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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: MONDAY, 26 JANUARY 2026
On January 22, 2026, John Bosco Samuge of Adebuku parish, Borobo archdeaconry in Lango made the tiresome journey to Emmanuel Cathedral in Arua to attend the first ever Men’s Conference organised by the Madi and West Nile Diocese.
This was one of the rare moments that the church had gathered men together to learn and be inspired on how to ensure the wellbeing of their families and support the development of the church.
Samuge said after spending two days listening to facilitators, he was so much impressed with training that give lessons surrounding family life and male involvement in the church.
“We discovered that men have neglected their roles in church and in families to the extent that all responsibility rests on the shoulders of the women,” he noted.
He said the conference provided a moment for reflection and self-awareness that participants, numbering hundreds, were challenged to go and look for men to come and serve in church and participate in family affairs.
Among the facilitators was Rev Canon Captain Hellen Munduru, the leader of the family life ministry who acknowledged that most conferences have been targeting women as they were being organised in conjunction with the Mother’s Union.
She urged men to reassert their roles as family heads, invite Christ to dwell in their families and make the families sweet again.
Samuge asserted following the conference: “Know your role as a man in the family show concern for the security of our homes. We usually leave children to be on their own. After paying school fees we think we have done our part. What they do out there is not our concern.”
“Even the management of family finances, controlling spending that does not advance family growth. We don’t know the value of savings, all that we know is to gather somewhere and spend the money we have,” he added.
Samuge vowed that when he gets back, he will make an effort to look for other men and pass this knowledge to them.
That resolve resonated with the message of Rt Rev Charles Collins Andaku of the Madi and West Nile diocese who commissioned the participating clerics and church leaders to out and hunt for men in their hideouts in order to bring them back into the church fold.
The bishop challenged the leadership of the diocese to lead by example in their various areas of posting and make the Men’s conference sustainable and annual to realise impact.
“Go back as changed people equipped with knowledge to serve the church and engage the community as agents of peace, unity and to cause development. Search for men in the bars, prisons and elsewhere and bring them into the church fold,” said Bishop Andaku.
Moses Otoma, of All Saints Church, Ajono-Yivu, Vurra Archdeaconry thanked the bishop for the vision he had to have this Men’s conference.
Being anchored in Christ for family stability, leadership and management has not been easy for us men manifesting in their absence in the church, high suicide rates and increased crimes.
Accordingly, Otoma said the message and the conference has come timely because being anchored in Christ as stated in the conference’s theme encourages growth, peace and development.
“There were amazing expositions on male responsibility at home and in church. In the church we have been asking where men are yet 74,000 are in the prisons, others are in the bars and in social life.
Vincent Anguamaniyo, youth leader of the Arua Urban Archdeaconry. Conference was helpful, allowing participants to learn spirituality and how to handle not only money but all their wives.
Good qualities of a Christian man were emphasised and stability of families espoused as the back born of strong churches.
He anticipated financial empowerment of Christian families, less incidents of divorce and responsible parenting.
Alfred Ogerimungu, Parombo in the neighbouring Nebbi diocese remarked that it is time for men to leave the wrong places that they are found in and take their place at the center of failies and in the service of God.
He noted that male re-engagement in the running of the affairs of their families and the church will lessen the burden on women.
Ogerimungu urged all colleagues who attended the conference to share the knowledge when they get back home.
“From the conference we have learnt how to raise funds for family and raise up children in Christian life,” he said.
Samuel Bakutana, Provincial Fathers’ Union president of church of Uganda who was the lead facilitator declared that he had a fruitful moment with men leaders from Madi and West Nile diocese and beyond.
He said this is one of the signs that the church of Uganda is putting a lot of efforts to ensure that families are build and men involvement in the church ministry is realised.
“This wasn’t so for many years but a lot is being done to change the status quo and involve men in the ministry. Personally, I got into leadership in 2022 when the archbishop commissioned us together with eight people (two per region) that I lead, we have moved across the country to ensure that men are brought back into the church ministry,” he disclosed.
He said the Fathers Union at the provincial level has come up with the first constitution that went through all the stages because the church is governed by protocol, procedure and policy based on three pillars- reason, scripture and tradition.
Bakutana recommended that going forward, the Madi West Nile diocese needs to decentralise the conference to archdeaconries and parishes to bring more men to learn together.
“Ensure the conferences are multi-dimensional and multifaceted areas of a man’s life that there should be topics such as finances, investments, marriages, parenting, market place influence, professionalism at work places, intellectual prowess, emotional wellbeing among others,” he advised.
Bakutana urged the 150 parishes in Madi and West Nile diocese needs to encourage frequent men’s fellowship where people are taught responsible Christian living and they can also learn through experience sharing with peers.
“This will ensure that families are build, churches are supported and communities will be better and the church will be more meaningful to the people and the nation,” said Bakutana.
