Meet Ameku Godfrey, a Pastor Training Center Graduate and Trainer

In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells us seek and we will find. When we seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us like He did for Ameku Godfrey, a Pastor Training Center lead trainer. Before becoming a lead trainer and pastor, Godfrey had a desire to learn more about scripture and a desire to draw closer to God. As he sought after the Lord, God opened a door for him, providing the opportunity to receive training and to be equipped with gospel knowledge through the Pastor Training Center (PTC) at Abaana’s Hope in 2019. 

Godfrey, 32, is Madi by tribe and grew up in a polygamous family in Uganda. His mother was his father’s second wife. Godfrey has 2 brothers, 3 sisters, and 7 half siblings. His parents brought him up in the Catholic faith, and when he was about 12 years old, he came to faith in Jesus Christ.

“When I came to take Christ as my personal Savior, my father was not born again, my mother was not born again, not even a single person in my family was born again,” Godfrey said.

His father’s dependent (Godfrey’s nephew) who lived with the family was the first to give his life to Christ. In Uganda, a dependent is someone, usually under the age of 18, without parents who lives with another family member or another family. Godfrey said in the Ugandan culture dependents are often treated like a slave, responsible for household chores, helping care for younger children in the family, and other work. To Godfrey, his nephew is more like a brother as they are close in age and grew up together. His nephew was 15 at the time. 

“Every evening when my nephew came home, he sang the songs that they sing in the church, and every evening I listened to the songs of praising God. He sang a song which says Jesus died for our sins and He is coming soon. I listened to this song, and it touched my heart,” Godfrey said.

The following Sunday, Godfrey went to church with his nephew, and at the end of the service, he went to the pastor and asked what he needed to do. He told the pastor that he wanted to know Jesus and to be ready when He returns. The pastor prayed for Godfrey and helped him understand what it means to become a born again believer in Jesus Christ.

When he returned home after the service, his mother questioned where he went, and he told her he went to pray in the born-again church. His mother became frustrated and told him that she wanted him to be in Catholic church like the rest of the family. 

“I became scared. (My mother) had this discussion with my father, and he also told me the same thing. He said because I got saved, he’s going to stop paying for every child in his family. For one full year, he did not pay a single school fee for a single child. He punished every child of his because of my salvation,” Godfrey said. 

The following year, his father decided he could not punish the rest of his children for Godfrey’s decision any longer, so he resumed paying for his children’s needs, all except for Godfrey. His father also forcibly stopped Godfrey and his nephew from going to church for one full year. Eventually, they went to their pastor to tell him their situation. The pastor then talked to Godfrey’s parents and convinced them to allow Godfrey and his nephew to go to church.

Godfrey continued to struggle to pay for his schooling. He and his mother couldn’t manage the tuition costs on their own. Through God’s divine plan, a teacher in the school recognized Godfrey’s situation and felt compassion for him. This teacher ended up moving to teach at a school in one of the refugee camps in Uganda where they distributed books, pens, clothing, and other supplies quarterly, and he invited Godfrey to come to this school.

“This teacher helped me. At that time, it was very hard for a national pupil to join in refugee camp because of that support, but he fought for me. I think it was by the grace of God,” he said.

Godfrey began primary 6 (6th grade) at Mirieyi Refugee Camp. The next year, the South Sudanese refugees who were staying in Uganda were repatriated (sent back) to South Sudan, and Godfrey was left alone. He was able to keep the books he’d received and continue in the school to finish primary 7.

In 2010, he joined secondary school at one of the lowest paid government schools where he could manage the tuition. During holidays, he worked molding bricks, and his mother also worked to provide some money for his school fees. By the time Godfrey reached senior 4, his father recognized his potential and decided to help pay for his last year of school even though Godfrey remained a believer.

After completing school, Godfrey had the opportunity to become a security guard in Kampala, the capital of Uganda at the age of 20. One year later, his paster called and encouraged him to come back to Koboko for more schooling. He faced difficulties getting permission from his father and paying tuition, but he eventually was able to attend school for building and construction. 

In 2015, his father passed away, leaving behind five children who Godfrey became responsible for. After Godfrey finished his craft level in 2016, he returned home and started construction work to support his family financially.

“God is so faithful,” Godfrey said. “After that, I had the opportunity of the Pastor Training Center school.” He joined the first cohort of PTC students at Abaana’s Hope in 2019.

“When I got saved, I was so busy in school and work I did not know the Word of God well, and I was longing to know the Word of God in a better way. When this opportunity came in, I had to apply. Why I have come is I wanted to know Christ in a better way, and I want to serve Him in a better way,” he said.

Since graduating from the PTC in 2021, Godfrey has pastored a church in Uganda and was asked to return as a lead trainer for the next group of PTC students to attend the three-year training program starting in 2023. 

“It’s so meaningful to me because we are growing spiritually together, learning from one another. We dive deeper in the Word, and it’s also so important because the number of people with gospel clarity in our area has been increased,” Godfrey said. “(The Training Leaders International trainers and U.S. pastors) are so encouraging. We have learned a lot from them. They are humble teachers. We learn humbleness from them and from the Word of God. How they present the material, and the Word of God is all really helpful. Through this, we have an abiding network where we share our prayer requests, they pray for us, and we pray for them. It’s encouraging to have them here.”

Godfrey has experienced God moving in the lives of the students and trainers as they study God’s Word and prepare to go out sharing the Good News with others. Please continue to pray for the 81 PTC students who will be graduating in September, for the trainers as they equip these students, and for the next group of students entering the training program.

Please pray for Godfrey as he continues to lead a church and for the refugee community that he pastors, specifically for the women, widows, and children. Godfrey said many of the men leave their wives and children in the camp and return home to fight. Many of these men are killed, leaving their families to survive on their own. Through the PTC training, Godfrey has learned how to help strengthen the church with the gospel and has also helped the women receive skills training in making beads, cakes, bread, and clothing.

Pray that the Lord will provide land for his church to build on. Bricks have already been molded for the construction of the church building, but they do not have land yet. Please also pray for Godfrey’s wife, Evelin, their three children, and one dependent.