Uganda’s sixty-eight years as part of the the British Empire embedded English into the culture—it remains one of the official languages alongside Swahili. The country has passed through some very troubled years when Christians (and many other Ugandans) suffered greatly, yet the gospel has made progress during the nearly 150 years since the first missionaries came. Today Christianity is widespread, with Catholicism and Anglicanism being the largest groupings, while a Islam is also followed by a significant miniority.

Heidi and Philip Knight serve in Uganda to support an Old Testament translation project

The north is home to some large refugee populations from neighbouring countries. Philip and Heidi Knight‘s ministry is focussed on one of these—the Keliko from South Sudan. A Keliko New Testament was published in 2018, and now the Old Testament translation project is underway. The Knights, who settled in Uganda in November 2023, are assisting with this—Heidi as a translation advisor and exegete, and Philip working in scripture engagement and practical support for the team. They are serving in Partnership between Wycliffe Bible Translators and GBM.

Meet Philip and Heidi in our introductory video from April 2023:

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How can you pray for Uganda?

  • For the Word of God to be increasingly available in the heart languages of Ugandans and refugee populations.
  • For churches to be growing in biblical understanding, leading to deepening faithfulness to Christ.
  • For those who reach out to the refugee communities with the love of Jesus.
  • For stability and security, both in relation to outside threats (such as rebel or jihadst groups in the DRC) and peaceful inter-community relations in the country.

Opportunities to serve in Uganda

  • Training leaders
  • Bible translation
  • Church planting, including among refugee communities

GBM stories from Uganda

Uganda – key facts

  • Population 47.7 million (2023 est.)
  • Population Growth 3.22% (2023 est.)
  • Ethnicity Baganda 16.5%, Banyankole 9.6%, Basoga 8.8%, Bakiga 7.1%, Iteso 7%, Langi 6.3%, Bagisu 4.9%, Acholi 4.4%, Lugbara 3.3%, other 32.1% (2014 est.)
  • Language English and Swahili (official), Ganda or Luganda, other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Arabic
  • Religion Protestant 45.1% (Anglican 32.0%, Pentecostal/Born Again/Evangelical 11.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 1.7%, Baptist .3%), Roman Catholic 39.3%, Muslim 13.7%, other 1.6%, none 0.2% (2014 est.)
  • Literacy 79% (2021)

(Data from the CIA World Factbook, November 2023)