Puzzled HITMEN Let Sempangi Live After He Explained Christian Joy
[Idi Amin at Entebbe Airport by Moshe Pridan—public domain / Wikimedia File:Idi Amin - Entebbe 1966-06-12.jpg]
In 1973 Easter Sunday fell on this day, 22 April. In Uganda, persecution had fallen heavily on church leaders for over a year. Although 80 percent of the country was at least nominally Christian, Idi Amin had determined to make his country Muslim. He employed Nubian mercenaries as agents of torture and death.
Nonetheless, Christians flowed to Easter services at Redeemed Church in Kampala. Pastor Kefa Sempangi, who had struggled with his own faith under the strain of cruel events in recent days felt helpless to preach. Then he realized his task was the same as that of the disciples at Christ’s miraculous feeding of the 5,000—only to pass the bread of life Jesus had broken for his people. He preached for three hours, then at the insistence of the congregation, took a short rest, and preached another three hours. Newly widowed women and newly orphaned children sang the joyful songs of the Resurrection.
Afterward, exhausted, Sempangi did not notice men following him. Five Nubians entered the vestry and pointed guns at him. “We are going to kill you,” said their leader. “If you have something to say, say it before you die.” His face was twisted with hatred.
Sempangi trembled. As if from a long distance away he heard his own voice telling them he was already dead in Christ [see Colossians 3:3]. “It is your lives that are in danger. You are dead in your sins.” He promised to pray that they would not experience eternal death.
The leader lowered his gun and motioned for his followers to do the same. “Will you pray for us now?” he asked. Despite thinking it was a trick, Sempangi had them bow their heads and prayed a simple prayer for their salvation. When they raised their heads, the killers had a different attitude. They turned to go, promising Sempangi protection. The leader had one last question. How could the widows and orphans in the church sing praises with death so near? Sempangi explained that Christ’s presence and the hope of eternal life gave them joy.
Later the Nubian leader returned, asking how he could become a Christian. Sempangi gave him a Gospel of John. When he reached John 8:44, the Nubian realized that Satan, a murderer, was his father. The Nubian had killed over two hundred people, unfazed by their screams. Now he could not get those screams out of his head. How could he be forgiven? Sampangli read him scriptural promises of forgiveness. The man became a genuine Christian.
About the same time a boy was healed merely because God’s word was read to him. Another boy was healed by hearing a biblical benediction. A dying woman was restored when Sempangi and elders took turns reading the Gospel of John to her even though she was unconscious.
Amin targeted Sempangi. By God’s grace the pastor and his wife were able to escape to Kenya and board a plane for the Netherlands about half an hour before Amin’s hitmen arrived in search of them. Because a woman had given Sempangi ten shillings and a taxi driver had refused to take a tip, Sempangi and his wife had the exact amount of money they needed to pay Kenya’s exit tax of which they had been unaware.
Eventually Sempangi moved to the United States, where he raised funds to help other Ugandan refugees. Following Amin’s ouster, Sempangi returned to Uganda where he served in parliament. He left the Pentecostal churches to found the Presbyterian Church of Uganda. And he expanded a work with orphans that he had begun before his flight from Uganda (by 2019 over 6,000 children had passed through his orphanages). However, foreign supporters at New Vision accused him of fraud and ceased funding the work.
Was Sempangi like Solomon who experienced God’s favor but then drifted into sin? A Western missionary indignantly rejected the suggestion of corruption. Bob Hayes had met many of the orphanages’ children. “I am very impressed with them. Someone has made a big difference in their lives and I see nothing to suggest it was anyone other that Dr. Kefa Sempangi.” He went on to write,
Since 2007 I have been involved with Kefa and two other pastors in a village church planting ministry in the Mukono district which is Kefa’s home. At his lead, not only are churches being planted in very rural areas, these very poor people are receiving Bible, seeds to plant, mosquito nets to help reduce malaria, other types of medical and benevolent help, and we are working on supplying clean water. All of this under the leadership of Kefa. This I have seen with my own eyes.
—Dan Graves
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For more on the suffering of Christians in Uganda, watch Uganda: Ready to Forgive at RedeemTV
You can purchase Uganda: Ready to Forgive at Vision Video
Other Events on this Day
- Bach Supplied His Musical Genius to Leipzig's Four Churches
- VISIONARY WADIEI BROUGHT THE GOSPEL AND PROSPERITY TO HIS NIGERIAN HOME