Master of Divinity (For graduates without theological background)

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11951/799

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    The Role of Chaplaincy Ministries in Transforming Students’ Morals. A Case of Church of Uganda Founded Secondary Schools in Luweero Diocese
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-09-24) Ivan Ssebulime
    In the past decades, a large number of educational institutions worldwide have tried to advance chaplaincy. The reviewed literature, shows that poor learning has taken over education systems in African nations, particularly Uganda. This undermines the real purpose of education, which is to address secular, religious, and ethical issues that are consistent with a worldview. This prevents an educational system from taking a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to generating well-rounded students. This study was based on Emile Durkheim's structural functionalism theory, shedding light on the factors that contribute to students’ moral transformation. Similarly, a pilot study was undertaken, and the results were used to create research instruments that were then used to collect field data. Similarly, a descriptive survey approach was employed to evaluate data both qualitatively and quantitatively. The data analyzed revealed that, to a greater extent, chaplaincy ministry plays an important role in changing students' morals in COU-founded secondary schools in the Luweero Diocese. In other schools which lack these ministries, many students were occasionally overwhelmed by situations that led to retribution and suicidal ideation, distorting their moral reasoning. This contributed to the systematic decline in social development of students. The survey also identified considerable hurdles that chaplains in schools face in their efforts to nurture students in their social and spiritual lives. First and foremost, many chaplains were males, as female students were excluded because they preferred a compatible gender. Additionally, there was a shortage of qualifications in chaplaincy ministry, leaving many chaplains unsure of what to do. Similarly, there were no policy rules for chaplaincy employment criteria because many clergy members also serve as chaplains. It was also revealed that there was no established entity at the Diocesan level empowered to supervise, guide, and address issues relating to chaplaincy. As a result, the researcher finds that chaplaincy acts are motivated by chaplains' personal assessment, religious beliefs, and traditions, which contradicts chaplaincy principles. As a result, the Diocese and education partners must work together to develop a shared chaplaincy curriculum that would enable chaplains to perform their duties in a more systematic way. Conclusively, the study's goal was contributing to the growing intellectual debate on chaplaincy around the world, particularly in Uganda and specifically to COU-founded secondary schools in the Luweero Diocese.
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    An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Current Discipleship Strategies in West Buganda Diocese in Light of Mamo’s (2017) Model of Discipleship and Contextualization
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-09-10) Moses Muwulya
    This study examines the effectiveness of the discipleship strategies currently used by the Church of Uganda in West Buganda Diocese, specifically in relation to newly born-again Christians. The research is based on Mamo's (2017) model of discipleship and contextualization, which emphasizes the importance of discipleship strategies being both biblically sound and contextually effective. The study was prompted by the growing nominalism and limited spiritual growth among Christians, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of current discipleship approaches amid rapidly changing social and religious cultures. The data was collected using a qualitative research methodology, which involved participant observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The study sample included clergy, lay readers, diocesan leaders, and born-again Christians from five parishes in Masaka Archdeaconry. The findings indicate that although discipleship strategies such as fellowship meetings, mentorship, Bible study, and prayer are in place, their implementation often lacks contextual relevance and intentionality. The research reveals that the hierarchical structure of the church, inadequate training of leaders in expository biblical teaching, and the prioritization of evangelism over discipleship undermine the effectiveness of these strategies. A key issue identified is the disconnection between the discipleship content and the socio-cultural realities of newly born-again Christians. Strategies such as devotional materials and mentorship are often not adapted to the local oral traditions and the communal nature of discipleship prevalent in Buganda culture. The study also found that many church leaders are not actively involved in discipleship due to a lack of personal spiritual maturity, further weakening the discipleship framework. To address these challenges, the research recommends a stronger focus on contextual biblical teaching and training, restructuring church leadership to facilitate discipleship, and establishing discipleship as a core cultural practice within the church. This study concludes that while discipleship is recognized as important, the current strategies fall short in fostering spiritual maturity among Christians in West Buganda Diocese. The research highlights the need for a more organized and contextually relevant approach to discipleship to ensure the spiritual growth of the newly born-again Christians and the church's resilience in the face of modern cultural challenges.
