Comfort International has been running Comfort International Ministry School (CIMS) since 2010, initially in Rwanda but now impacting churches and communities in Burundi and Uganda. CIMS provides church leaders with strong biblical teaching, wisdom on how to handle the Word of God, increased confidence in sharing truth with their congregations and biblically based teachings on issues of life and character and how to apply these. The most recent class was a Zoom class run by CIMS Director, Phil Arbon (5th-7th July 2023), for pastors in Uganda, which was a Foundation Module called “Covenants and Promise.” The students were taken on a journey through the Old Testament exploring the Covenants and seeing how they were fulfilled in Jesus and the New Covenant.
CIMS is run in Uganda through partnership with LEMA (Life Edifying Ministries Africa). LEMA Director Fred Wejuli wrote a humbling letter of thanks following the three day course in July:
“On behalf of LEMA, I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for enabling pastor Phil to sacrifice his life for three full days to offer training for pastors in Uganda on Zoom. God’s love is portrayed here beyond description […] Who am I to partner with you to bring this service to Ugandan pastors? I came from unadmirable family because of poverty and poor background but this is God. You people you have really encouraged and comforted my spirit whenever I am discouraged.”
It truly is an honour to work with Fred, who faithfully, tirelessly and sacrificially works to spread the gospel and sound theological teaching throughout Uganda. He goes on to tell testimony of one of the pastors affected by the teaching,
“Last week I was humbled when I visited the church of one of the pastors who was in the Foundation Class. He had a challenge of members coming in big numbers and after a year, some would leave the church and he kept asking himself why? The answer was he lacked skills of handling people in church. Before the training, he had 79 members and right now, he has 298 members and still more are coming. He has managed to pastor the above mentioned number because of the training he received from CIMS. The pastor was thanking God for Comfort International Ministry School teachings that have made his church alive.”
Phil Arbon writes of the next steps for CIMS, “The big event in the curriculum will in be September when Marilyn Harry and the Evangelism Team from Wales will visit Busia, Eastern Uganda, to run the Evangelism and Faith Modules followed by a Crusade. Please pray for all the planning and travel arrangements and that many lives will be touched.”
