Pastor Martin Onen Obonyo has BIG dreams for the Church in Uganda, and his vision reaches far beyond the walls of a church building.
From planting churches to mobilizing farmers through coffee, Martin is helping communities build pathways toward greater opportunity, ownership, and sustainability.
Today we want to introduce you to someone special!
Pause and Reflect…
A Church, A Coffee Farm, and a Vision.
Pastor Martin Onen Obonyo had already spent 12 years in ministry when he joined the Community Engagement for Transformation training program in Uganda.
As Senior Pastor of Gulu Bible Community Church, Martin was already passionate about reaching people in rural and hard-to-reach communities. Sometimes, people would walk five kilometers or more just to find a church. And when people came to faith through an outreach, Martin often faced a difficult reality: there was nowhere for them to go next.
Many communities had pastors who had never received biblical training. Without a place to worship, grow, and be discipled, people struggled to remain rooted in their faith.
Martin and his team tried planting additional churches, but some struggled so much that they eventually had to close.
They needed a different way forward.
During the Community Engagement for Transformation training, Martin realized that lasting transformation couldn't happen by simply staying inside the four walls of the church and making assumptions about what communities needed.
So he went out and listened to what those people really needed.
He studied rural communities. He looked at their social systems, cultural realities, and local challenges. And through that process, he discovered something that changed the way he thought about ministry: The community itself was a resource for transformation.
That realization expanded Martin's vision.
He began dreaming of 10,000 churches and 10,000 trained pastors and church leaders by 2040 - not only in Uganda, but across Africa.
And that vision is already becoming reality!
Pastor Martin teaching a class on leadership at his home church in Gulu.
A rural church in Uganda meeting beneath a tree.
Today, Martin's ministry has planted over 50 churches, each with a minimum of 200 people attending. More than 7,000 people have been brought into communities of faith, and churches planted in places like Anaka, Lira, Adjumani, and Kitgum have gone on to plant five additional churches of their own.
But perhaps the most remarkable part of Martin's story is that his vision didn't stop with planting churches.
As Martin listened to his communities, he began to see the connection between spiritual health and the everyday realities families face.
A church can provide a place to worship and grow—but families also need ways to build sustainable livelihoods.
That's why Martin and his team have begun mobilizing farmers into coffee growing. More than 1,000 farmers are already involved, while his broader vision includes a one-acre coffee farming model for more than 700 families connected to the Child Development Project.
He has also helped approximately 2,000 coffee farmers organize through a cooperative, creating opportunities to save collectively, access financial services, and invest in their farms.
The vision is simple: not dependency, but capacity, ownership, and sustainability.
And Martin is thinking about the next generation, too. He is working to create a space where young people can discover their talents, develop practical skills, pursue entrepreneurship, and find pathways toward employment. For Martin, investing in young people means more than helping them find a job, it means giving them the opportunity to become creators, leaders, and contributors to the future of their communities.
One of the current 35 churches planted through Pastor Martin’s leadership.
A coffee farmer (under the guidance of Pastor Martin’s ministry) stands with his crop, sharing agricultural technique with fellow farmers.
Pastor Martin (middle) stands with the congregation of another one of the 50 churches planted through this ministry.
Local leaders of programs across Uganda learning under Pastor Martin.
Martin's story is about much more than churches, coffee, or numbers.
It is about what happens when a leader is equipped to understand his community more deeply and empowered to develop solutions from within it.
This is why African Leadership invests in local leaders like Martin. We believe the people closest to a community are often the ones best positioned to lead its transformation.
Our role is to come alongside leaders with training, coaching, encouragement, and resources so they can develop and multiply the vision already within them.
This vision is not dying with Martin.
It is designed to see a generation of African leaders equipped to carry the work forward long after today's leaders are gone.
Martin began with two churches and today, more than 50 have been planted.
And his vision is still growing: 10,000 churches. 10,000 trained leaders. Communities increasingly equipped to shape their own futures. We believe this vision will become a reality, and YOUR support is making a difference in lives across Uganda.
