Meet Allan Tayebwa

I was born into a religious family in 1985. My life with my other 8 siblings rotated around church and church activities. I followed my parents to church each Sunday and on several occasions heard the gospel preached especially during mission weeks . Although on the outside I appeared to be well behaved and seeking God, the reality was that I was characterized by lust, rebellion and unbroken patterns of sin. I had no part in the spiritual kingdom over which Christ rules sovereignly. In high school, I joined Scripture Union club and was chosen to be the fellowship organizer. My responsibility was to make sure fellowships happened and invited speakers to share God’s word. I vaguely knew about God but had no idea there is one God and the only way to him is through Jesus Christ. Here is the bottomline. I was a slave to my sin and was lost.

Things for me were about to change forever! In June 2004 we organized a conference and invited other Scripture Union clubs from schools in our district. On Friday June 18th, as the conference opened with the first preacher, I realized for the very first time that I needed to know Christ personally. I was a sinner who had earned the wages of sin, death. I understood that religion and trying to be nice could not save me and I trembled at the reality of God’s just wrath . At this point, like the Philippian jailer, I had only one question. “Sir, what must I do to be saved?” I anxiously waited for the sermon to come to an end so I could ask how to be spiritually  rescued. The God who gives life to the dead revealed his truth to me. 

Over the next few years, I understood more about the gospel truth and trusted Christ. As a spiritual infant, with no one to intentionally disciple me, I remained ignorant and confused as my patterns of sin kept me captive. I wondered if I was genuinely saved.  Although I had believed in Christ, I had not abandoned myself to follow him. I was not a disciple. God graciously provided brothers in our town from the Emmaus Correspondence who helped answer some of the questions I had. In December 2007, I got baptized and continued to learn of my new faith. 

Hungering for the word and wanting to know the Lord better, my elders sent me to GLO (Gospel Literature Outreach) in Zambia for ten months on a discipleship course. I returned to Uganda and was given opportunities to serve mainly with school ministry, music, and teaching at my local church. In 2012 after my University, I moved to the capital of Uganda, Kampala for work. I got married and settled in Nansana. As Margaret and I lived out by grace the Christian life, we started having children over to share bible lessons and tea as well as adults. A house church was birthed that would officially begin meeting on March 1, 2015.God later gave me an opportunity to study from Piedmont International University, now Carolina University in NC, USA. In August 2020 I finished my Master’s in Ministry. I am so thankful to God for the opportunity to be equipped to equip others as well. 

I was a selfish, lost sinner enslaved by sin but now everything I used to value has no worth, because I see Jesus Christ my Lord. I am Secure in His eternal electing Love. 

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It was in late 2014 that I (Sam) met Allan through my parents, who had recently moved to Michigan to establish a new ministry for military veterans. A missionary family that had a tent-maker kind of business doing electrical work and came to service their house, regularly made trips to Uganda, and my mom put together a package of Sunday School materials to send to them. Along the way, Allan and I ended up corresponding online, and soon we became friends. God laid it on my heart to begin supporting him, and eventually I took it to my church and asked if they would partner with me and help support this church in Uganda. Together we raised several hundred dollars for them, but I knew even then that we needed something more permanent, and something with accountability. It was at this time that an old missionary friend of mine from Calvary put me in touch with Les Loftquist, who directed me to Cornel Stef and PIEI. And now we have the foundation in place for this new partnership ministry. Will you help us build upon it?