A former Muslim turned Pastor donated a part of his land for the construction of a church building in Mazuba village, Namutumba district in Eastern Uganda.
As we report however, threats by Muslims in this area have prompted believers to stop worship services in the half-constructed church building and led the pastor, Maseruwa Budallah to send his children to another town.
Raised in a Muslim home, Maseruwa Budallah (original photos withheld for security reasons) was fully practicing Islam, but gracefully received Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour, a decision that led his children to follow suit.
According to Morning Star News, the 55-year-old pastor had resettled his family in Mazuba five years ago after fleeing persecution by Muslims in Sironko village, 70 kilometers (43 miles) away.
Two months ago, Muslims this area noticed that some Muslims had become Christians and were attending his church, and Muslim schoolchildren learned from Christian children that the pastor had left Islam to become a Christian.
Word that he was a convert from Islam spread quickly, and Muslim schoolchildren began bullying the pastor’s eight children, Pastor Budallah told journalists, according to Morning Star News.
As area Muslims threatened to kill his children, the pastor and his wife felt compelled to send them to a boarding school in another town.
“At beginning of the year I donated a part of my land for construction of a church building. After walls had been built, however, area Muslims learned that I was a convert from Islam and put a stop to construction,”Pastor Maseruwa Budallah is quoted as saying.
“The church members are now living in great fear for their lives and have stopped attending church services,” he told Morning Star News.
Besides confronting the pastor – telling him to stop construction as well as discontinue worship services – they have sent him threatening messages, he said.
“We know your tricks, that your intention of building the church is for you to convert our members to Christianity,” they wrote in a letter on May 8. “If you continue building the church, then you are risking your life as well as the life of your church members.”
Pastor Budallah also received threatening messages from his relatives back in Sironko, he said.
“You have refused to come back home, and we hear that you have started building a church for infidels,” read one text message. “Know that Allah is going to deal with you soon, and you will not finish it nor pray in it.”
By UG Christian News Correspondent.