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    An Assesment on the Benefits of Youth Inclusion in the Church Ministry: A Case Study of Lira Urban Archdeaconry, Lango Diocese
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-09-13) Jimmy Francis Odongo
    The study investigated the benefits of youth inclusion in the church ministry within Lira Urban archdeaconry, Diocese of Lango. This study was conducted under the following objectives; Examining the Christians’ view towards involving youth in church ministry in Lira urban Archdeaconry. Establishing the impact of involvement of youth in church growth and management and establishing the reasons for low participation of youth in general church ministry in the Lira Urban Archdeaconry. The descriptive and evaluative research design were employed during this research to study 100 out of 150 projected respondents, the sampling was done through random sampling. Both structured and semi structured questions were used to help the researcher to get answers and relevant information from respondents. The results of the study indicate that the youth, spiritual and lay leaders believe that the involvement of youth in general church programming is of benefit for church development. The study also shows that majority of the youth satisfied that they are being included in the church ministry though they have some areas lacking their involvement. The study revealed several reasons for low participation of youth in the church ministry and among reasons were low self esteem, ignorance, peer pressure and money minded pastors who scare unemployed youth away from church. The study concluded that much as there is moderate inclusion of the youth in church ministry, there are still gaps that need to be filled for better inclusion. Lastly the study recommended that the youth department from the Diocese down to sub-parishes be strengthened and youth friendly programs well regulated and guided be put in place so that youth are recruited and retained in church through mentorship, guidance and counseling and discipleship as guarantor for ministry sustainability and continuity.
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    The Challenge of Clergy Welfare Among Anglican Priests in Reference to Kako Deanery West Buganda Diocese
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-07-19) Anthony John Katamba
    The study investigated the Challenge of Clergy Welfare among Anglican priests in reference to Kako Deanery West Buganda Diocese. The study considered Kako Deanery as the geographical area of study basing on the easy accessibility and being a deanery with some challenges regarding clergy welfare. The objectives of the study were; to analyse the general clergy welfare, to investigate the causes of poor clergy welfare, to establish how the problem of poor clergy welfare can be reduced. The study investigated the gaps in the clergy welfare among Anglican priests. Specifically, the study focused on four aspects of welfare; salary, accommodation, transport and medical care. The study was conducted through a qualitative case study research design on the basis that it sought to define how and or why an experience (miserable clergy) took place. The study was based on a sample size of 38 ministers including clergy and lay readers from Kako deanery. The researcher conducted interviews with the respondents. Data was also collected using a structured well-designed questionnaire pretested before, which was self-administered to the respondents. Observation was done to collect data from some of the observable Deanery operations and structures. The findings revealed that, First, clergy welfare in Kako deanery is wanting. Secondly, the major cause of poor clergy welfare in the deanery is inadequate remuneration (low pay/stipend). Thirdly, all solutions aimed at improving clergy welfare in Kako deanery should focus on increasing the incomes of the parishes. The study concludes that the general clergy welfare in Kako deanery leaves a lot to be desired and therefore worth improving before it gets worse.
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    Examining the Impact of the African Traditional Practices on Death on the Anglican Church, South Rwenzori Diocese
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-08-20) Zerubaberi Bwambale
    This study explored the influence of African traditional death practices on the Anglican Church in South Rwenzori Diocese, Uganda, focusing on why these customs persist despite widespread Christian conversion. The research aimed to evaluate the implications of these practices on the church's theological teachings and Gospel communication. The study contextualizes the rapid growth of Christianity in Africa, noting that this expansion has not always led to deep spiritual transformation. It argues that the unexamined blending of the Gospel with African traditions, particularly around death, creates syncretism, diluting the Christian message and altering core faith tenets. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, data was collected from 90 Anglican respondents through pre-tested questionnaires and interviews. The findings indicated that many Anglicans in the region continue to observe traditional death-related practices such as widow inheritance, ritual head shaving, and beliefs in ancestral retribution. These practices persist due to deeply ingrained cultural beliefs and fears, even among Christians. The study revealed that these practices challenge the church's efforts to teach a biblical understanding of death and the afterlife, leading to theological confusion. The blending of traditional and Christian beliefs has also perpetuated practices like polygamy and ancestor veneration, which conflict with biblical teachings. To address these issues, the study recommended the Anglican Church implement more rigorous discipleship programs that promote a biblical worldview, contextualize the Gospel to confront traditional practices, and facilitate open discussions with congregants about the conflicts between these practices and Christian teachings. The study concluded that addressing the mixture of the Gospel and African traditional practices is essential for ensuring that Christianity's growth in the region is not just numerical but also transformative in the lives of believers. The findings provide a framework for the Anglican Church to better communicate the Gospel and challenge cultural practices that contradict the Christian faith.