An Unusual Journey To True Faith

In a rural village in eastern Uganda, the unusual journey of 21-year-old Philimon to faith is a clear reminder of the power of God in answering our prayers for the unreached. 

Phil was born into a polygamous Anglican family with deep roots in the Church of Uganda. His father was a builder with four wives and 18 children. Phil’s mother abandoned the family when he was in the second grade. Left with a neglectful stepmother and an absentee father, Phil struggled in school, repeating 5th grade three times before dropping out for a year due to unpaid school fees.

Then the family converted to Islam. The change brought no real transformation—only empty rituals and continued dysfunction at home. Five years later, Phil’s uncle Eridad discovered the worldly benefits of Pentecostalism and convinced Phil’s father to convert, saying, “The whites will give you donations: clothes, money, everything!”

Soon, foreigners arrived with bundles of secondhand clothes, food, and promises of ongoing support—if the family converted. They did, but without any genuine spiritual conviction or instruction in holiness. Overnight, they became Pentecostal pastors.

Uncle Eridad saw ministry as a lucrative venture and founded multiple Pentecostal sects with foreign backing. He even ran fake child-sponsorship programs, pocketing donations meant for orphans. When Eridad’s scandals erupted, Phil’s father took over as pastor, only to lose all credibility after marrying another wife while preaching monogamy.

Amid this spiritual chaos, God orchestrated a divine encounter for Philimon through your dedication to African evangelism.

Bible Teaching Unlike Any Other

Adam, an Amazing Facts Bible worker you support, visited Phil’s home and taught him Daniel 2—the prophecy of world empires. Phil was amazed by the Bible’s historical precision, something absent in Islam and Pentecostalism. Phil began attending an Amazing Facts prophecy seminar with his friend Godfrey. The two young men hungrily absorbed life-changing truths about the Sabbath, health, and the state of the dead.

Phil’s father was furious when he discovered Phil was attending our meetings. He threatened to curse him and forbade further participation. But Phil snuck out each night, determined to learn more Bible truth. Although challenged by the biblical teachings on diet, the line-upon-line method of explaining Bible prophecy was convincing for Phil. The topics of the mark of the beast and the identity of the antichrist were especially amazing and convicting.

Phil and Godfrey took their stand for truth and were baptized on March 22, 2025. Upon learning of his son’s decision, Phil’s father declared, “You’re dead to me! I will pay no more of your school fees! I’ll have you arrested if you keep the Sabbath!” The family joined in the effort to dissuade Phil from his faith.

However, Phil was unshaken. He boldly declared, “The God of Paul and Peter will deliver me out of prison. The God who delivered the three Hebrew boys out of fire—what is prison to Him?” 

Desperate to force Phil back to Pentecostalism, his father resorted to deception. He filed a false police report claiming Phil was 17 (though he was 21), had abandoned school due to religion, and that missionaries were “stealing” him. He even produced forged receipts to support his lies, alleging that Phil had run away from home. Police stormed through the area searching for the missionaries who had “deceived” Phil. Providentially, the Amazing Facts team had left town temporarily for an event.

The local Sabbath-keeping pastor had anticipated the trouble and gone to the Central Police with the actual story. The next day, the police discovered Phil’s father’s forgeries and threatened to put him in jail. Phil’s mother, Jane, intervened, fearing further disgrace, and a truce was brokered. Phil would stay with a sister, tensions would cool, and he would be free to follow his conscience. All parties were released from the police station.

Phil’s faith has deepened through the experience. He is using the Bible and Bible-marking guide you gave him at his baptism to dismantle his friends’ objections. Now, he dreams of completing his studies and returning to evangelize his family.

His journey—from Anglican to Islam to Pentecostalism to Bible-based Sabbath-keeping—stands as a powerful testament that God’s truth shatters deception.

Thank you for sharing the liberating truth of Christ with Philimon and the many like him who so desperately need hope in Africa!