Oaks of Righteousness: Celebrating 30 Years of Covenant Global Ministry
This is a month of celebration!
On September 18, a team of six of us will travel to Uganda to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Pastor Moses' Covenant Global Ministry (CGM) in Uganda!
We (Frank and Sue) have had the privilege of seeing the Lord's work there since 2009—the second half of this remarkable legacy. From the beginning, Pastor Moses has carried a vision to “Remember the Poor” and, specifically, to raise up generations of changemakers from rural Uganda. We have witnessed powerful Gospel outreach accompanied by meaningful social action.
That outreach has spread throughout Western Uganda through the establishment of the CGM family of churches, reaching as far as Kampala and now extending into Karamoja through TCI. It has been an incredible privilege to walk alongside Moses and Sarah for 17 years and to witness what can happen when a person believes God, embraces His calling, and trusts in the power of the Gospel.
How has Moses kept going?
He believes that he is CALLED.
He believes that he is NOT HIS OWN.
He believes that God has given him a PROPHETIC VISION and the FAITH TO BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL DO IT!
That is what has kept him going.
And what has kept us going?
From our earliest days as Christians in the 1980s, God led us into ministry to the poor. That conviction was further fueled and nurtured years later by the landmark teaching of Simon Pettit in 1998. Simon’s teaching, “Remember the Poor,” reverberated throughout the Newfrontiers International global church movement led by Terry Virgo. When Simon delivered the message in 1998, it was met with an immediate standing ovation. Those who were there have described it as a “movement-changing sermon.”
Recently, we found a shortened 12-minute highlight video of Simon’s teaching, and it is well worth listening to:
It highlights the priority of this apostolic burden for the early church leaders—and we believe you will be encouraged to see that this calling did not stop with them.
When we encountered Pastor Moses in 2009, he was living out that very calling. Our hearts immediately resonated with his passion for the poor. For the next ten years, we joined him in his various endeavors. Then, in 2019, TCI was birthed as the development arm of CGM in Western Uganda.
In 2022, TCI expanded its operations into another difficult territory: Karamoja. This was not something we sought out. The conditions there have been heartbreaking. Famine, starvation, extreme poverty, and immense need have presented challenges that at times have seemed overwhelming.
BUT GOD.
Monthly food relief, gardening initiatives, and Bible storytelling have produced so much fruit. And along the way, there have been many temptations—and even suggestions from others—that we should give up because the work is simply too difficult and demands too much.
But we know something deeper:
Our lives are not our own.
He has called us to “REMEMBER THE POOR.” And He has given us a vision from Isaiah 61:1–3. We believe that one day the Karamojong communities will be transformed at every level and that they will rise up as OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS for the glory of the Lord.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:1-3
The first verses of this passage speak so clearly about what we are called to do. And time and time again, God reminds us of His plan to raise up OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS in Karamoja. He has been encouraging us not to stop short, but to keep going.
And you are part of this calling!
You may not be called to go to the places where TCI serves. You may never travel to Karamoja or Western Uganda. But your willingness to pray, give, encourage, and stand with TCI makes it possible for those who are called to go. When you support TCI, you are helping carry this work forward. In that sense, you are not simply supporting our calling—you are answering a calling of your own.
You are helping us “Remember the Poor.” And as Jesus said, when we do it for the least of these, we do it unto Him.
Thank you so much for standing with us. As we travel to Uganda on September 18 to celebrate 30 years of Covenant Global Ministry, and 17 years of walking alongside Moses and Sarah, we want you to celebrate with us. This is your celebration, too.
We believe there are still OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to be raised up in Karamoja and throughout Western Uganda.
There are still children to nourish.
Communities to strengthen.
Churches to establish.
Generations to disciple.
Lives to be transformed by the Gospel.
And we are deeply grateful that God has called us to do this TOGETHER.
As we remember the poor, may we never forget the words of Jesus:
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers, you did for me.”
Thank you for believing with us. Thank you for praying with us. Thank you for giving. Thank you for going. And thank you for helping us raise up OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS for the glory of God.
With grateful hearts,
Frank & Sue