On October 19, 2014, Rev. Canon Alfred Acur Okodi will be consecrated as the first bishop of a new diocese in the Church of Uganda Northern Region–the West Lango Diocese–overseeing about 100 local churches. For more than 10 years, Rev. Acur has been integral to church-based community transformation in Northern Uganda through Transforming Nations Alliance (TNA), a local organization that has fully embraced the DNA mission as its own.
“We view this as an opportunity to have his diocese as a model of TNA/DNA material; we believe he will be of great influence to the region,” says Judith Murungi, national coordinator for TNA.
Rev. Acur first attended a TNA Vision Conference in 2001 while serving as a vicar at St. Augustine Church of Uganda in Lira. Afterward, he mobilized his church, teaching what he had learned at the Vision Conference.
“The Vision Conference gave me tools to implement my earlier theological and specialized missions trainings together with insight into how to use Scriptures to change the worldviews established on Satan’s lies and build on Truth to create godly attitudes and bring about transformation.
“I strongly recommend TNA trainings for every local church to God’s glory,” he says.
Even in this region which had suffered years of a bloody, evil war initiated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), resulting in widespread violence, destroyed villages and a languishing Church, the local church was revived as Rev. Acur applied the biblical teachings he learned from TNA. After Rev. Acur taught on “Kingdom Math” and due fully to the grace of God, the church amassed $320,000 in this war-torn area without any foreign aid.
Rev. Acur, a native of Northern Uganda, also played a key role in seeking dialogue to solve the LRA insurgency in the region, as mentioned in the below video which tells more of his background.
God is doing great and amazing things in Uganda. Lets keep Rev. Acur in prayer to see God working through him to develop a role mode diocese.