Modest African pastor
shares his many triumphs
The Rev. Jackson Senyonga has built a collossal ministry in Uganda
BY LAYLA FARMER
TOE CHRONICLE
"I am not a great man; I just
give glory to God, and He does
the rest."
That is what Ugandan Pastor
Jackson Senyonga told a group
of local religious leaders at a
luncheon in his honor Friday
afternoon. It was a humble state
ment for a man with such
accomplishments.
Senyonga and his wife. Eve,
founded New Life Ministries in
Kampala, Uganda, 1 1 years ago.
Helvey
2,000.
with just
seven
members.
Within
t w o
weeks
time, that
member
ship had
swelled
to a
whop
ping
"I was not aware this was
going to happen so quick, so
big," he admitted.
Now home to more than
40,000 members. New Life
Ministries continues to grow,
with nearly 1 ,000 churches
already operating in four African
countries.
"The area was ready and
God was ready, and we stepped
into it," Senyonga said.
The speech at the pastor's
luncheon was one of many activ
ities Senyonga will take part in
while he is in Winston-Salem.
He spoke at a meeting of the
New Canaan Society - the
Christian men's group that is
credited with facilitating his visit
- last Friday morning. He
attended the Wake Forest/ Army
football game on Saturday, and
led two services at First
Assembly of God on Sunday.
And rounded out his time in the
city with an appearance at a
Men's Ministry event at River
Oaks Community Church on
Monday evening and a speech in
Wait Chapel on the campus of
Wake Forest University.
Bill Leonard, dean of Wake's
Divinity School, said he was
glad his students would have the
opportunity to hear from
Senyonga.
"When folks like Rev.
Senyonga come, it's just very
good, if we possibly can, to give
him a forum to talk with our stu
dents," Leonard commented.
"They learn about how he and
the Christian community in
Uganda functioned in a time of
difficulty when there was a great
deal of conflict and struggle and
people were being killed, even
martyred, for their political and
religious views."
Leonard secured his church,
First Baptist Church on
Highland Avenue, as the location
for the pastor's luncheon Friday.
Senyonga 's topics ran the
gamut, from life in Uganda after
the fall of ruthless dictator Idi
Amin. (Senyonga's father was
Photos by Layl? Farmer
The Rev. Jackson Senyonga delivers a passionate message.
murdered during Amin's
regime), to the direction of his
ministry and the secrets of its
success. He is well known in his
homeland for working to
improve not only the spiritual
condition of his congregants, but
the physical and social aspects
of their lives as well.
"God has not called us to
only pastor great churches, but
also to see our cities trans
formed," he remarked. "It is not
fair to have a growing church in
a decaying city."
The church's existence has
undoubtedly boosted spirituality
within the nation, but New Life
Ministries is credited with doing
much more than that.
"Uganda as a country used to
have a 33 percent HIV / AIDS
infection rate. The World Health
Organization projected that
Uganda would be wiped out,"
explained New Canaan Society
member Jay Helvey, who was
instrumental in bringing
Senyonga to Winston-Salem.
"Jackson Senyonga and other
pastors in the country have led a
revival in Uganda, that now has
dropped the AJDS / HIV infec
tion rate down to five, six per
cent."
Senyonga remains humble
about his impact and that of hjs
church, maintaining that his suc
cess comes from a higher
source.
"Wonderful, tremendous
things are happening in Uganda
not because we are smart peo
ple," he said. "I just happen to
be in a place where God is doing
His thing."
He went on to add that the
church is growing so quickly
that it is constantly under con
struction and sports "God-made,
original carpet," i.e.: dirt. Yet, it
continues to thrive.
"I am one of the lousiest
preachers that there is," he relat
ed with a smile. "... but still
every Sunday people are coming
to church ... because God is
there."
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Clips
Chy Attorney Seeber
stepping down
City Attorney Ronald G.
Seeber will retire from his posi
tion effective Dec. 1, conclud
ing 37 years of service to the
city. During his tenure Seeber
successfully defended every
major
lawsuit challenging the
governance and operation of
the city.
Seeber said he is pleased to
be leaving the city with an
accomplished legal stafT with
significant tenure and expert
ise. Mayor Allen Joines said
Seeber will be remembered as a
"consummate professional
with the highest level of
integrity."
