Beyond Sunday Worship: Four Years of Faith-Driven Development at St Matthew Maya

Kimbowa Richard receives a certificate of appreciation from Reverend David K. Ntale (Photo: Ritah, St Matthew)

 In January 2022, I accepted a voluntary appointment as Head of Estates, Development and Planning (EDP) at St Matthew Church of Uganda under Namirembe Diocese. Four years later (just yesterday), as I handed over the mantle, I found myself reflecting not just on projects completed or challenges faced, but on what church leadership truly means in a changing community.

The Estates, Development and Planning function is one of the operational arms of the Church of Uganda, stretching from local congregations to parish, archdeaconry and diocesan levels. It is the engine room for land management, infrastructure development, and income-generating initiatives. In many ways, it determines whether a church remains dependent or becomes sustainable.

When I assumed office, the foundation had already been laid. The congregation had mobilised resources to construct a Sunday School building — still a work in progress. Church land had been leased to two tenants operating kiosks that sold foodstuffs, charcoal and firewood, creating modest but important income streams. There had also been efforts to address cases of land encroachment through diocesan channels, though without resolution.

But beneath those gains were structural challenges.

Part of the church land had been encroached upon. A football pitch belonging to the church had effectively been taken over by individuals who used it regularly without contributing user fees. Processes to resolve land disputes at higher administrative levels were slow. At the same time, the economic aftershocks of COVID-19 were still evident. Household incomes had fallen. Weekly church contributions declined. The pandemic closures that began in March 2020 had disrupted both spiritual life and practical development engagement, and rebuilding confidence took time.

Those early realities forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth: goodwill alone does not sustain institutions. Systems do.

Lessons in Stewardship and Systems

Churches depend heavily on member contributions, fundraising drives, and well-wishers. But financial sustainability is not simply about mobilising money — it is about managing it transparently and strategically. Members give more confidently when they see clear outputs, measurable outcomes, and tangible impact.

Over four years, I learned that finance is important, but ideas are even more powerful. When people feel included in shaping solutions — through brainstorming, planning meetings, and shared decision-making — their ownership increases. Fundraising then becomes a by-product of belief in the vision.

This experience reshaped my understanding of leadership. Creativity, inclusion, and resilience matter more than rigid control. Establishing feedback loops — reporting back to members, refining plans based on community input, documenting progress — builds trust. It also strengthens institutional memory.

The role sharpened my skills in inclusive local planning and in synthesising diverse ideas into coherent development proposals. I came to appreciate that even at parish level, structured planning, budgeting, and reporting are not luxuries. They are essentials.

There is a clear need for continuous capacity building for church leaders serving in administrative roles. Financial literacy, preparation of departmental work plans, narrative reporting, and conflict management are critical skills. Without them, friction between departments grows and development stalls. Strengthening these capacities — particularly at diocesan level — would significantly improve outcomes across congregations.

Linking Faith and Community Development

One of the most important insights from my tenure is that spiritual growth cannot be separated from inclusive community development.

St Matthew Church is located in Nsangi ward, a peri-urban area experiencing rapid demographic and socio-economic change. According to the 2024 national population census, the ward has 15,971 people across 4,547 households. Approximately 7 percent of residents rely on unimproved water sources, and a similar proportion depend on unimproved sanitation facilities. These conditions affect health outcomes, educational performance, and overall productivity.

For a church situated in such a community, development is not optional. It is integral to ministry.

During my tenure, we strengthened internal income-generating processes by increasing kiosk utilisation, moved the Sunday School building closer to completion, and established a fixed asset register for the first time. We also initiated partnerships with local actors such as the Rotary Club of Maya to construct a public toilet facility — a small but meaningful intervention in local sanitation.

Yet challenges remain. Clergy accommodation requires improvement. Departments such as the Mother’s Union, Father’s Union, Youth Fellowship, Christian Men’s Fellowship, Christian Women’s Fellowship and others require sustainable financing models. Land governance issues must be addressed decisively through proper demarcation, utilisation of idle land, and lawful eviction of encroachers. Secure land tenure is foundational for long-term development planning.

Beyond infrastructure, the church must increasingly engage in livelihood-oriented programming: water, sanitation and hygiene education; mobile health outreach; food security initiatives; and local waste management solutions that address both biodegradable waste and plastics. These interventions complement spiritual nourishment rather than compete with it.

A Broader Institutional Imperative

My four-year journey convinced me that local churches must evolve from being purely contribution-dependent to becoming strategically development-oriented institutions. That shift requires three things:

First, institutional discipline — transparent financial systems, documented assets, structured plans, and measurable targets.

Second, inclusive ideation — turning congregational ideas into well-designed, bankable project proposals capable of attracting support from members, partners, and well-wishers.

Third, external partnerships — collaborating confidently with government agencies, local authorities, and non-state actors who share a commitment to community transformation and the Global Goals.

Churches should not shy away from partnerships. Faith institutions remain among the most trusted community structures in Uganda. That trust can be leveraged responsibly to advance health, education, environmental stewardship, and social cohesion.

Closing Reflections

As I handed over office yesterday, I did so with quiet satisfaction. We made progress. We strengthened systems. We learned difficult lessons about governance and sustainability. But more importantly, I grew — as a planner, as a steward, and as a believer in the power of organised community action.

Volunteerism and spirituality intersect in powerful ways. When anchored in accountability and inclusive vision, they can transform institutions.

My hope is that future leaders within Estates, Development and Planning — at St Matthew and across the wider church — will continue building systems that match our spiritual calling with practical excellence.

Faith must inspire worship.

But it must also inspire stewardship, structure, and sustainable development