Life-Changing Surprise

0 n a cool Friday evening in Kampala the 42-year-old phy$cian slowly drove home after a hectic but profitable day of treating patients. Dr. Kisekka couldn’t help but think how fortunate he had been. A few months earlier he had resigned from the government civil service. Already he had obtained an independent med- ical license, and now his fledgling medical practice was showing definite promise. An obvious sign that he was fulfilling a real need for his people was that he already had more patients than he could handle and plans for his new nursing home were progressing smoothly.

Arriving at home Dr. Kisekka greeted his wife and children. Then he picked up the Uganda Herald, the national daily newspaper, and settled down to catch up on the news. Glancing through the paper, he immedi- ately noticed a prominent advertisement:

You Are Invited to the

Bible Speaks Crusade

According to the announcement, Evangelist M. E. Lind, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, would use the Bible to address everyday questions, demonstrating ways God’s Word can help to achieve happiness and a satisfying life. Big claims, but interesting. They attracted

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Dr. Kisekka’s attention. He recalled the days when he’d studied the Bible as a student in the Scripture Union. Even now he was actively involved in the Uganda Bible Society and the YMCA. But when he noted that the opening meeting was to be held on the coming Sunday, he dismissed the thought because he already had a previous appointment in another part of the city.

The evangelistic meetings forgotten, Dr. Kisekka left for his Sunday evening engagement. He was scheduled to meet with a government official on a matter of great importance. However, to his surprise, when he reached the place of his appointment, he discovered that the official had gone, having had to unexpectedly cancel their appointment.

Dr. Kisekka decided to return home by another route. On his way he was “attracted by a large crowd and a big tent. It was located on the side of the road, with a large attractive sign that read: ‘BIBLE SPEARS CRUSADE.’ It was only then that I remembered that I had seen such an advertisement in the newspaper two days before.” Dr. Kisekka was captivated, excited. Peo- ple were everywhere, smiling and talking happily as they entered the big tent in droves. He had never seen anything like it. And the music. Deep, rich singing could be heard from the tent. Listening to music was one of his hobbies, and this was some of the best religious music he had ever heard.

Parking his car, Dr. Kisekka entered the tent, which was packed to capacity, and found a seat. He enjoyed everything, but the most impressive part of the service was the preaching. “I was very impressed by the preacher [the late Pastor M. E. Lind] and the manner in which he so clearly explained the texts.” For the first time in his life the Bible came alive; as the pastor

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compared one text with another, he understood Bible truths more clearly than ever before.

He was riveted to his seat during the whole service. When future subjects were announced, he knew he would be back. “After the meeting, I went home and related the whole experience to my wife, Mary. We decided to attend the meetings. And for the next three months we didn’t miss a night. At the end we found ourselves in the baptismal class. Both of us were bap- tized along with a large group on Saturday, May 15, 1954.”

For Dr. Kisekka, conversion to the Seventh-day Ad- ventist Church was a “surprise that changed my life.” He believes that God in His providence caused him to miss his appointment with the government official to make a more important appointment with heaven. Dr. Kisekka afErms that joining the church was “one of the greatest and most satisfying events in my life.”

He had always been religious; he was well ac- quainted with the Bible, the church, and Christianity. But now he knew Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. A Saviour who forgave him of his sins and extended to him the promise of eternal life. Looking back on this expe- rience, Dr. Kisekka emphasizes the fact that for the first time Jesus became very special to him- Jesus was his friend. “Whatever the need, Jesus is able and willing to help. He is a guide to lead you. A defender when you are in trouble. A companion when you are lonely. A support when you need someone to lean on. A motivator to help you to move ahead.”

Everything changed- his prayer life, meditation, Bi- ble reading, church attendance-his devotional life took on special meaning. At the big Bible Speaks tent Dr.

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Kisekka found Jesus, the missing dimension in his life. And he has never been the same since. This same Jesus outlined in the Bible the type of life that He wants His followers to live. It isn’t to be a hit-or-miss relationship. It is a specific lifestyle that Jesus wants His believers to practice and share with others.

Why was this doctor, businessman, and community leader so attracted to the Seventh-day Adventist Church? According to Dr. Kisekka, it was because the Adventists presented Christ as Saviour and Lord. “Ad- ventists show that Jesus is a Saviour who saves, but He is also a Lord who wants us to serve Him.”

Dr. Kisekka believes the Seventh-day Adventist life- style is especially suitable for Africa. “Everything about it is for the betterment of the individual. It is a religion that makes a difference in a person’s life. It makes him a better person, no matter what part of Africa he is from.” The Adventist Church clears up confusion about doc- trine, too, adds Dr. Kisekka. “A lot of people don’t know what or how they are to believe. The Adventist Church shows them how.”

