Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:5–7, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

These exact words were shared with the seven recent Lutheran Theological College Uganda (LTCU) graduates on February 20. Bishop Charles Bameka said that the men had been well-trained by family and church leaders in their deaneries and during their education at seminary. All of the graduates are active in the LCU, some teaching and preaching in refugee settlements and most leading Bible and Catechism classes at their congregations and preaching stations. Other recent graduates are evangelizing and started preaching stations on their vicarages (during COVID-19 lockdowns). We are thankful these men have a strong foundation of support and leadership, both in their home regions and through the national church leaders and seminary instructors.

The week before the LTCU graduation, three men were ordained into public ministry as LCU pastors. These men were from the first graduating class of the Lutheran Theological College Uganda. We both served as their instructors while they were students. We praise God that the LCU’s plan of training more pastors is coming to fruition.

Please continue to pray for the Lutheran Church of Uganda and its leaders to equip faithful servants for ministry. Pray that the graduates and newly ordained pastors may joyfully serve as they lead.

January and February allowed us to connect in different ways with students, congregations, and an LCMS short-term missionary.

The second semester of the school year started the first week of February. It is always an excellent time to welcome back students and learn how their families were during Christmas and New Year's activities. In Uganda, it's very popular to say "Happy New Year!" to someone if seeing them the first time after the new year. We say it well into February, and it always brings smiles to our faces.

This semester, we were grateful to help host Pastor Jacob Mueller from Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Emma, Missouri. He came to teach for the second time to the Year Two and Four students. He led a course on Romans, which offered hands-on ways to minister to people and preach the Gospel.

One of the ongoing challenges at seminaries in Africa is getting Bibles and relevant texts into students' hands. The LCMS recognizes the importance of hearing and understanding the Word of God. Thus, we are thankful for an ongoing LCMS grant called Bibles for Africa. This grant allows Bibles to get into people's hands throughout the continent.

Most recently, Year One students received a Lutheran Study Bible at the seminary. These Bibles will be vital as they study, learn, teach and preach for years to come. We are grateful the LCMS and LCU can work together in this way to ensure that people know about the love of God through Christ Jesus by hearing the Word.

Mark and Megan Mantey serve the Lord through The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod as career missionaries in Uganda. Mark serves as the project manager for the seminary, and Megan is the seminary’s instructor of Christian education and counseling. You can follow their work at www.facebook.com/MissionMindedManteys.