Leaders like Pastor Martin continue serving their communities because people like you stand with them.
Field Updates
Field Updates
📍DR Congo
Executive Director: Jeremie
August brought both encouragement and continued challenges for our team in the DRC. Jeremie has been focused on keeping students motivated as they wait for graduations, new classes, and training materials, while continuing to invest in young people through community activities and outreach. We also celebrate God's provision in Kibumba, where an abundant potato harvest has brought food to families. At Flame of Love Orphanage, we are grateful for another peaceful month and continue to pray for children returning to school who need uniforms, books, and shoes. Meanwhile, the Ebola situation in Bunia remains serious, particularly in areas outside government control. We praise God that no cases have been reported among the AL Congo network.
📍 Kenya
Executive Director: Peter
At the Action Ministry Centre in Msambweni, Kenya, construction has begun on a new concrete fence to provide greater safety for children, staff, and visitors. Healthcare teams are also caring for dozens of patients affected by jiggers each Saturday while providing education to help prevent future infections. At Baraka Academy, enrollment has grown to more than 100 children - a reflection of the community’s growing need and the ministry’s commitment to breaking cycles of poverty through education. Meanwhile, preparations are underway to develop the Diani Centre, which will become a new home for ministry in the area. We’re grateful for a season of growth and ask God to continue providing the resources, wisdom, and people needed to serve this community well.
📍 Malawi
Executive Director: Leonard
15 Chiefs graduated from African Leadership training, celebrating not just the completion of a course but the transformation taking place in their communities! Davite Kanyezi shared that the training helped him leave behind a life of drinking, become a more responsible husband and father, and earn greater trust and respect from those he leads. Elemas Lazaro said the training challenged him to lead differently and dream of a village transformed both spiritually and practically. We praise God that these leaders are now returning to their communities with a renewed vision for justice, unity, development, and lasting change.
The People Walking With Us
From our staff to our partners to the leaders we serve, our community is made up of people who believe in what’s possible when we walk together.
Meet Chiaka Ogbogu, Olympic Medalist and player for USA Volleyball, and partner of African Leadership.
This month, we’re excited to introduce you to Chiaka, who recently partnered with African Leadership in Kenya to lead a sports clinic with students at New Dawn Educational Center. She came hoping to serve and bring joy, but left with an even deeper conviction about the power of sport to inspire confidence, teamwork, and leadership. What stood out most to her was watching students who were initially shy begin to open up, speak with confidence, work together, and find their own voices. For Chiaka, it was a powerful reminder that sometimes, creating space for someone to be seen, encouraged, and challenged is all it takes to help them discover what they’re capable of.
Listen to her story here →
Pray With Us
Pray for safety and peace
Pray for Asrat and his family as his children spend the next two months at home, and for safe travels as he attends graduations across the region. Pray for the many upcoming graduations and for peace and stability in northern Ethiopia, where tensions remain high.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
Pray for endurance and health among our network
Please pray for continued protection over African Leadership Congo staff, students, and communities amid the Ebola outbreak, for wisdom and safety as they take prevention measures, and for healing and peace for those affected, especially in Bunia and Beni.
🇨🇩 DR Congo
Pray for stability and harvest
Pray for continued peace and stability as South Sudan looks toward December elections, and for no fighting in the months ahead. Pray for farmers whose crops were damaged by extreme heat, for successful planting and harvests, and for God’s provision for communities facing food insecurity. Pray also for continued protection from Ebola.
🇸🇸 South Sudan
Pray for wisdom and growth
Please pray for the 100+ children at Action School and the staff, asking God to move in the hearts of the children and draw many to faith in Jesus. Pray also for divine provision for the new Ministry Centre in Diani and for God’s wisdom and guidance over every area of Action Ministry’s work.
🇸🇱 Kenya
We invite you to share your own prayer requests below, our team prays over each one.
Missed last month’s update? Check it out here!
Thank you for being part of a community that fuels the leaders creating lasting change across Africa!
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