As prime minister, the subject of national develop- ment and assistance is a high priority to Dr. Kisekka. And here, too, he believes the Adventist Church has a special message and role. “With its educational and community outreach, and its special auxiliary organizations [such as ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency)], the Adventist Church shows that it is interested in more than only the spiritual part of man. It is also interested in the mental, physical, and social. I was impressed with that then, and I see its value now.”

Through the difficult periods that his nation has experienced, Dr. Kisekka attests that the Adventist Church has provided him and other believers with a

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theology of hope, a hope that is particularly comforting today in his capacity as prime minister. Quoting Louis B. Reynolds, a former editor of Message magazine (“Un- tangling Men’s Lives,” December 1957) Dr. Kisekka used the following statement to sum up this theology of hope: “ ‘As long as there are widespread economic injustice, mass poverty, illness, discrimination, and wars in the world, there will be suffering and death on a vast scale.’ That is what happened in Uganda. But it is God’s supreme goal to untangle the masses and to lift men out of this horror. For that job, He calls people of conviction to deny themselves in the work for others. Thus around the luminous service center of their faith will shine the divine purpose.

Having embraced the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Dr. Kisekka offers the following brief summation of his thinking on key Adventist teachings:

The Second Coming of Christ makes sense. It is in the Bible, and it is only right for God to come back and grandly do away with sin, and to then finish what He started-the rescue and recreation of man.

The Sabbath was a problem at first. It was amazing to me that as long as I had been in school I never once heard it taught that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, was the true Bible Sabbath. But it was ready to keep it once I saw it clearly and understood it. I began to go to church on the true Sabbath.

The teaching of Stewardship is very prudent. Just as a businessman needs money to run his business, so God needs the tithes and offerings to run His church. This must be. People must be willing to discipline them- selves and give their time and other gifts to God.

The health teachings of the church-not drinking, smoking, or using drugs are very sensible. It is better for FETPM-5 65

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your body that way. I never had a problem with such things. I knew it wasn’t good for my body.

In the Spirit of Prophecy teachings God has given special messages to the church through Mrs. E. G. White. I read and study and quote her wise counsel. She also has wonderful advice for physicians.

The State of the Dead teaching is enlightening because it tells a person what really happens after death.

The teachings about the Sanctuary are helpful. It shows the work that Jesus is doing in heaven. But it must be explained very clearly.

The Adventist teachings on Salvation are most important because they teach that Christ died for our sins and that He loves us very dearly.

In spite of his varied civic and professional duties, Dr. Kisekka is a faithful supporter of his church. He has held church offices, preached, taught, and attends church regularly. Part of his faithfulness he credits to his very good foundation in Bible teachings in the baptismal class. In church work, nothing is too big or too small for him to do. He sings in the church choir, directs witness- ing groups, teaches Sabbath school classes and serves on the church board. The same fervor and commitment that he gave to his medical practice and business ventures, and even to his tenure as prime minister, Dr. Kisekka gives to the Seventh-day Adventist organization. Members know him as a strong, respected, and much- loved church member and fellow believer.

In turn, Dr. Kisekka has evidenced a deep love and respect for the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its people. An active member for more than three decades, he maintains that the Uganda Adventist Church, like that of all of Africa, will face great challenges in the future. To meet these challenges he believes the church will

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have to: 1. Provide more comprehensive education, training,

and development for church leaders. 2. Check and recheck that listeners understand what is

being taught in the Bible. 3. Involve laypersons in the operation of church orga-

nizations. 4. Remind leaders, both young and old, that they must

look, talk, and act like leaders if they want to be treated with respect.

5. Constantly stress the value not only of book knowl- edge but also technical and agricultural skills.

By meeting these challenges, he envisions that the church will be better prepared to face the future.

Shortly after becoming an Adventist Dr. Kisekka met world-famous Seventh-day Adventist evangelist Earl E. Cleveland. In 1955, the year after the Kisekkas were baptized, Pastor Cleveland visited Uganda and con- ducted a very successful evangelistic campaign in Kam- pala that resulted in a large baptism. The two men became close friends and developed admiration for each other’s work. Dr. Kisekka remembers that he was very impressed with Pastor Cleveland’s knowledge of the Bible, his preaching, and his confidence. In the course of their association Dr. Kisekka had the opportunity to share with him his dreams and aspirations. He showed Pastor Cleveland his small medical clinic, which in years to come would become a hospital. He then unfolded to him a burning desire. He wanted to go to America and observe how the medical work was conducted there. “My main interest was to compare and learn of hospital administration.” Then he could return to Uganda and utilize the knowledge and ideas he had gathered.

