Inside the Church of Uganda , Crown Financial Ministries Partnership to promote Sustainable Livelihoods

On the sidelines of the ongoing four-day capacity building and training workshop for Household and Community Transformation Coordinators from the 39 Dioceses of the Church of Uganda, leaders from the Church of Uganda have today met with representatives of Life International and Crown Financial Ministries International at the Daniel Uganda Missional Centre in Lweza, Kampala to deepen partnerships in sustainable livelihoods and family life ministry.

The meeting was chaired by the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, and attended by the Provincial Secretary, Rev. Canon William Ongeng, alongside the Church of Uganda management team.

The partners were represented by Mr. Kurt Dillinger, President and Founder of Life International; Mr. Steve Biondo, Chief Advancement Officer of Life International; and Mr. Chuck Bentley, the Chief Executive Officer of Crown Financial Ministries International.

The discussions focused on empowering communities through identifying and equipping farmers of influence, training Trainers of Trainers (ToTs), establishing demonstration farms and engaging policymakers, including politicians, in sustainable livelihood approaches such as Farming God’s Way, as well as leveraging media and visual storytelling to model transformative farming practices.

This development follows the five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Church of Uganda and Life International on 6th March 2025 in Kampala, which focuses on strengthening family life and promoting the sanctity of human life.

Accordingly, Church of Uganda is exploring the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Crown Financial Ministries to promote financial stewardship and equip households with the skills needed to build sustainable livelihoods across its structures.

Archbishop Kaziimba commended the partners for their shared vision, saying:

> “Through these partnerships, we are not only equipping God’s people spiritually but also practically, while preaching the gospel of holistic transformation. That is why my theme emphasizes the transformation of the head, the heart, and the hand—empowering believers to care for their families, steward resources faithfully, and build sustainable livelihoods. This is part of our holistic mission to transform communities in Christ.”

Earlier, Mr. Chuck Bentley addressed Church of Uganda development officers on financial stewardship, encouraging them to begin with the resources God has already provided.

He reminded them that although everyone faces financial challenges, it is a lie against God to believe one has nothing, for God multiplies faithfulness. He noted that Africans possess one of the greatest resources—land, often passed down through generations—and by putting it to productive use, families and communities can prosper.

He highlighted five key biblical principles of financial stewardship: working diligently with the opportunities God provides, giving generously as an act of faith, saving to prepare for the future, budgeting and spending wisely to align resources with priorities, and investing honestly and wisely to multiply resources for long-term sustainability.