Discipleship praxis in light of colonial mission history in the Anglican Diocese of Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

This explanatory study used Branson and Martinez’s (2011) methodology to name and describe the current church praxis of how Anglican leaders in Uganda understand discipleship in light of colonial mission history. For the study, 12 clergy and four parachurch leaders were interviewed, and three focus groups of 21 lay leaders were conducted. The framework of research for this dissertation is based on Mamo’s (2017) model of discipleship and contextualization, which states that discipleship must be contextualized. Mamo’s framework emphasized the critical role of discipleship and how it is interrelated with contextualization and mission. The study found that discipleship in the Church of Uganda is understood to be experiencebased and is heavily influenced by the East African Revival, family, and parachurch ministries. Discipleship is assumed to be carried out via church ministries and activities, and is very much assumed to be happening during those ministries and activities. Discipleship is also communal effort, beginning with the family and carrying into conducting ministry. This concurrent execution of discipleship with ministry occurs because discipleship as a ministry has not been prioritized, historically has never been the focus of the church; evangelism has. Because of this emphasis on mission and program, the deep inner work of discipleship is not occurring. The emphases of evangelism and the importance of the Western traditions and individualistic norms of the church have prevented the African cultural norms from taking root, which has prevented enculturation of the Gospel. The task for the Church is to decolonize from the Western culture, reinstitute the African approach to worship and community, and enculturate the Ugandan culture, emphasizing the community over the individual. The Church must educate both the clergy and the laity well for all the church’s mission, and this must be done from an African worldview. As the Church continues to engage with parachurch ministries and other missions, the Church must shift to a partnership model, sharing knowledge and experience with the broader church as peer.