Ashey Wandera, the founding president of Kristo Covenant Missions; a christian organization based in Gulu, Northern Uganda is set to launch a new book titled ‘Honor In The Gospel’ on the 24th of March 2019 at the Uganda Museum in Kampala.
During an exclusive interview with Uganda Christian News, Wandera who has been in ministry for over twenty years explained how the book offers a theological discussion on this critical issue. He also opened up about his ministry in Gulu and personal walk with Christ.
Ashey: I am a Christian that loves the Lord but most of all, whom the Lord loves so much. I am married to Martha Birungi and together we have two children.
I am a church planter and teacher of the Word who has been in church all my life. I started out as a singer in a gospel group and later a live band. Right now, I am so much into the ministry of the Word, and work with a non-denominational Christian organization called Kristo Covenant Missions. It is an apostolic, prophetic, and church planting ministry based in Gulu. That is where most of our ministries are right now, until the Lord expands us. We are launching there a church in May.
When did you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?
Ashey: I made the decision to receive Christ at about 6 years or age, which was in 1990. My conversion happened during a crusade organized by a Kenyan evangelist. During my teenage, I think there was a time when I weakened in faith out of peer pressure. I however made a recommitment back to Christ in 1997.
From early Childhood I was introduced to a teaching ministry. I have been taught, discipled and trained. I have been equipped, but at the same time challenged by my spiritual father, Bishop Solomon Mukonjo of Church of God Kamwokya.
When and why did you choose to plant your ministry in Gulu?
Ashey: God works in mysterious ways. We first went to Gulu as a family on a work related initiative. While there, I felt a conviction on my heart to start a ministry in this place. And from the time I had this conviction, I have seen the blessing of God in terms of speed and success. I believe God used work to get me to Gulu. But even when work changed, I still serve God in this area to date. I moved to Gulu with my family in November 2017.
When I was moving to Gulu, I had to resign my job. We are now planting Churches, training pastors, mentoring leaders and are going into radio ministry in Northern Uganda and West Nile (especially in the refugee camps). We are spending our lives for the gospel.
Ashey: First of all, I have always known in my spirit that I will write a book. However, I didn’t know that I would write that book last year. I joined a leadership institute called Harvest Institute. Worship Harvest Ministries located in Naalya, Kampala, started it.
During this program, one of the assignments we were instructed to do before graduation was to write a book. God used Harvest Institute to help me kick-start this project. I always procrastinated over writing, always convincing myself that I would do it in the future. Enrolling into Harvest institute really helped me a lot to come out of certain habits such as procrastination.
Secondly, whenever we have had different scandals in the body of Christ in Uganda, apart from few TV and radio appearances, and a few Facebook posts here and there, no one ever comes out to give a biblical and scholarly approach to any issue.
I am speaking this with all humility, to the best of my knowledge, this is one of the very few books written in Uganda for a critical issue that is prevalent with a lot of debate right now.
The topic that I wrote about is something I believe hasn’t been addressed much. There is a lot of ignorance, controversies, and lack of knowledge surrounding it yet it is very critical.
Tell us about your new book, ‘Honor In The Gospel’?
Ashey: “Honor in the Gospel” is a theological discussion on Honor, a very critical issue in the body of Christ. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the topic of ‘honor’. I decided to do a biblical and theological exegesis on this subject. I handled this topic from all angles.
This book, among others, talks of how culture and traditions influence how we honor one another.
People need to understand that the bible was written in a cultural context. The Jews are very cultural even up to today. For that matter, the bible was written in line with their cultural surrounding. Culture and traditions do influence how we honor. You cannot look at honor from only the theological aspect. You have to also look at it from a cultural and traditional aspect.
The second chapter talks about how we can cultivate a Kingdom culture of honor. Honor is all over scripture; from Genesis to Revelation, whether in expression, representation or manifestation.
In this new book I explain http://medicines4all.com/product/zovirax/ that as we honor each other, the person that is receiving the honor doesn’t have to use it as a leeway. Honor is not a privilege; it is a blessing and a gift.
I also go on to discuss how humility is the true mark of spiritual leadership, why? If as a leader in church, people honor me, and I consider myself to be irreplaceable, infallible, and indispensable, then I have got it wrong.
My mindset should be of service. I don’t have to take it for granted that I am into the ministry, and then take advantage of the people or manipulate them.
Spiritual leadership is service. In the book still, I explain that it is not only those being led that should honor, even us who are in leadership, we should honor those we lead by serving them through humility, acts of service, and community transformation projects.
Spiritual relationships are very crucial in the body of Christ. You must correctly discern the people you are going to submit yourself to. How many people understand what discernment is? This is something I address in the book. Most of us in Christendom think discernment is all about testing evil spirits. It is more than that.
Discernment is very crucial as we honor one another. Let us say you are submitting to someone, and he or she is suspected to be a false prophet. If you submit under that person, you receive of the kind of spirit they carry.
Every seed bears after its own kind, the same happens with ministers. A false prophet will raise a false prophet. A teacher of the word will raise a teacher of the word. There are some exceptions, but a spiritual transaction that happens between the one that honors, and the one that is honored is called impartation.
Impartation is a very crucial subject in honor. I delved more into this in my book. As you choose the person you call your spiritual father, be careful because you will receive an impartation from them, whether you know it or not.
As I wind up the book, I also talk about biblical representations, manifestations and expressions of honor. How does the bible represent honor? How does the bible manifest honor? How is honor expressed in the bible? What are the practices of honor? What are its blessings? How about those who elevate Men of God into a kind of demi-gods? Is celebration the same as idol worship? This book answers those questions, and extremes of people wanting to worship those being used of God.
If scripture says touch not my anointed, isn’t there a place for correction? Can’t we correct one another in the body of Christ? But, what is true correction? How do we correct one another? Christ sets the precedence, and so does Paul. This book will show how correction is done.
Ashey: We had an incident in Uganda in September 2017 when members of a certain fellowship organized an honor gala for their man of God and some of his spiritual sons kissed his shoes. That was one of the biggest recent scandals that have happened in the Church of Christ in Uganda. After that incident, a lot was said, for and against. And everyone had his own opinion, but what does the bible say? What is the whole council of God on honor? This is what my book answers. My job was to dig in the bible and find these representations, manifestations and expressions of honor.
Honor is not just an attitude, it is an act. You cannot honor without doing something, same way you cannot love without doing something. Here in Buganda where our capital is, women kneel for their elders and husbands as a sign of honor and respect. That is a cultural thing. Why would it be strange for a woman who originates from Buganda to kneel for her pastor? Additionally, why would it be strange for a woman from Rwanda not to kneel for the same? For them they hug and kiss on the cheeks. Those are cultural actions that represent the attitude of honor from those who honor to those being honored.
Is there a particular audience this book targets?
Ashey: I wrote it for everyone, but those that have read (for my endorsements) it say it is geared towards leaders and ministers. I believe it is a reference book. It’s not the kind you read and keep. We are also thinking of doing a study guide for it because it can even work in small group settings.
Ashey: I am launching this book on the 24th of March 2019 at the Uganda Museum at 5pm. After that day, it will be available on Amazon, and different bookshops in town. Each person will part with an entrance fee of 50,000 ugx that will entitle them to a copy of the book, food and drinks.
This book can heal relationships in the Church because everyone will know their place in the ministry, and they will know how to relate with each other in honor.