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Pastor Cleveland was interested. He said he would see what could be worked out. Not long after he returned to the States, a letter was posted to Dr. Kisekka. In it Pastor Cleveland happily extended an invitation for him to visit and work at the Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Sanitarium in Nashville, Tennessee.

It was a dream come true! Dr. Kisekka experienced a confirmation of the truth that many good things will happen to a person if he will only persevere. “Disap- pointments should never stop you from the right pursuits,” he said. After being turned down by the frrst source to which he applied for transportation expenses to the United States, he persisted; and finally the gov- ernment extended to him the necessary funds for the trip.

His time in the United States and the insights he gained from his time at Riverside were invaluable experiences. It revolutionized his worldview and opened his mind to the unlimited possibilities for progress in medical, social, and civil services.

During the time he was in the United States (1956- 1957) he was also exposed to the evils of prejudice and segregation. This led to the realization that the ills of racial inequity were in no way confined to Uganda.

Upon his return from the United States, he was called to serve temporarily for three months at the Kendu Adventist Hospital in Kendu Bay, Kenya (1958). Follow- ing that, he resumed his private medical practice. But as a result of his ongoing community involvement, his fellow citizens increasingly began to recognize him as one who would fairly, forcefully, and articulately repre- sent their concerns. In 1959 he was elected as a representative to the Lukiiko (formerly the Bugandan Parliament). Two years later he was appointed Minister of Health and Works for the last two years of the

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provincial government ( 1964- 1966), and in this off-ice he served with distinction.

During this same period in his life he remained active in his church’s affairs. The organization that he was instrumental in starting probably best shows the extent of his concern. Two thoughts began to press themselves on Dr. Kisekka’s mind: First was his people’s need for knowledge. He recalled the prophet Hosea’s lament: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowl- edge” (Hosea 4:6). Second was his people’s need of unity. He recalls this quotation from a favorite Christian writer: “If Christians were to act in concert, moving forward as one, under the direction of one Power, for the accomplishment of one purpose, they would move the world.”

“With those thoughts in mind, I felt the only way to get knowledge and unity was through the fellowship of believers. How I wished for that practical fellowship among Adventists. It was amazing, but around that same time a group of Adventists from another district came to me and expressed desires that were identical to mine. We prayed over these ideas and started the Uganda Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Association (SEDAWA).” The purpose of SEDAWA was to provide opportunity for practical fellowship, spiritual growth, and planning.

The association’s aim is to provide for the needs of the unfortunate both inside and outside of the church. It was not conceived as a profit-making enterprise. It is a charitable organization that is associated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, taking its philosophy from Matthew 25:35, which says: “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger, and ye took me in.”

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The association’s objectives are: (1) to provide for the welfare of church members; (2) to spread the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ; and (3) to facilitate education and health teachings for church members and the general public in any way possible. SEDAWA was an idea whose time had come.

The Adventist Church in Uganda was literally pre- served as a result of the efforts of the members and supporters of SEDAWA. Dr. Kisekka, chairman of this organization until the time of his exile (1955-1981) gave this report concerning SEDAWA’s activities during the time of persecution: “In September 1977, when the Seventh-day Adventist Church and several other churches were banned by the Idi Amin Dada govern- ment, SEDAWA came forward immediately to stabilize the three districts around Kampala while the mission field and its workers were sorting out their problems with the government. The association registered with the government under the name SEDAWA, Ltd. With this official status, the association was instrumental in registering Bugema College, our junior Adventist col- lege, with the government under the name Bugema College Association so that the college would not be closed but would continue to be operated by the Seventh-day Adventists under SEDAWA.

“All through the time of the ban this arrangement worked very successfully, and through SEDAWA we were able to operate our college, preach the gospel, and look after the welfare of our church members. Many people were baptized during this period, and SEDAWA maintained the church until April 1979 when Idi Amin was toppled.

“Two weeks after Uganda was liberated by Tanza- nian forces, SEDAWA had already approached the gov-

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ernment with a petition to reclaim Ishaka Hospital. It had also sought an audience with the president of Uganda as a positive gesture of goodwill. Further, some of the members of the association had been interviewed on government television. One of the interview ques- tions directed to me was, ‘Uganda needs unity, how could your church contribute to this unity?’ My answer was that ‘we are always in harmony with Christian organizations as well as the government. We have never been in isolation. For example, I have been a director of the Ugandan YMCA for the past 15 years, and I am the honorary treasurer of the Ugandan Bible Society.’ That successfully answered the question. But it was because of SEDAWA that we were organized and therefore able to answer any questions.

“These are only some of the services SEDAWA, under God’s direction, was able to render for the church.”

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