Seeber joined the city as
deputy planning director in
January 1971 and was named
city attorney two years later.
During his tenure as city attor
ney he has been honored to
serve five mayors, thirty-five
aldermen/council members and
four of the five city managers
who have served Winston
Salem.
Before coming to Winston
Salem, Seeber worked five and
a half years for the Durham
Redevelopment Commission
and the Durham Planning
Department.
Seeber said that following
his 42 years of public service,
he intends to engage in long
deferred travel, reading and
hobby activities, and spend sig
nificant quality time with his
wife, Sandy, his three children
and their spouses and hit nine
grandchildren. He has also
agreed to perform contractual
work for the city, both during
the time it takes for the new
city attorney to arrive and
thereafter, on a consulting
basis.
Whitaker makes list of Great
Nurses
Dr. Von Best Whitaker,
clinical associate professor of
nursing at North Carolina
Agricultural
and
Technical
State
University,
has been
selected as
one of the
Great 100
Nurses of
North
Carolina for
the year
2007.
Recipients of this profes
sional excellence award were
selected from a field of nomi
nees representative of more
than 58,000 practicing
Registered Nurses within North
Carolina.
Prospective business owner
encouraged to attend
"Downtown 101"
The Downtown Winston
Salem Partnership will hold a
seminar called "Downtown
101" on Tuesday, Sept. 25. in
its offices at 500 West Fourth
Street in the Loewy Building.
It will begin at 8 a.m. and end
at 11 a.m.
Downtown 101, spon
sored by Baldwin Properties, is
for anyone interested in open
ing a business in downtown
Winston-Salem or knowing
more about the downtown mar
ket.
Presenters include repre
sentatives of the Inspection!
Division and Development
Office of the City of Winston
Salem; the Forsyth County
Health Department; Fire
Marshall's Office; a real estate
professional and a general con
tractor.
There is no charge to attend
the seminar which is held bi
monthly. To register or
receive more information, call
336. 354-1500 or e-mail
admin@dwsp.org.
Site acquired for Davie
County hospital
Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center has
completed the purchase of a
25-acre site in Hillsdale where
it plans to build the replace
ment for Davie County
Hospital. o
The land is on N.C. 801
north of the 1-40 interchange in
eastern Davie County, opposite
the Kinderton Place shopping
center at Yadkin Valley Road.
The land was purchased from
J.B. Harrison Properties.
"We are delighted with this
site," said Donny Lambeth,
interim president of North
Carolina Baptist Hospital. "The
site is close to growing com
munities in the Advance area
and the Lewisville-Clemmons
area and is easily accessible to
all of Davie County."
Last month, Wake Forest
University Baptist Medical
Center announced plans to
invest $125 million in the hos
pital and a primary care center
in Mocksville. The hospital
will have 81 beds and will be
approximately 225,000 square
feet. The Medical Center will
engage the community in plan
ning for the hospital and pri
mary care center.
Davie County Hospital will
remain open until the new hos
pital is built.
SAVINC LIVES THROUGH
INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY
IF YOU ARE FACED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, it's reassuring that
cardiologists at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center's Heart Center
can help. These experts keep your needs in mind when recommending the best
treatment plan for you
? 7'
Sometimes that plan may call for a drug-eluting stent. Although not an option
for everyone, it may be right for you.
A drug-eluting stent is a device that keeps youoartery open
after dangerous blockages are rembved. This polymer-coated
stent time-releases medicine exactly where and when it is
needed.
A leader in interventional cardiology, the Heart Center was one of the first in the
nation to conduct clinical trials using this breakthrough therapy. What's more, our
specialists proactively tracked long term outcomes and found favorable results.
Said lead investigator Dr. Robert Applegate,
"Coated stents have significantly reduced the need to
perform repeat stent or angioplasty procedures compared
to non-coated stents."
?
To learn more about our Heart Center's cutting-edge research and procedures and
how these may help you, visit wfubmc.edu/heart And whatever your insurance,
chances are we take it.
KNOWLEDCE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
Since 1993, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has been consistently
ranked as one o' America s t>est hospitals by US. News & World Report
Wake Forest University Baptist
Wake Forest University Physicians