Long standing links between churches in the Diocese of Winchester and in Uganda continue to grow, with recent visits providing opportunities to deepen friendships, share faith and learn from one another.
St Peter’s Church, Yateley
St Peter’s in Yateley has had links with the Diocese of Nebbi in Uganda for more than 25 years. The relationship began in 1997 when a young teacher from Yateley visited Nebbi Diocese and met and married a man who worked there.
Those links have been strengthened in recent years. Eight people from Yateley travelled to Uganda in 2024, while Bishop Ozelle Pons from Nebbi and his wife Edna spending two weeks in Yateley in 2025.
Now 15 people from Yateley, including the teacher and her husband, have visited Uganda again.
Despite concerns about Ebola and the war in the Middle East, the group was able to travel to Entebbe before making the 300-mile journey to the far northwest of the country. The administrative centre of the Diocese of Nebbi is in Goli, a small village close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the visitors stayed with members of diocesan staff.
Over 11 days, they took part in a wide range of activities. The team visited a local hospital and three primary schools, with plans to establish a link between one of the schools and the church school in Yateley. At a secondary school, they saw the cramped conditions faced by female boarders and are now exploring ways they might help improve the situation.
The team also took nine suitcases of gifts donated by St Peter’s and the wider Yateley community. These included several football strips, knitted items for the local maternity unit, stationery for schools, and toiletries for the women’s centre. Members of the St Peter’s group also held knitting classes for local women.
Revd Tim Storey and another member of the team were invited to join Bishop Pons at two Sunday confirmation services, where more than 200 candidates made their commitment to Christ. They were also invited to preach on a radio station based in the diocesan headquarters, which reaches listeners in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, as well as at the Cathedral and other churches.
Reflecting on the visit, Revd Tim said, “it is clear the team have had many highly positive experiences. They have experienced the stunning landscapes of Africa and the sheer joy and faith of the Ugandan Church. People have been challenged about issues of culture and entitlement at home. They have discovered more about themselves and their capacity to adapt to new experiences and been challenged in their faith, with the opportunity to see it through different eyes.”
The team also spent two days in the Murchison Falls National Park, visiting the spectacular falls and experiencing the park’s wildlife and landscape.
Returning to Kampala, they visited the headquarters of Mission Aviation Fellowship, where they saw the ongoing work and development of the base, before recording an evening of worship and testimony with a YouTube worship team.
The congregation at St Peter’s have also raised money for their friends in Uganda including £6,000 in just three weeks for a replacement water pump. Without the new pump, the hospital would have faced closure for four months because no other water would be available until the end of the dry season.
Revd Tim continued “Perhaps one of the most important aspects has been that relationships forged in a visit nearly two years ago, strengthened with the visit to the UK in 2025, have gained a new depth and strength. All the experiences and challenges have encouraged and deepened the bonds with those in Goli, as well as relationships within the team. People at all stages in their journey of faith were involved and there is no doubt that they have returned as changed people in so many ways.”
Christchurch Deanery
The Christchurch Deanery also has mission partners in the Kinkiizi Diocese in Uganda. Gill Tyberge, who helps to coordinate the partnership, recently returned from a visit and was accompanied by some unusual travelling companions – Bob the Bear, Stella and Paddington.
The bears are part of the two school partnerships she helps to facilitate, giving children in Uganda and the UK an opportunity to learn about each other.
Gill said, “I usually visit Kinkiizi every year to promote our link and was lucky enough to be accompanied this year by Bob, Stella, and Paddington Bear! The bears help the children understand more about each other; their similarities and differences in two very different places. We left Stella and Paddington behind as a reminder of our love and friendship with the partner schools. Bob has returned with me to tell the schools here all about his adventures. The photos give an idea of where we went.”
During her journey, Gill also visited the diocesan run Nyakatare Health Centre, Bwindi Nursing School, the Batwa Community Development Project, and the Mothers’ Union Bakery and Vocational Training School. She shared worship and fellowship at Kinkiizi Cathedral and attended the mass wedding of 17 couples, part of a programme by the church to encourage marriage.
Gill added, “It’s always a privilege to spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ in Kinkiizi, to witness their deep faith and trust in God, to walk alongside them and be welcomed into their homes and their hearts with such love and joy.”
Attention is now turning to May 2027 when a new Bishop will be consecrated in the Kinkiizi Diocese. A team from Christchurch Deanery plans to travel to Uganda to join this important celebration and continue the links between the two areas.
