the Kingdom of God.’ . Proverbs 13: 16 says ‘ Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly’

[25] Like the protestant reformers were responsible for interventions that brought stability, health and wealth in the past, thus leading them to worldwide influence, so should we prioritise values over wealth per se. 

[26] URN ‘Without attitude change, fight against corruption is just a show- Oulanyah’ available at https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Without-attitude-change-fight-against-corruption-show-Oulanyah/688334-5373682-hi24d4/index.html last accessed December 5, 2019. There is therefore no quick fix to the corruption monster unless societal values are placed over and above any other intervention.

[27] Romans 12:2

[28] For example, The National Fellowship of Born Again Churches (NAFBAC), on the one hand, and the Born Again Faith Federation(BAFFE). See, Walakira Joshua ‘I Have No Office To Hand Over, Dr Serwadda Tells Off Rival City Pastors’ Mulengera News  available at

 https://mulengeranews.com/i-have-no-office-to-hand-over-dr-serwadda-tells-off-rival-city-pastors/ last accessed December 5, 2019. See also  ‘Pentecostalism becomes an official religion in Uganda through the ‘’efforts’’ of ecumenist Pastor Joseph Sserwadda’s Born Again Faith Federation’ Watchman Africa, available at https://watchmanafrica.blogspot.com/2014/12/pentecostalism-becomes-and-official.html last accessed December 5, 2019

[29] Stand for Integrity, Justice, Patience, Honesty, Respect and Compassion

[30] In his view, we strive in persecution by remaining keen to keep listening to God, learn new skills, work hard, and refuse to be distracted by the worldly desires

[31] The result would be Joy and thanks giving, love for the persecutors, freedom from fear to do God’s work, remaining faithful and letting God be the judge.

[32] The end result will be that our enemies become our friends, we have flat out victory, and reap positive results from the fight.